The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1871-06-15
DECORATION DAY.

Graves in HtIlsDOrOs May 'SVs
1871.
At the request of the Executive
Committee, the following Address,
prepared for the occasion, but not
delivered in consequence of the
threatening indications of rain, has
been kindly furnished for publica'
ton by the author:
FELLOW CITIZENS We have
left the noise and hustle of the city
of the living to spend an hour
among the homes of the silent dead.
Here life and death meet face to
face here in this grove ofthe sleep
ing we speak with subdued tones
and tread with noiseless step and
/ bow our heads in sad and reverential
awe. The breezes whisper lightly
through the trees and fan our brOws
with something of the chilliness of
the tOmb.-AlI, all, reminds US OF
the stifled breath and final gasps of
the dying, and of the blackness and
tears of our grief. Here in this
hour the greed of our avariee, the
thirst of our ambition and the petty
strifes of our lives flee away, and
our hearts feel not the surgings of
| ignoble passions. We come, sub
dued in heart, with thoughts more
of heaven than earth, to pay merit
ed honor and reverence to the mem
ories of those noble and great ones
who offered themselves up as a sac
rifice for us who live.
! There are spots in this cemetery
Earound which individuals and fam
lilies often gather and pour out tears
of affectiOnate sadness. Sons and
daughter have come here from the
warm embrace of fOnd. parents to 81
Iently sleep till the bright dawn of
heaven shall wake them ; parents
sleep here unawakened by the walls
of tender and helpless children ;
Infants, ruthIessly seized from the
bosoms of fond mothers, sleep, o, so
sweetly and calmly, never again to
wake smiIingly to affections kiss.
The bride, too, has come from her
chamber in robes of white and lain
down here in her long sleep, leav-
ing behind her blighted hopes and
scarcely-tasted joys. But we have
not come to pour out our love upon
these sacred spots, although our
hearts will glide away for the mo-
ment to the graves of loved ones,
and our eyes, as we pass their last
resting places, linger an instant
over their mouldering forms. Our
grief, to day, is a common one, our
tribute of respect the same, our graf
itude and our hopes the same. We
scatter our flowers and renew our
vows over the sacrifcial graves of
noble men, the heroes of our land.
War is always a terrible thing,
and yet it is often noble. To fight
for the sake of fighting is shameful
ly brutal, but to contend for the
supremacy of the right is in the
highest degree honorable. To fight
for fame is terrible sin, but to go
forth to repress wrong and establish
the right, even with the glittering
steel, is one of the highest virtues.
Z cannot think the willingness OF
men to die upon the battlefield is
caused by the gaudy trappings Of
war, or a simple desire to make
themselves famous {; I cannot think
that the universal homage which
mankind pay to warriors results
from the splendor, magnitude and
terribleness of their achievements
The glory that attaches to the brave
soldier has a nobler Origin-an Ori-
gin more creditable to humanity,
The glory is in the sacrifice that is
made for some great principle; ; and,
because life is the greatest sacrifice
that any man can make for the right
it results that the highest honor is
conferred upon him who makes
this sacrifice. The true soldier is
a voluntary martyr, whether he
dies on the field or not, and he al.
ways receives a martyrs crown Of
immortal honor.
It was solemn, earnest work when
; our soldiers left their homes, rife
in hand. 1t was not for the sake oi
murder and pilIage, for they were
not banditti and robbers ; it was
not the glittering trappings of wal
that allured them away into scenes
of danger and death, for they were
not fools nor was it the love d
, glory that made them willing tC
meet these dangers, for they had nc
, such unholy ambition. Our sOldi
, cry counted the cost, they reflected
camly upon the work to be done
and the sacrifice to be made in it
: accomplishment, and went fortt
J intelligenuy to do that work and tt
make the requisite sacrifice-even 0
. life. They fought because it was
: duty to fight, they bled becaus
D blood must be shed, they died be
cause in death was the triumph of tn
( right. 1 repeat, they were vOlun
tary martyrs, and hence heroes, ant
}. worthy of our lasting homage ant
S remembrance. 'Tis sweet to die TO
e ones country, because it is sweet t,
do noble deeds-and to die for
good cause being the nOblest of al
= deeds, is the sweetest of all.
Man does not like to throw ava.
his life; he rightfully shriuks from
LII Il n fny,v,