The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-06-03
DECORATION GRAFTON.
BY Rev. HI. Nj. simmons.

BY Rev. HI. MI. simmons.
In the fairest suburb of Athens lay the
Ceramicus,-the cemetery for fallen soldiers.
It was divided into ploss corresponding
with battles through which Greece had won
her liberty. Here lay the heroes Of Arle-
misium, here those OF Salanis, here those Of
Plataea. Only those who fell at Marathon,
being considered especially the saviors of
the state, were sacredly left in their graves
on the battlefield The rest were reverently
gathered Eere AID rich monuments raised
to tel their deeds and iesterJhe national honor.
After every campaign line funeral procession
with its freight of sacred dust, wound
through the avenuesof the Ceramicus. Each
tribe had a car on which it's dead were
borne, while one car went empty in honor OF
the missing. Alter the burial some person
chosen by Ghe state pronounced the iuneral
grafton. And on one eff these occasions in
the midst of the Peloponnesan war, when
"around them lay the desolated fields and
farms in ashes" the great Pericles was the
orator of The cay; and the historian tells
US how with lofty simplicity of speech he
portrayed the justice and freedom and worth
of the state which their fathers had left them
end the valor o. the soldiers who had
defended il SO well, Until! the people re-
turned from the graves encouraged, inspired,
and with new ardor aud confidence took up
the work that was left them.
The principles of freedom that made
49, hon via
ted in America. In defending these princi-
pies we too have had our crises, our battles,
our heroes. Gettysburg like Marathon has
been consecratedas holy field for the saviors
of the co untry Il he fell there. And in the
fairest suburbs Of every town fallen soldiers
have been Glaid with honor as in the old
Ceramicus. While like that solemn car in
the Atheaian procession, many are the mon
uments that stand with empty graves. And
now though we are not ia the midst OF
desolated fields, though ten years have seen
"ths cobWebs woven in the cannsn's throat ,"
and the battle-felds aregreenagain towad the
harvest Of peace still we need and shalt
always need those lessons of bravery and pa
Hence the fitness OF this annual festiva
when we meet to honor their memory. But
they do not need our honor. Their memory
is brighter and sweeter than he flowers We
scatter. Their martyrdom was too glorious
to gam any lustre from our ings here. The
honor them, as to let their memory visit US
once more to eonseerate and inspire US with
something OF their heroism and manhood.
1 am invited to pronounce an grafton.
But the true grafton of tie day comes not
in words from this platform. There is a
more eloquent spe ech if we will hear it.
It is told that an architect once addressed
an audience most eloquently in favor of a
certain public work. Then second archi-
tect, a poor speaker, but good workman,
being called upon rose and simply said,
"What this man has spoken l will do" To-
day grand words fer country and freedom
will be spoken from thousands of platforms.
But from the silence of thousands of graves
comes the more eloquent sentence, "What
these orators have spoken, we have done -
4AO fOASO VI GAS4A OCEOo ID buS True OuG
for to-day. Sc when we meet here to honor
our fallen soldiers, land not the fallen alone,
but all our soldiers, Cor the bullet is no re-
specter of persons, and for aught know the
soldiers who stand before us are quite as
brave and worthy of honor as those whose
lot 1t was to falD to-day when we meet to
honor our soldiers, we shall honor them
best not by speaking to them, but by letting
them speak to US. They are the true orators
Of the day. And their Grafton is not in high
sounding sentences spoken unto the air, but
the sharp logic of deeds written into the
history of the country. Our business is TO hear
them as they address us with more than the
eloquence of Pericles.
What then do they say?
The first word of course which all soldiers
speak is bravery. From the heroes of Sal
amis to the heroes of Yicksburg, in all bat
ties and on both sides, wherever are good
soldiers, come the brave words, "dare to
de-" It is not best to speak these words
zoo often. Those who talk most of bravery
generally have least of it. DiOgsres said
Demosthenes was a scythian in his orations