Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-07

WieaOm.. II teaeces pride humility;
meanuess generosity. and gives to the
scepticei faith.MIt tames the passions,
subdues vanity, tempers ambition, re-
fines the emotions, and sheds the soft
ening glow Of charity over all the
deeds 81 oar fellow men.
1t teaches the earnest searcher for
truth to eXclaim as did ZanOni /:
"ThrOughn death ID the only Knowledge
Of all truth" or as vas written upon
the portals Of the palace of Nathek,
"this az the asylum OF pilgrims. the
refuge Of travellers and the depository
OF secrets for al parts Of the world
We come to read some OF these les
sons Of the tomb to-day. And let as
not come as those who mourn with
out comfort, but rather with emotions
Of pride, drowned grief and emulOus
resolves more in the spirit of the
Ihracians who Wept at a birth and re-
ioiced at atuneraL
There is q deep philosophy Ia this
which the selfish emotions OF grief viii
not let US understand, or the passing
pleasures of the present permit US to
appreciate. 1t is the part Of wisdom
to accept that philosophy which recon
Giles with seeming misfortune.
It was not always that death wore
the sOmbre hue Of melancholy, or
walked the Wailings of grief. The
ancieuts contemplated death without
fear and met it with Indifference.
In the beautiful fables of their re-
HgiOun Death was but the daughter
Of Night and the sister of sleep.
By them no emotions Of horror were
associated with their burial places.
Their scarcophagi were sculptered
with battles and the memorable aC-
tons Of their heroes.
The Greeks called a burial ground
CemeteriOn, or "the sleeping place."
the Jews Bethshaim, or the house of
the Uving;N and the Germans Cots
feld-"GOd's field" The Scriptures,
themselves, speak only of the "An-
gel Of Death"
1t was not until much later, when
mOnkish superstition had corrupted
the beauty and simplicity Of Christ
ianity, that mankind first beheid the
graveyaWn, and ''gaunt death in the
Gothic form of human anatomy par
AIDED the universe"
In this place, and on this occasion,
grief should give way to pride for the
death-CrOWned life of the dead. The
soft Lydian and IOnian harmOnies are
not in unison with the place. The
manly Dorian and heroic Phrygian
should verse the praises Of the
heroic dead. And, if we bend
low above the once proud forms
which slumber here, while we scatter
Aha9n Hnurn~r mo mill rr-- a,-.--r-r-
with their noble spirits, learn the
grand impulses Of their lives, and
catch the inspiration of their souls.
When we repeat the story of their he
rOic daring, their devotion, their pa
triOtism, seltsacri6ce and immJlatiOn,
virtues we are here to-day to com
memorials, ana by that cOmmem0ra-
ton pe~rpetUate, it is more for the liv-
ing than the dead. And, as the Gre
clan y5Uths heard from the Parthe-
non the story of Marathon and Their
mOpyl8, and the Roman saw daily in
the AtTium the statutes of his illus
tTiOu5 ancestors, his heart was fired
with a noble emOlutiOu. So do we
trust these memorial services and the
h0nOrS bestowed upon our dead, may
cause the youth Of our land TO emulate
their virtues.
The paying Of some public tribute
to those who have devoted their lives
to their country, has been common to
most nations; the form and man
ner Of its eXressiOn depending ID each
age upon the education, culture and
refinement Of the people.
NalOr in arms has, In every age and
with every nation, claimed the warm
est attention and elected the most
excited piaudidts. And when this
disregard Of danger IS coupled with
sacrifice Ofself for principles of reli-
glOn OF love Of country, it is held ''as
the chieiest virtue and most dignihes
the haver."
It is the saying of an Eastern poet
that a valiant camel driver is worthy
10 kiss the lips Of a fair queen; while
3 cOWardly prince is not worthy to
the hem Of her garments.
The prOnOUncing of euIOgies in their
honor was instituted by Atheuians
ust after the Samian war, which was, |
IS this, a civil war; the judges Of the
.reOpagUs appointing the speaker
or each occasion, the tribute thus
coming with all the authority of a de-
rec from the lips Of Justice herself.
Lycurgus, regulating the affairs of
he LacedaemOnIan, had the soldiers /
neal the temples Of the gods, /
md would not permit the names of
my to be inscribed upon tOmbs, but
hose who had fallen in battle.
Pictures were painted in honor OF
NHNIHTaAnE and vr-hIrn ITEarra tho ]
hundred statues were erected to De-
netrius. The Chinese also sacrifice
the spirit Of their illustriOus dead.
During the wars of NAPOLEON there
vas in u of the French grenadier
regiments a soldier, La Tour d'AU-
conspicuous at all times for
lis gallantry, and who was finally
killed in battle.
For q number Of years there was
Witnessed a beautiful custom in his
egiment concentrating his hero
SIN. Each day when the company
vas assembled for parade and the roll
vas called, there was n name TO
Which its owner could not answer. 1t
vas that of d'AUvergne. When it
vas called, the Oldest sergeant present
a pace forward, raised his
and to bis cap, and said proudly:
Died on the field of honor" With
many of US, and how often does
memory call the names of our dead,
be answered: "Died on the field Ui
.OnOr." For a number Of years the
but peaceful Swiss were accus-
omed to scatter flowers upon the
raves OF their dead upon the battle
ED Of MOrganta and LaUpen. No
could be more expressive than
his OF strewing howers-6Owers, "the
poetry of nature her
pater nOster and the fOrgeC-me. uOts
t affection" 1t is stamped with WO-
nature. She only could have
lought oft. Its simplicity, beauty,
and refinement make il Pc
hers. F..
1t is not statues and monuments or
lagnihcent obsequies that attest ataH {
mes a nahOn's gratitude. ]
Tributes like these only are endur-
g. Tacitus gracefully says, the
CHS and tears or a people are the [
lost permanent and enduring stat {
ss; they are net obnoxious to the {
i-clemencies of the weather or the in {
.ries of time, and endear the memo {
Of the good and virtuOUs to the {
.mOtest ages. c
But we have said w speak to-day y
I The present and to the living. The !
ast-the fearful, blood stained, robe q
wrapped past-is gone, and will S
IT come again. The active Present
upon US, and is ours; and the glo- e
Gus Future, at whose portals we e
and, catching the light glowing from b
opens before Us. 1t is with
.e5e and their high and holy duties ii
e must grapple. The past is to be v
membered but for its solemn sacri- &
its potent lessons. For these ii 0
valuable. 1t is the great teacher. f
pom its affairs lie the smoking vic o