The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-31
THE FALLEN BRAVE.
RUTLAND,s CONFEDERATION


come historic in the life Of the country as
it has been publicly proclaimed a national
holiday. Not however, in the sense of
celebration or of a joyful event, but in a
commemoration day of mourning for
lost ones and of reflections upon their deeds
as soldiers and their virtues as friends and
citizens. In no better manner can we
offer our tributes of affection for these fall
len soldiers while we gather about their
graves than in the beautiful language of
flowers. Lovely alike in form and in the
presence that it sheds, the flower is ut
once appropriate for the ceremony, and
cmbodics many of the requisite virtues of
n true offering of love. The design that
emanatcd from a few old soldiers to com
memorate the deeds of their fallen comrades
in this manner is one of great credit and
should he followed by their SONS and pos
terity as years pass and generations are
newly born
The services observed in Rutland under
the auspices of Post Roberts G. A. Il. in
honor of the occasion were probably of
higher order and more interesting in it,
character than that of any previous obser-
vance of the kind here The morning
opened clear and bright, the sun shedding
forth cheering warmth while a delightful
breeze was felt that lasted throughout the
day. Our village was visited by people
from adjoining towns. while our own citi-
zcns, with a due.regard for the day, gave up
the usual employments and business of other
in goodly numbers. Their public spirit was
also shown in the many flags that streamcd
from the doors and windows in every
street, giving the town an old-timc warlikc
and patriotic appearance.
The Grand Army boys assembled in the
afternoon at their hall, and at two o'clock
procession was formed by them in front
Of GLOBE block with Marshall j. II.
Gouldng and Assistant Marshal s. II.
Kelly and the Cambria band at their head
This marched to the Town Hall to the
stirring music of the band where was soon
assembled a large audience to listen to the
services After the playing of the national
air "The Red, White and Blue by the
Cambria band, prayer was offered by Rev,
j. Gibson johnson of Rutland.
Marshal Goulding then introduced to the
Post. and the ladies and gentlemen in at
tendance, Comrade Albert Clarke of st. Al
bans. the orator of the day, whose address
we give ccyddtim.
MIR. CLARKE's GRAFTON.
We are square headed people and not
given to ceremony. The block of national
character quarricd from Plymouth was
hewn for use and not for ornament We
believe, with II celebrated French phloso-
phcr, that the more free people are the
fewer ceremonies, the fewer ostentatious
titles, the fewer demonstrations of annihi-
laton in the presence of II superior, they
possess" We have been taught that in
proportion to the barbarism of countries or
the weakness of courts, professions, prece-
dence, distinctions of rank, forms of adj
dress and imposing displays are most in
vogue. Our rulers, who are called SER
wants of the people, have never deemed it
necessary, like the emperors and mandarins
of China, to formally inaugurate the seed
time by demonstration with the pillow. We
know that the Egyptians prospered and the
Greeks grew great, but unlike them we
have not celebrated feasts to Isis and Osiris
nor paid our homage to Ceres or Proscrpine.
We believe that Rome's great day was
when Caesar was called plain Caesar and
before Constantine was spoken of as " his
imperial majesty" We believe in cturte-
sy, but unlike the ambassadors of Charles
the First when treating with the cardinal
de Richelieu for the hand of Henriette of
France, we do not push an important mat
ter to the point of defeat by demanding two
or three steps more toward door. Fitz
Greene Halleck's Yankee would even
Shake hands with king upon his throne
And think 1t Kindness to his majesty"
SO self-rcspecting is every man that moro
than one sturdy citizen soldier has been tied
up by his thumbs for failing to salute his SUI
perior officer. Even the rites of religion
in many other countries so imposing-hav
here been stripped to the bare outlines of
simplicity.
Is it not strange, then, that such people,
stern as Puritans and practical even in the
realms of fancy, should have fallen into the
beautiful custom that we observe to-day
When on almost any occasion, it is hard to
induce the unorganized multitude TO join in
a procession, they choosing rather to follow
on the sidewalks, is it not strange that for
this one day in the year they should lay
aside their sovereign independence and
march reverently to unauthorized COM
mands? What is it that to-day can make the
iron visage of the soldier which has faced the
belching of the cannon and the flame OF
struggling lines, relax like the mobile
muscles of child? What tenderness
touches the heart of him who has q looked
him follow with the men he led? What
magic has thrown away the heavy arms and
burdened these re-assemblcd ranks with
only the beautiful and delicate adornments
of the spring? The dead whom we honor
sleep their last sleep. No pomp can fill
their eyes, no music and no words can
touch their hearts, no sound can awake
them to glory again. We do indeed, some
times fancy that they look upon us from the
armies OF the best" but as we recount
their services and their sacrifices we only
too sadly realize how little is the most we
can do for them, and are obliged to turn
and confess that our own poor lives are all
that can receive the benefit of this Memo
rial Day.
| have heard it said that this observance
must soon pass away, that it can evolve
nothing new, and that the people will tire OF
it as they do of all monotony. This may
be, but not yet. He who thinks that emo
tons of gratitude are so soon spent little
knows how dependent this people felt when
the soldiers stood between them and their
enemies as wall of fire. He who imagnes
that the grief of yesterday will tomorrow
pass away, has never looked up to the
height nor penetrated to the depth of that
CRITICAL altar, reared in every thirtietli
house throughout the land. He who thinks
that men will tire of bearing flowers to Their