Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-06-17
DecOratiOn-Day.T

DEcoRATIoN-DAY is becoming one OF
the most beautiful of our festivals. 1t
occurs at the lovliest season of the year,
when the earth is brilliant with flowers
and musical with birds, and when every
thought of the dead is naturally most ten
der and most hopeful. Surely IL is little
to ask that, in the midst of our prosperity
and freedom, one day shall be consecrated
to memory of the men who secured them
by their lives The current of events is
so deep and swift that even the war is
fading little from our memories. There
is already certain forgetfulness of the
immense services of the soldiers and
sailors; and there was a touching and
lofty pride in the words of General Sher-
man, that he had earned the money that
was paid him. If Decoration day served
no other purpose than to refresh In the
public mind the sense of the claims of the
soldiers, it would be wise and most SER
viceable occasion. But it does more. 1t
renews the remembrance of the great
cause in which they fell; and this is as
serviceable as to celebrate the Fourth of
July, and to recall the principles as well
as the devotion of the Revolution.
1t has been sometimes felt that the ten
dency Of Decoration day must be to pre-
serve the memory of hostiiities that
should be forgotten. But this is not me-
cessity. There is no more vindictiveness
in the remembrance of the struggle than
there was in the spirit with which it was
maintained. The dead soldiers are not
honored because they were brave, and
died-for their enemies were brave, and
they also died-but it is the cause for
which they fell that consecrates their
memory; and that cause is as much that
of their opponents as of themselves 1t
is not private tribute of affection that is
paid on Decoration day; it is the expires
sion of national feeling of gratitude and
Joy. Just as independence was really the
cause of the whole country, although the
Tories did not believe it, so the perpetuity
of the Union, as the security of the liber-
ty and equal rights of every citizen, is the
cause of the whole nation. If it were
merely the celebration of the victory OF
the North over the South, nothing could
be more unwise than such a festival. But
obviously, and consciously upon the part
of every one who shares in it, it is NO
more the celebration of victory, in the
limited personal sense, than our national
anniversary. So E~f
| Therefore we see no reason to doubt thai
it will gradually become a general and ma
tional festival 1t may be otherwise OBJ
served than now, although it is not easy to
imagine any observance more appropriate
and beautiful One of the most significant
feasts of the Romish Church in Italy is
All-souls Day. Then the friends and re-
lations of the dead visit their graves, and
the Church militant and the Church trium
plant mingle.i Let this be our All-ssus'
Day. Let it send us meditatively to the
graves of our heroes, and there, as we
recall them and renew in memory our
common hopes and joys and pains, let us
also renew our vows to live for the great
cause for which they died. The longer
the day is celebrated the tenderer the
feeling will become and when this gen.
Grafton, which saw the war and felt its
sharp wounds, has passed away, nothing
bat the cause and the hercism will remain
for admiration and for undying honor
Haaper''s Weekly. -sTo3sElssgz2 go Z