The Van Buren press., 1873-07-15
NO. II
+" Decoration Day.

The late foolish interdIct-made ~ Sns
Instance Of THE Grand Army Of the
Republic "--rrspseting paying honor to
the graves OF "rcbels" in Arlington
Cemetery. says the Lyrehburg Virg'nia",
has called forth numerous rebukss, none
of which evince a more catholic spirit
than the following found in the Method
is Recorder, published at Pittsburg.
While We in this section, did not enter
tain the same views that Bro. Clark was
indoctrnated with respecting the "ps-
culiar institution which, he seems to
think. blighted the land, +" there u no
one, 80 far as We know or believe, tAat
has any desire to restore It. Since IT'S
numbered with the things that were, lss
the whites also ba fully cmancipatcd from
every kind OF thralldom, and the ceun-
try be once more at peace. Ihisis wnas
the South desires above all things, that
its people may be able to give their
Thoughts and direct their efforts to the
full recuperation Of their sorely snit'en
country Says the Reesrdr:
THE telegraph reports rsmarkabls
attempt at discrimination among tue
managers of ,hy decoration services 70
be observed vt Arlington Heights In
that vast ileld OF graves, there are Gem
mingled Federal and Confederate dead.
The people desire to scatter howers over
ALL irrespective Of name or army some
body objects. Why not learn lesson
of charity from the very flowers them.
selves! They open and bloom and shed
their fragrance alike over all Illus Goa
decora,es tho soldiers graves III He is
impartial in the bestowal of His grassy
robes OF green, and in His gift Of fra
grant forget me nots, why shon'd ."a
draw lines over tn. dust of The fallen
They we're all Americans, brave ana sn'-
ccre. Let Decoration Day DC national
and not sectional Until the roses re-
fuse TO blossom over the mounds OF our
mistaken but now fallen foes, let us not
hesitate to strcw flowers broadly and
freely over all Ii tears drop among the
witherine bouquets that such brave men
were sacrificed to wrong cause sun
let preludice fade away out OF The soii,
and let better impulse enter into every
affection and bless every memory. Let
all anmosity and rccfiminaticn be bur
led forever, aud let their graves DC
wreathed all with the amnrsnths OF
Christianity and patriotism. lhsre T"
no slavery now to blight tho land, there
is no rebellion now to alarm our hen'
taSe. The cause Of dissension God mas
taken away. The agents of the attempt.
ed ruin are conquered and have laid
down their arms llenceiorth, let there
| be pence. Our recent feos are not for
eigners and aliens, but Americans and
brethren. We honor ourselves by re-
garding and trusting them II at these
services of decoration, we can achieve
the grand experience of forgiving as we
hope 10 DO forgiven; of helping as wo
always neod to be helped; Of seeing and
knowing even as we are seen and known,
the flowers and songs will not have been
in vain.
In his Grafton at the decoration OF the
graves Of the Federal soldiers, at Ar
lington, Friday, May 90, Rev. Mr. la.
mage administered the following well
merited rebuke
~ am told that after a Southern wo-
man mad decorated the grave OF South
ern soldier, Northern man. wearing
uniform, took up the wreath and tore 1t
to the winds lie may have had on the
epauetts, but he was not worthy the
name Of soldier - Baltimore Christian
Idcoc0tc.