The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-03
NAILS ARRIVE

rarturc Of each mail train
Address of J. IL. saGctsc!dcr Esq.
delivered orr McunOrias pay M ir-
iimgton, May 80, 1924.
FcloW Citizens Another year with it,
changing seasons. with its passing events,
repetc with happiness to some and mistor-
tunes to others has passed away, and again
we are met together to perform the sad yet
willing duty of decorating the graves Of
our fallen soldiers who died in the war of
the Rebellion.
And while we, for that purpose, are .hus
assembled here, thousands throughout the
land are engaged in the same work of
gratitude, thousands are performing the
same offices of affection and remembrance
of the living to the dead.
Wherever the flag of the Republic floats
wherever rests the remains of the half mil
lion patriots, who fill soldiers grave.
whether it be, where thousands slcep in
nameless graves on the bloody battle fields,
where they fell, or in the national Gene
teries where so many rcpose, or in the quiet
church yards through the land, there will
the soldiers who survive, and the citizens.
whose land they saved, to-day be gathered
together.
Decoration day has become cmphatcaly
a national day. Not indeed Il holiday, to
be celebrated with shouts of cxultation and
triumph not to be ushcred in with the peal
Of cannon, the roll of the drum and other
evidences of joy; but to be kept in that
quiet and unostentatious manner. which NO
less shows the gratitude nation feels to-
ward those who fought and died for its vX-
istence. How well that nation appreciates
tho snpritipn. how ,rnll tl,ip 10, l..
thousands of graves, which will be strewn
with the first fair flowers of spring full well
attest.
No act of legislation directs, no procla-
nation from high authority commands us
to keep this day, and none are required.
1t is the willing heartfelt trihu.c, which Il
free people offers, in gratitude to its de-
Tenders; and as long as the citizen loves
his country; as long as the patriot enjoys
liberty, so long will Decoration day be faith
fully kept. When liberty shall be destroy
ed, when the despot shall rule, and the
slave obey; when the last spark of freedom
shall go out forever; then and only then.
will this day, and all other national days be
forgotten.
Nine years have past away since the war
closed, the stormy events of that most
eventtul period, with its terrible scenes of
carnage and strife, with its glorious victo-
res and its crushing defeats, have become
part of the history of the past.
Time, that great renovator, which changes
all things, has obiterated many of the evil
dences of that dreadful strife, over the bat
tleield, where so many brave men fell, the
husbandman follows his peaceful occupation
as if unmindful of the scenes of carnage so
recently enacted there. In the track of
destroying armies, industry, and the pur-
suits of peace, have already restored much
of the former evidences of prosperity and
success, and the nation has gone forward
with renewed vgor. 1t has accumulated
material wealth, and developed its natural
resources to an extent unprecedented N
the worlds history before, as if impatient OF
the delay it sustained.
Yet amidst all these evidences of pros
pcrity, amidst all these scenes of industry
and peace, there still exists the indcliblc
impressions, the urmistakable evidences OF
that terrible strife. There are household
circles still broken; there are hearts still
bleeding; there are friends still mourned
for, with an anguish, if not as keen and
uncomfortable, yet still as constant and
heartfelt, as on that day when first the IA
tai news was brought that husband or son,
a brother or father, had persisted on the
field of battle. The mother still fondly
cherlshes the memory Of her boy, who
went lorih IN all the PRIDE, and strength OF
carry MANHOOD TO 90 battle Tor his country
only 10 De returned TO her' aitcr n lew short
months, Il iiteless corpse.
4 may not ne ainlss, NJ TINS une, to LOOK
back, briefly to that period. Suddenly,
ana 10 most OF US, unexpectedly the wal
ciouu ourst upon us; Tor long years th'
na''oh had been AT peace The arts OF wal
were forgotten; almost literally we hat
peateh our swords INTO plougl-shareS, AND
our spears INTO pruning hooks; a long pc
l'ou Oh peace anu prosperity seemed before
U.S. from our reia'ioh win other nations
anu our SITUATION geosraphncaily, IL seemed
almost Impossible that we should be m
vowed III war on the north, friendly
a,o peacelul people dwel!s; on the south
neAico ilad aireauy leit the power OF th'
hcpuolic' ana me recollection OF her hu
milia''oh was sun lresh upon nor
Ahe pfoau racine, WIN us VITA waste
uheHpioreu waters furnished Il protector
anu parrier against any enemy IN the west
anu 'nc ueep oiue Atlantic rolled Dstweei
Us anu tiie pa'''emeids OF Europe.
iiow wen we an remember inc frst soun'
Vi ,'ie coming s'riie' that reached our ears
ana now little we thought' now iltle we be
heveu' tlat we were ABOUT TO enter upoI
Inc most stnpendous ana bloody war thu
new world ever saw low ilttlc we Know
now terrible III earnest, no" strongly UNI