The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-05-31
IN oRIAM.
Comm emoratfon Of the Brave
Deeds Done.
OUR NATIONAL FLORAL FESTIVAL.
Decoration Of Soldiers Graves.
PRAYERS, 0RATIoNs, MUSIC, ETC, ETC

: men, and conceived IN cold practically
having no regard for pomps and decorative
!. displays, and being no respecter OF ~
antiquity beyond its own brief era, is natur
ally not Q government believing IN OF
l. desiring holidays. Practical, work-a-day
: toll, asks for nothing but the weekly seventh
day rest; and recreation, unmixed with
business, is something the convenn'n"'
). American has no conception OF. We n"'o
but four real holidays that are geherhAy
ohssrvsd. and bu. two Of a national oharac-
tar viz. Independence Day, Thanksgiving,
nd Christmas and New Years. There are
no sages or heroes, who have left such inef
facable footprints on the sands of time" or
have been SO much missed that the date of
their birth is made a national red letter day.
The celebration of Washington's birthday, is
now merely nominal, and flags are foated
only from public buildings, and as I'D adver.
tisement from housetops that have bunting
tor sale. The sth of January was formerly
very generally observed, but Packenbam is
forgotten almost as WAS his defeat, and sold
Hickory only lives in the memory of . few
atsnch old democrats who are now in the
mid winter of life, some of whom are &C.
cused of casting a vote for the hero of New
Orleans at every recurring election. "No
man so great and useful has ever lived,
says Bossuet, L Aigle de Meaux, "Savs One,
whom the world could not do with out. "
This sentiment is the adopted philosophy of
Americans in regard to the memory of
the living and the dead We are not q
not, as the adsge hath it, unRrsteful for
services while the fruition of services are
being enjoyed; but the republic has no
gratitude for individuals who have outlived
then usefulness or are not actively useful
We therefore have no commemorative holt
days, because the departed are useless TO u.s.
They are only Psssiveiy great. II Is,
therefore, To our credit rs d nation that we
gloriously won, and it is to the credit Of our
hearts thss we make 1t AT occasion of
personal tributes to the departed BY scatter
ing flowers over their graves, that we
celebrate it not with the clsngor of bugles
and the thunder of artillery, but in solemn
procession seek out the graves of the dead,
who have died unhonored and unknown in
lighting for common liberty, and sprinkling
them with mortal bloom and fragrance, as
evanescent as the souls of men Ii is not
that We rejoice in the triurn phs attained and
the benefits secured to future generations,
but that we sorrow for the sacrifice it has
cost. This day, therefore, has q most beau
tful sllusion, is most elevasing and human
izing, and deserves to be placed at the head
of our national calendar as "Ail heroes
Day
THE DECORATION.
The decoration committee had worked
hard for the few days previous. and busy
hands had made $50 evergreen wresths,
aud wesved innnmerable flowers into gar
lands, crosses, posies aud diadens, and
everything was ready on our part to unite
with Davenport in the commemoration.
/ The Rock Island celebrsnts assem- led at
Court House Square al noon, and the pro-
cession moved il carriages across the bridge
and up the broad avenue to the cemetery at
the upper end of the Island, where they
were met by the Davenporters, and both
entered the cemetery grounds together.
There are buried there abou. three hundred
soldiers of the Union, ell Of whose bodies
were removed to the cemetery about two
years ago. Neat head boards are placed at
the head of each and in some cases small
marble slabs have been erected by loving
hands
/ The Decoration Committees marched into
the enclosure, baskets full of flowers and
wreaths were handed round to each, and
rated, the wsiling fife and the muffied drum
playing a dead march meanwhile. The
ceremonies were proceeded with in accord
ance with the following programme, which
was carried out to the letter
/ /, Music, National Piece, by the Union
Band.
.. Prayer BY Rev q E. Barnes, of Mo
line.
3. Hymn by soldiers orphans.
i. Memorial Address, By Hon. j. W.
Green, of Davenport.
5. Music, Hymn from Mendelssohn Bar
tholdy, by Davenport Maennerchor
6. Decoration of the graves by soldiers
orphans under the direction of the Decorat-
ing Committee, the band playing during the
interval the Prayer Hymn by Abt.
/ 7. Hymn by the orphans.
( 3. benediction by Rev. II. Newell OF Rock
Island.
/ The children of the Orphans Homs,
under conduct of their teacher, Mr.. Pierce.
and his assistants, strewed the flowers on the
graves under direction Of the decoration
committees. The procession was made up
Of q large number of pedestrians, widows in
weeds, young men and women, and chill
dren, and people bent under the weight of
years. walking from this city to the head of
Island, q distance of four miles, and back,
under the hroiling sun, all impelled and
sustained by the duties they felt they owed
to the occasion. All, or nearly all, doubt
less had cause to mourn for some lost one
cut off by the fortunes of war, whose death
they commemorated in the tribute of the
day. The ceremonies aud the music were
most beautiful and impressive, and the
memorial address of John W. Green, ESQ.,,
was an effort eminenty worthy of the COCA
sion that had produced it.
! The Island avenues were lined with oar.
riages long after the ceremonies had con.
cluded, and the cemetery was visited bv
hundreds of people from both sides of the
river On returning to Rock Island the
celebrants assem- bled at the Cour. House
Square around the shaft of the soldiers
monument. to engage in the ceremonies of