The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-31
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING. MAY 81, 1873
Memorial Day.
GRAFTON OF REV. GEORGE W. BICKNELL

10 winch they so fully cOnSecrated themselves.
The utterances of the beautiful flowers scat
tered this day upon their graves, speak-oh
how much more eloquently than can human
lips.
Every thing holy and beautiful awakens ad-
miration, and which must be expressed.
Hence the inspiration of the services of this
day. Every thing noble and sacrificing KIN
dies our respect and gratitude, and calls forth
| our love- Hence the testimonials offered to
departed worth to- day. Every act of man in
volving courage and crowned with a martyrs
faithfulness, quickens emotions within the
breasts of those acquai ted Herewith, which
grow more powerful with each occasion which
presents it before the mind.
You have been to-day with garlands in your
hands, to uecorate the last camping ground of
who, few years ago, listened to the call of
duty-hew to the support of their national en-
blem and amid the cheer which announced
triumphant victory-their forms sank to rest
while their spirits winged their way to answer
| the call from on high-to fsiiy in r1e mansions
| above, to receive the heavenly wreath Of i'm
mortality-a glorious reward for duty we'll
| consummated. Upon the turf which marks
their resting places sa haye placed the
those brighter garlands of love and respect
which are formed in your hearts, and are
| placed upon the altars of life-lasting memories
| 1t has not been any weak desire for display or
| ostentation, which has prompted this action
burst of some of the noblest faculties which
| find their dwelling place wi hin the being of
man. The memorial of to-day seems to con-
| meet the past with the present. BY it the
mind is carried back Glowing, as well as
terrible recollections, come up before u.s. The
heart is thrilled, as again in retrospecton, you
| live over the scenes of years ago; when you,
| my comrades, moved side by side upon the
TEDIOUS march with those now sleeping in the
| dust; when you camped side by side in the
fOra he Y,ia .xubA ryor Stn rroad
the enemy's works or broke his lines; when,
| as one heart, one soul, one body, moved by
common impulse, you dashed forward into
danger and conflct-they to fall-you to join
struggled for nations life they fell. Well
indeed is it, that one day at least in the year,
| should be consecratcd to the memory of fallen
and heroic companions Well indeed it is
that season should be devoted to paying a
tribute to departed virtue, nobility and worth,
when the cares and scenes of business should
| be forgotten when all barriers to mutual in
tercourse and sympathy should be broken
and while the departed receive the heaven
smiling tokens OF respect it enables us all to
| place upon the affairs of the present, our en-
blems vt conservation to faithfulness-noble
| resolutions to earnestness and activity in the
| higher relations of life, that, dying, all may
leave behind memories beautiful and fragrant
| with virtue, even as the garlands which you
have placed above the soldiers graves to-day,
| breaths of Heaven.
Almost every nation has its festal and its holy
days. These were specially characteristic of the
| ancients. The histories of the Hebrews, the
jews, the Greeks, the Romans, give Us ac-
| counts of very many such days. 1t was
through their observance, that the masses
were kept in mind of the important events of
| the past. Usually they were seasons of joy
praise and Thanksgiving, when thousands-al-
most mlllions-united in one grand drmon-
frnf rrItyty,r F,,1 IL
thsy deemed appropriate for the hour. The
present also, witnessed many seasons of COM
memoraton, though in these days of rec
ord when the masses regard the present
nn much more more, than the past, when they
look behind save they desire some refer
ence to the past in order to accelerate the work
| of the present-there is not that universal
manifestation, either of joy or sadness, which
we believe, was exhibited in earlier times. As
| nation we have very few days devoted to COM
memoration 1t is not because the people are
ungrateful but one reason is, that the demands
of the great noao require almost increasing ap-
plication to the duties in each relation of life.
| Yet we do not cease to remember the past en-
| tirely; for every year since the nation had an
| Independent existence, its sons have gathered
in their respective places, to celebrate its ami
| versary; and amid the ringing of bells and the
| booming of cacnon, the sacrifices of the IA
| theirs have been remembered and patriotism re-
CeINeu duuiClOHal strength. anu now we nave
another day-holv to us-one day in the year,
when we commemorate our deliverance from
| the terrible fire of war-from the dangers and
trials which surrounded us-and while, in many
| respects, it is season of sadness yet it should
| also be a season OF jOy-that when the strong
holds of our nation were shaken, when power
| full men trembled-when the storm and the
| whirlwind ragged about us, when we seemed tot
tering and fallng-,Geds hand was stretched
down to guide and save us-the storm passed
| md ,ortfv apAh hova
| have been ours. We assemble each year TO
commemorate thai event. and also to honor the
memories of those who labored so hard-who
| sacrificed so much to gain such result but
| who on earth could never enter iuto its reality.
| No bosterous demonstrations mark the season
| of commemoratiOn. We would rather offer
| tributes of true gratitude, amid the silent,
| though in-heaven heard expressions of thank
| fitness of our souls No observances of the
! past can be compared, in their beauty and pu-
rity of expression. to those of the present 1t
has been through the action and inspiration of
| emotions high and noble thronging the breast
which have prompted you and thousands
throughout our land to-day-to offer the simple
which this sixth anniversary of our national
''holy day" has called forth. United in this
testimonial have been the strong who have
moved in solemn procession-and some of the
noblest of the fair-mothers, sisters. wives,
daughters-who amid their tears which the
thought of separation would make flow, yet
when their country called, said to their dear
| ones "go'-these have selected the choicest
| flow ers-formed them into almost speaking oh.
jects Of eloquence, and have laid them reverent-
| ly, and tenderiy above the forms of noble men,
| whose blood was the price of peace, and whese
lives entered into the sustaining power of a suf
! feriDg and afflicted nation. Where in the arch
| ives of the past-where in the experiences of
| the present can tribute touching and yet so
| beautiful be found-so grand and yet SO simple
80 joyous, and yet so deeply tinged with holy
sadness. Tell me of people who have ever
been moved to offer a testimony to departed
greatness with such grace-prompted by such
unseltish motives as those which have inspired
this tribute.
We have stood to-day, my friends, by the
graves of departed worth. Whatever faults
those men may have possessed-we forget them
as we should, when the mind contemplates
their patriotism, their faithfulness, their conse-
Grafton, and their sacrifice.
We remember them in their strength. We
remember them as they responded to their
country's call. One aim was theirs-thei- ma
tion's welfare, The political circle and plat
torm-the religious sectarian lines and
creeds-the peculiar notions of communities
all were forgotten-and upon the fields of the
South stood, in united martial array, represen-
tatives of all creeds, and sects and opinions in
the nation. Some of US remember them as
they entered the confiict-so eager for the up
building of principle, so determined that their
flag should never be dragged in the dust-earn-
est for victory-even though rivers of blood
should flow between them and its consumma-
ton. Truly has Wallace expressed the feelings
of the soldiers, as they gazed upon the stars
and stripes-which, flying, indicated victory
and drooping-defeat, when he sung:
"Ob, sacred Banner Of the brave
Oh standard of ten Thousand shins,
Oh, guardian Of Mount Vernon's grave.
Come let us press thee to our lips.
Oh dearest flag and dearest land,
Who shall thy banded children sever?
God of our Fathers! here we stand,
A true, a free, a fearless band.
H. art pressed to heart, hand linked in hand
And swear that flag shalt float forever!"
We remember many of the departed as thew
fell-some without word others to breathe a
dying message to dear ones at home-others to
linger and waste away, from wounds, in hospt-
ais while others, far away, from friends and
comrades in the terrible prisons of the South
with no one to cheer, soothe, or support found
their peace, liberty and happiness, only when
the angel of Infinite Love unlocked the case
ment of clay, and guided their spirits upward.
There are some dear ones whose earth tents re-
ceive no decoration of Natures beautiful from
loving hands to-day, though some unseen,
bright immortal may breathe into life some
new flower above their sleeping dust; but even
though far away where the rough head boards
bear the words, "Unknown Union Soldiers
Graves''-yet not forgotten but are known IN
heaven-their memories find consecrated spots
in some hearts; ana the beautiful of the purest
affections are offered as tribute to them upon