Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-05

| /. prayer BY Kew. J. r. Goodrich.
| ?. Hymn-"My Country It's Of thee 10y tn,
| Quartette Club, consisting OF the following gen
tlemen a. J. Philips, 5. d. hopkins, LIST tenors
| d. F. Hatch. II. II. Langdon A. r. Dow, IN,
tenors; Charles F. Wheeler, VI. D. Fuller. Isl
bassos, L. ii. Toby, Geo. W. Hndes. 2nd bassos
| congregation and Queen City Band
, Adde'S by Rev L. o. Brastow
REV. Mr.. BRAsTow's ADDRESS.
Cnisens-We honor ourselves in honoring
the men who sleep here beneath the benedic-
ton of our hearts. They do not come for our
blessing. The spring time brings once more
the grsening world. 1t brings the flowers
with which we decorate these graves but
il brings not .heir forms before us. We can
rot touch them with these garlands. We
cannot penetrate to the silent chambers
where they sleep, with our words of praise
and gratitude. We cannot reach them there,
in that far-of mysterious biyouac OF the true
and brave where mid the march of the eter-
nal years they halt awhile, nor gladden.
their hearts with our memorial honOrs.
We cannot stem obliyion's stream with
our paltry words. We cannot dull
the tooth of time that eats noiseless-
ly at the heart of all things. They,
too, will be numbered at last with
all the forgotten braves. And vet it is for
US, the living, while we may, to testify that
there still fingers in our hearts some
sympathy with their heroism; some honor
for tier patriotism some gratitude for
their sacrifice, some tenderness of ssnsi-
bility for all their toll and privatiOn and
suffering. 1t is for us to testify that not
yet in the rush of time, shifting of the
the actors and the scenes, the changes of
the political and social and moral issues
not vet in the corruption of an age when
honor seems half-dead, are they wholly for
gotten. And | submit that it is for us to
resolve that the living shall not. God help
ing, usurp the honor of the dead that
the privileged few shall not aggrandize
themselves at the expense of the unprivi-
legged many that the men of dishonor shall
not spoil the work of the men of honor.
1t is TOR US to resolve that here and every
where, now and always, in all ways legiti-
mate and possible, we will honor them.
the living and the dead and that so far
as depends on us. the generation to come
shall honor them too, if not in form at least
in spirit, as We honor them to-day.
Why should We honor them? Have not
other men as loving and as loved gone out
from kindred, home and friends? Have
not others as strong bowed themselves be-
fore the pestilence that walketh in dark
ness, and the destruction that wasteth at
noon day? Have not others as comedy gone
crippled and broken, dragging out melan-
choly days? Have not others as brave and
loyal and true died? Yes. but not for us.
Other noble citizens in ''times that tried
mems souls" made large ventures; but
these men made the venture Of life. They
threw much into the scale of patriotism.
These men flung themselves, flung lille with
all its hopes and prospects and joys and
treasures and endearments, till all else be-
side that sublime loyalty was as yanity, and
kicked the beam.
There yawned a chasm once in ancient
Rome. which could not be closed, and the
oracle declared that only the dearest thing
in Rome, flung therein, could close that
chasm. Then came Curtius, noblest and
brayest of the Romans, and flung himself
therein full armored, and the chasm closed |
over him. There yawned chasm between |
the disintegrating sections OF the nation, and
the power that controls and guards the ma
ton decreed that only that which was dearest |
to our hearts could close the chasm. Then
nprose these men, each one Curtius for us,
and flung themselves in, and the chasm
closed forever. There stand many monu-
nents about us here but, save in one, We
nave no possession in them, for their dead are
lot our dead. Why is men of Burlington.
hat we shall not suffer the honor OF our
modern citizenship and loyalty to stand i'm
reached and condemned, before the
lation? Why is it that another monument
hall stand here, one that for grandeur
hall match that Of the old hero OF Vermont,
n which we shall all have possession?
Why but that as these men were ours in
pecial, for service, while living, now that
hey are dead are ours in special to honor.
Others have told US of the possibilities OF
republican manhood; but these men
ave exemplified and verified 1t. We
ad often been reminded Of the vir-
ues of our ancestors. Our historians
ad recorded them our orators on festal
nd historic days had celebrated them; our
eachers in the public schools had commend
4 them our parents at home had inculca-
ID them. We know Why they came to
hese shorss-Ehat they thought, and
leant, and did, and ghat was expected Of
shat we should prove vorthy Of them.
here were kept before us, soneyhRt by
ublic Legislation, BY the public press, BY
ublic speech. in these late years especially
' intense moral agitation, those
less and principles, in which the nation
~ founded, and on which should depend