Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-06-01

Decorating the graves Of the veteran
| soldiers who lie in the cemeteries near
San Francisco was duly observed OH
Tuesday last. General o. II. Lagrange
made the following beautiful address
OH the occasion:
For a people who arc strong because
they are united. and proud because
they are free, no exercise could be
more betitting than to spend one day
of each succeeding year in calling back
the memories and studying the exam
pie of those who died for unity and
freedom. It Is for us, their sometime
comrades, to establish these ceremonies
aud enSrait this custom OH the manners
of our times. The ashes of Il COM
rales %consecratc this corner of Goods
Acre." not to the city or the State, but
to the nation and humanity not to
the dead past, but to the living present
and the quickening future; and IN
coming time, whoever enters here, let
none depart until his spirit feels a new
baptism In the faith for which the na-
ton made such costly sacrifice. Nor
would we here remember only those
who rest in honor here. The maid
who babe her lover 90 and be the
bridegroom Of his country first, suf-
fcred rs kcenly and rs hopclessly as he
who withered in the prison pen. The
wife who gave the father Of her chill
drcn, and toiled OH alone to rear them
honestly, bore not n lighter burden
than he bore when Einting In the hos
pital. The mother who sent forth her
boy, and sat in sorrow down u child
less widow by her lonely hearth, shed
tears rs precious as the crimson drops
that stained the field whereon her
first-born fell. We do much honor to
ourselves in standing here with the
heroic dead ; but all tile honor that
our reverence and our love can pay Is
but an earnest of the tribute due to
those who suffered more than death,
vet could not die. In the observance
of this day, with the old battle memoirs
swelling in our hearts, and r~ecollec-
tions of dead comrades tenderer than
new life and deeper than the grave
binding our eyes, we feel no touch OF
exultatiOn over those whose erring
judgment made them dare as much for
n false theory rs we dared for n living
principle, and whose steadfaStness
made them suffer more for ruin and
defeat than we were called to suffer
for success and victory. We proudly
claim such courage and devotion rs
Americans, and in God's coming years,
when justice rules and error is forgot
ten-when personal injuries are felt no
more, and personal resentmcnts shall
have passed away when eyes that are
clouded by blood, and eyes that are
blinded by tears, shall be closed to their
slumbers-we trust that the children Of
Fcderals and the children of Confede-
rates shall stand together OH Memorial
Day, forgetting everything but that
they arc all Americans, and with their
undimmed eyes find only the poetry of
heroic action in the proud, sad record
of our country's agony. So shall the
fragrance of their flowers rise with
sweet acceptance to the peaceful spirits
that have passed through strife, beyond
the reach Of strife forever. So shall
the fading garlands laid OIL graves but
typify the everything garlands twined
by history round the names of those
whose mortal hands laid hold OH i'm
mortality. So shall memorial music
cease to be a dirge, and swell into an
anthem, deep and clear and full Of
praise to Him who makes the wrath Of
nan to praise Him. Then, upon the
firm foundation of our perfect union.
broad and enduring rs the continent,
shall stand the temple of our liberties,
arching from earth to Heaven, and be-
meath the ~star-capped dome the holy
influence Of Memorial Day, inspiring
posterity, shall prove a prophets
promise Of perpetual peace.