Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-05-16
DECORATION SERVICES.
SIrewing The Graves of Confederate Sol
diers with Flowers.

Yesterday afternoon the sky was overcast
with clouds portentous of long withheld rain,
which continued until the hour appointed for
the departure Of those intending to participate
in the decoration of the Confederate soldiers
graves at Bethel cemetery, but the heavens were
propitious and the showers were stayed, and
the road was soon filled with vehicles, horses
and pedestrians on their way to the cemetery.
The exercises commenced with appropriate
music by the German Band, who had kindly
rendered their services, when the Rev. James
Park called upon Rev. James Lyons to lead in
prayer, at the conclusion of which Mr.. Park
introduced Rev. E. Z. Hoss, who had been Sc
lected to deliver
THE ADDRESS.
1t is the request of the ladies and conforms to
nv own wi ;hes that the remarks on this oc-
casion shall be brief The language most ap-
propriate is that of the heart and its promptingS
are understood by all. | thank God that in
this busy, bustling striving word of ours, there
are some occasions that reveal the better side Of
human nature. Such an occasion is this. In
studying the motives which have drawn tOgeth-
er this cOncourse of people, [ see at work the
best AM hottest principles of the heart We are
met for no selfish end. No object of personal
merely material standpoint we do not expect
to be benefited by our attendance. We are
mOurnerS. Our labor is one of love. Here
we come to scatter bright flowers, and to drop
affectionate tears over the graves of as noble
men as ever walked the earth and breathed the
air of Heaven.
,ay nothing of the justice of the cause in
which they were engaged. May hap had l been
of years, would have differed from them The
questions about which they commended have
been forever settled by the arbitrament of arms.
This is not the place to revive proftless discus
sion. Let politics be delegated to the politl-
clans. We are met in a different capacity. But
may my right hand forget its cunning, and my
tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if
ever | become unwilling, either privately or
publicly, to acknowledge both the valor and
the patriotism of those who lie here, and of all
those who honestly followed the waning for
tuues of the COnfederacy until its star of hope
expired in utter darkness.
To the memory Of the fallen ones we come to
do honor. These noble ladies Ga blessing for
them y have gathered from far and wide the
bones of the boys in gray, and have laid them
here to sleep until the trump of doom shall
sound. No victorious flag floats above them.
They died in a lost cause. They put their for
tunes into scales of war, and the balances turn
ed against them. But | am hopeful that the
time will yet come, when, all the asperitieS of
war having been smothered down, and all the
the bitter memories of the past having been for
gotten, and prejudice having been SO far over
come as that men can see each others virtues
through the mist Of each others faults, whole
nation reunited IN fraternal esteem, shall give
honor alike to those who fell upholding the
Bonnie Blue Flag and to those whose lives were
surrendered battling for the Star Spangled Ban
ner.
There is not nation on the face of the earth
that would not be proud to chronicle in its an
mails, as a part of its own history, the Feats of
bravery performed by the soldiers of Lee and
jackson and Johnston. The day of which L
spoke is yet in the distance, perhaps afar off
You and l may not live to see its dawning.
But if death seal our eyelids ere it breaks upon
the world, let us die with a prayer for its ap-
whole country. Patriotism is a Christian duty
and, at the same time, neither one emergency
nor another should be permitted to rob US OF our
veneration of these brethren whose blood mas