Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-06-18

Delivered at Mineral Point on Dec
orotion Dry, (Nay 3Oth0 1874.
Published by request IF soldters
and citizens present.

this occasion. Our streets, the land,
no longerresound with the measured
tramp Of soldiers and the clash Of
arms. The saber sleeps, and is rust
ing in its scabbard; the cannon is
no longer heated III battle; the tele-
graph no more tells us Of fiercely
fought fields and friends fallen.
All is peace; all is quiet. The
very contrast is eloquent. These
graves and those in yonder cemetery
make the occasion sad; the memory
of the past, these aching hearts,
make it solemn.
In accordance with a custom
which we hope will become time
honorcd, we are assembled in this
cemetery, not only to do honor and
pay homage to those who lie buried
in these graves, and to their com
rades whose mortal remains are
Wondering on every hill and in
every valley in the land, and to
their manned companions walking
in our midst; but to the ideas and
principles for which they so gIori-
ously fought and for which they
fell.
We have assembled for the pur-
pose of discharging holy, a mourn
fill duty; for the purpose OF bcdew.
INC with our tears and streWlng
with flowers their graves, and hang
ing in wreaths and decorating the
monuments erected to perpetuate
the memory Of the virtues of those
"who made their breasts a barricade
between our country and its foes, -"
who, as our Savior, "died to make
men holy, died to make men free. "
BY no possibility can these cere,
monies benefit the dead. They
have passed from earth, and have
gone, perhaps, beyond the reach Of
our prayers, Our tears and our sym
pathieS; but not beyond the reach
Of our love and admiration. They
may, perchmcc, heed not, care not
for these roses and garIands; but
still the offerings are pleasant
though they may "waste their
sweetness on the desert air"
AS the observance Of the feast of
the passover, the holy ordinance of
baptism and of the sacrament or
daiued by divine command, AS wor.
| Shipping ut the altar Of our Savior,
rs piIgrimagcs to his tomb draw us
into closer communion with him
who spoke and acted as never did
man, as those things benefit the
lirlDg and prepares them for Il bet.
ter discharge Of the duties devolv.
irE upon them, prepares them alike
for time and eternity; so should
the annual observance Of these GER
cmoulcs draw us into closer com.
mnniou with our friends who have
gone before us; inspire us and our
children with the spirit that AM
mated them; strengthen us IN our
determination to protect and defend
the blessings bequeathed to us by
our revolutionary fathers; defended
and secured to us 10y the life blood
of these dear friends, and make us
grateful to Him who rules and
rcigns on high, because patriotism
and heroi>m have not been per
mttcd to pass from off the face Of
the earth
These ceremonies are one of the
great educators of the age. They
are calculated alike, to do honor to
the dead, and to keep green in
remembrance the cause for which
they suffered and died-keep green
in remembrance our great deliver
rance from national sin and a
nationol calamity, which hung so
long Ike a pail, like a dark cloud
over It's, and through which scarce
a ray Of hope could penetrate. They
will tend to the production of Il
race Of men who viii dare to do
right.
\ few short years have brought
great changes. In days that are
gone, liltIc dreaming OF war and it's
calAmjtieS, we were accustomed TO
meet On the 4th of July, the ma
TONS birthday, and hear our orators
g,crity the revolutionary fathers,
and draw pictures of the future
radieut with sunshine and promise.
Mothers went with their sous, wives
accompanied their husbands, who
now brlng tears TO molSteu aud gar
lands L. decorate the graves of