The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-06-08


Reported expressly ior The standard.I
Decoration of the Graves of Union
Soldiers. .
The ceremonies attending the decoration
of the gr6ystf the Union soldiers'at ths
beautifully situated and tastily arranged
National cemetery, near this city, were per
formed yesterday evening at 3 o'clock, il
the presence Of large multitude
The weather was suspicious and the cxcr
cises were impressive, entertaining and in
structive. Among those present We noticed
several former "bnys in gray" who, 10y thcil
presence, ,cyincel their desire to do honor to
the memory of their former foes, the brave
dead "boys in blue"
This truly soldierly feeling should animate
all our people of both sections. Then, let
ting the dead past bury its dead, and bury
ing in the graves of the dead heroes of botf
armies all our sectional jcalousics and ami
mosities and all that is bitter in the exper
ience OF each in the late strife, we car
together raise monuments cmblazoned witt
the trophies of each contestant, and claim
as one heritage the yalor and bravery, the
high-toned devotion to principle OF the
AMERICAN SOLDIER, whether he wore a blue
or gray coat, or fought on the right OF
the wrong side.
At o'clock the exercises were opened by q
highly appropriate invocation to the Deity
by the chaplain of the occasion, Rev. G. W.
Brodie.
Mr.. Boner, the poet of the day, being in
troduced by Capt. T. +. Lee, delivered, with
clear intonation, the following excellent
original poem, which does credit to both the
mind and heart of the author We will not
comment upon it. 1t speaks for itself:
Away from the tempcstuous scenes oflife,
We rather here, by tender sorrow led.
We come to mourn those who have left the strife
AndnOw are numbered with the peaceful dead.
We come not with mockery of woe,
Nor yet with hearts too full of useless pain,
Our humble tributes meckly to bcsOw
Upon the graves of these heroic slain.
WecOmc to consccratc unto our God
The memories Of men who died to save
A holy cause with flowers to strew thes sod
That lightly rests upon each humble grave.
We come with 10 remembrance of the past
To animate a sing bitter thought
Why should we :-Eumity must yield at last
To tender tears for all the dead who fought.
The dead are sacred. He who curses them
Hath in his heart coffin, in which lies
His purcst manhood, like tarnshed gum.
'Tis nober far to pity than despisc.
The blessings OF sweet Peace are once again
Descending On our land from shore to siOrc.-
No more is heard the lesiden bullet rain
No more resOunds the cannons horrid rUar
Green grows the grass where late the warrior stood,
Where fell the patriot lighting to be free:
The fields are planted and unsained with blood
Our rills and rivers flow to meet the sea.
In dreamless sumOer some who fought tn lr.in
For us these blessings. For our lives they paid
Their own rinsum They died not III vain
To day the hag that led them on to fight
The emblem OF Columbia : fearless might
The banner OF 4 land where All ere Free.
Pace to the ashes of the Unions dead:
Peace to the ashes of their fallen foes.
For these the mOurnful willow drOops its head =
For those the laurel in its beauty grows.
Now let us takea lesson from the scene
Which lies before Death will Claim Us all.
No fame or power. riches or strength can screen
Us frUm the winding sheet and funeral pail.
''Tf beast of heraldry, the pomp Of power,
And all that b,auty, all that wealth r'.r gave,
Alike await the inevitable hOur.-
Tn" paths oil glory lead but to the grave.
After music by the Raleigh Brass Band,
the orator of the day, Capt. 7. F. Lee, was
introduced to the auuicnce by Chiet Mar.
shall Martin. Capt. Lee then delivered the
following address. Its matter is highly
creditablc to the Speaker and its tone is un.
exceptionable:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN 1t is with a
great deal of reluctance that undertake tc
act in the capacity of orator on this occa
sion. But finding it impossible to get any
of the gentlemen that were applied to, husi
ness or previous engagements compelling
them to decline, it dcvolvcs on me, as f.;
matter of necessity, to appear before you as
orator of the day and deliver to you suci
as my humble ability will permit.
Time rolls on; another year has passed away
and again we have gathered together to per
form sad but pleasant duty. Sad, becaus
the graves of brave men ever imbue the sou
with sadness Pleasant, because their FAM
and glory is spotless, and their work not il
vain. We are here to lend our feeble aid ii
perpetuating the memory of those nobl
"boys in blue" whose bodies now lie mould
ering beneath the grassy mound around us
We come inspired by the spirits Of ou
nations heroes. We come to pay tribute II
them as the noble defenders of our gloriou
Union, left us as Il common heritage by on
forcfathers. We are here to consccrate ant
udorn their graves with the buds and flow
ers of May. A few days pass and the flow
ers fade; but the deeds of the forms the
cover will ne. er fade-they are immortal
their valor, their patriotism, and the Uniol
they died to sustain, will remain bright ant
firm until, with one accord, the nations o
the earth will join in paying homage to tn
memory of those noble boys-the pioneer
of the liberties they themselves enjoy.
When VIC have passed into eternity ant
our names shall have sunk into oblivion, tn
names of these men, cmblazoncd on Fame
immortal scroll, will remain bright, remem
bcred, honorcd and loved Unlike the hire
lings of oppression, they yielded their life
blood not upon strange land at the bid
ding of Despot. No! they died in tn
land of their birth and adoption the LAM
of the free, the land of Washington; ant
they yielded that life at the bidding of tina
mighty spirit of liberty which burst fort
spontaneously from every loyal heart whel
that dear old flag was assalcd. The hes
blood of the country sprang to the rescue o
our "stary banner" and freely gave thci
lives for their country, for our country; the
died, not simply that the nation and gov
ernment should remain intact, but that tn
will of the people might be vindi
Gated and established. They won 70
themselves grave, for US country-the
died that We might live.
In the Constitution of our fathers it is en-
grated "wc the people dn ordain," and th
"bnys in blue by their acts declared, yea
we the In.oplc shall he olcyed. though deaf
he our portion Nnby have they kept thei
word. The same Constitution VIC receives
from our fathers, modified and amended b
the laws of Progress and Freedom, is our'
With it as guide, We may defy the worl
and teach the mighty p"tentatcs of Europ
that VIC as u people have Il power TO max
ourscIycsfree and to preserve that Freedom
From Gettysburg's bloody field to th
shores of the gulf, from the Atlantic to tn
Mississippi and beyond, these brave me
were laid low in deaths cold embrace the
bones Iay bleaching in tho sun, but scarcel
had the trump of war been llsllcd whe
,huse sacred remains were brought tOgetht
and inferred in suitable localities, as "
have them here. And on This day all oy,
the TTnion are assembled the friends of thcs
noble martyrs. They are hringing flowers an
dec,ratinn the graves of thosr who ha,
hcrn consignc, 10 their caIc And here Il
ne think what Il feeling ''r holy and supren
consolation must pcrvatle that fund mother
breast, who, in her lar oil Nolthorn home,
decorating the grave OF some unkao'eR,
feel that the graye 2f her noble boy (wl