The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-29
THE DAY.


\ beautiful and approved custom has
set apart one day in the year for celebrat-
ing the virtues and honoring the memory
of the patriotic dead. 1t needed not the
sanction of express law to induce patr.
otto people to withdraw themselves, for
one day, from the busy cares and tolls of
life, that they might unite in such COM
memorative services. Their love of
country, their instructive admiration OF
bravery, and their reverence for that heroic
self sacrifice which gave so many young
lives TO the cause Of the Union, was in
ducement enough for the proper and gen.
eral observance of such day. We all felt
with Percles, whose name is impershably
associated with all that is illustrious in elo-
luence and legislation, who, in his cele-
hrated Grafton over tie Athenian soldiers
uho had fallen in the Peloponessian war,
affirmed that 1t was "a debt of justice to
"pay superior honors to those who had
h" devoted their lives in fighting for their
d" country" So feeling we all gladly
united in this sad and solemn festival. On
Que day, throughout the whole land, one
people assembled to render due homage to
the saviors of the country. But the law
stepped in to mar that which the happy in
stincts of free people had made. In
stead of Decoration Day deriving its sig
nifcancc solely from the spontaneous
IF tIa Y1onnln wa hnyn IN IN
which the forms of law have been invoked
in the vain attempt to give added force 10
IS observance.
We quarrel not with the spirit which led
to these euactments. We find no fault
with the motive which a, luatcd these law
makers They vainly III ,ught that human
law vas greater than divine instinct.
They sought to ace mplsh through the
forms of law, that VI inch the hearts of the
people had already established beyond re-
call. Their cndeavors, well meant though
they were, resulted 10 confusion. They
married that uniformity which is large
part of the beauty and significance OF the
day. For seven successive years, the peO-
pie, with one accord, have assembled in
every town, village and hamlet throughout
the land in every tec.uded nook where
even one soldiers grave was to be found,
to testify by outward manifestations, their
undying love for the patriotic dead and the
cause and country they typify. The
eighth anniversary is at hand, and while
the unity of spirit is the same, the uni
formi,y of the day of observance is de-
stroyed The endeavor TO conform 10 the
law has wrought this change, and VIC re-
greet it. We first observed the day IN Rut-
land, on a Sunday, seven years ago, and
we rejoice that those having the matter in
charge again concluded to conduct the
commemorative services on that day. The
day is most appropriate, and nothing
but the most bigoted religious asceiicisu
could find sught to object to the ,bserv
ance Of such solemn ceremonial on thu
Lords day, in the Lords house, and il
Goods acre." We trust that if human On
actments are deemed necessary TO give du,
legal sanction to Decoration Day, the tin,
may soon come when the Both of MAY
shall receive that sanction whether it oc
ours on Sunday or other day, and that til,
attempt to make the law of this conform
to that of other holidays will be abandoned