The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-06-17
Address Of Rev. !. N. Hughes
DELIVERED AT THE

DELIVERED Al THE
Decoration of Soldiers Graves in
this City. on The 3Oth of May.
The necessity for all commence
rations. lies in human forgetfulness
A deed once performed, will never
change, never grow less: once done
it is done for all eternity. In the
great roll Of events, it has taken its
place; and that precise place it will
ever keep. But all human recol-
lection fades away. Time that
brings no change to the deed or the
event, rapidly and inexorably wears
away our recollection of it. Hence
the philosophy Of all such days and
observanccs as this. 1t is TO gath
er from the vas., ever increasing
rubbish Of the past, some truth or
principle, or eventtul deed that is
worthy Of better memory than it
is likely TO receive, and elevate it
above the dead level of common
and forgotten things, that we and
our children may take fresh view
of it as we pass UPWARDS, ourselves
soon to be forgotten.
Whatever of nobleness or worth
or heroic seif-sacrifice there was
displayed during our recent strug-
gle, is just the same to day that it
was then--just as worthy to be adj
mired now as then--perhaps even
more SO, as we now more fully
enter into and enjoy the fruits of
those labors and sacrifices.
It is fitting now that the swift
shuttle glances past again, weaving
the threads of another year into
the woven fabric of the worlds his
tory, that we pause to give at least
passing thought to the great de-
liverauce wrought for us; to speak
the names, and write them on our
hearts the names too readily for
gotten--of those who fell in that
great struggle. To put away the
weakness of calling the earth a
paradise is wise; to see in it bat
tle-Geld between truth and error,
right and wrong, good and evil
to do proper honor to the heroes
of the right---to be such heroes
ourselves, this is even wiser.
Slowly, surely is the race un.
doubleday advancing. But every
step of that upward progr ess, how
costly. Even the graceful science
of astronomy had to fight its way
into life. A seeming fault finding
crowd, it is said, lined both banks
of the Hudson when the first
steamboat moved out on it's tlial
trip. Nearly all the inventors OF
labor-saving machinery were either
killed or starved for being benefac
tors of mankind. The first teach
ers of temperance were mobbed ir
school houses and ridiculed in So
cial circles. 1t is the lesson O
history-the law Of progress--th,
great "needs be" of human ad
vancement. The "suffering many
things" must precede the entering
into glory.
Again is this grand lesson burn
ed in upon our brain. Anothe
step is to be taken, another trutl
is to be demonstrate d-the simpl
truth that a nation has a right t.
its own life. The truth is indee,
demonstrated, but what hetacomb
of human lives does this truth clair
as it's martyrs. These lives liv
again in our memories to day, an
may the fruits of the struggl
prove the price was not too grea
Other men labor and we ente
into their labsrs. We have entere
the pavilion of peace, plenty an
prosperity, but in doing SO hav
trodden over slain bodies of multi
tudes as brave and worthy as ou
selves. Our homes, to day, are tn
the flowers that have grown frol
graves of revolutionary father
And those hands that forgot thei
cunning in the recent war, are tt
very hands that most of all wi
build the homes and shops of o,
children and children's children.
The gospel of peace is indee
truths mightiest weapon. Wi
this she is to make constant vi
on the enemies of human progress
but sometimes these enemies con
strong and passionate, and pre-
the conflict with the present mt
ment. They deal blows shol
sharp, decisive. They must be m
at once, or truth will be crushed
earth. There is no time for della
The philosophy of love, the swe
gospel Of peace, then becom
powerless and cowardly.
1t is then, and only then, til
truth has another weapon--a we
pom that will CLEAN and strike
the battlefield. Like her Gre
Leader, who preached indee
BLESSED are the peace makers
but who, when occasion demand
took a scourge Of small cords a
forcibly excluded the intrudt
from polluting His temple; so s
can take to herself the whole arm
and stand in the evil day, faithless
she does not. And though her 81
rifices then may be greater, yet
victories may be as honorable, .
her deeds as noble as the smile
love or the gentle tears Of mer
When we remember the gre
ness of the sacrifice, the thousar
Of lives laid upon the altar,
continued anguish OF the orpt
and widow, We are ready to inqu
perhaps why this necessity? W