The Van Buren press., 1876-05-16

10 history.
1t can be no appropriate part of thu
work of love for which we have assem-
bled to day. to do more than remember
that the soldiers of that army belteres
the principles for which so many gal
liant lives were sacrificed, were right
when the beautiful ceremonies, in whicl
we are about to engage, conform to thu
time honored customs Of all nations ant
| have no fears that when time, as il will
shall have soflened down the sectiona
asperities of which these holy mounds
in sadness speak, and posterity shall com,
to view, with impartial eye, the whole
field OF our unfortunate civil war, the
universal verdict will be recorded that
'There brothor against brother fought.
The gray against the blue.
Each in the strong conviction
Of what he thought was true
Nor is this annual reunion of the
friends of the dead heroes who SLEEP
around us here, without n necessity, grow
ing out of the imperfections OF our ma
lures. Oblivion is the common fate ol
US al The things that are bright, beau
tiiul and pleasing, 70 day. fly away like
sun shadows, and tomorrow, are forever
lost from our sight A few months ago
Gen. Pike, in an address to the associa
ted veterans of the Mexican war, said
" 70 strive to make the world keep il
"gratetul remembrance whatit desires to
"forget, is as idle as to endeavor to do
" the work of Sisyphus. or to revive q
j" love that is dead. We have but cold
" recollection of our own joys and sor.
"rows, and take no interest in those OF
" others that are past Those younger
:" than we. will live, if we do not, until
"none will care to hear the tale Of Fred
" ericksburg or Getty sburg, or the Will
" derness; and, after few years pious
" hands will no longer strew flowers. AT
i" stated periods, on the graves OF either
+" Federal or Confederate dead. Who can
"predict what will become of the bones
Long ago it was said, the Egyptian
mummies, which Cambysies or time
"hath spared, avarice now consumeth ;
m jimmy hath become merchandise.
+" Mzriam cures wounds, and Tharoah is
" sold tor balsam."
The deep reluctance with which we ac-
cept this solemn truth, in no sense i'm
pairs its force 'Tis true that when we
meet our immediate comrades in arms,
and sit down and musingly rehearse the
yicissitudes and adventures experienced,
the hardships Of the tented field, the
weary aud hungry march, the summers
sun and the winters cold, how we faced
dea,h, amid the terrible carnage of bat
tie, and tFembled not, memory grasps
from oblivion the scenes and sufferings
of the conflict, that left desoate our beau
tlful South But, ere we have turned our
eyes from each other, these hallowed rec
objections fly back through the dim halls
of memory into open tombs. SO the
dust.covered portraits that hang high up
on the walls of crumbling old homesteads,
occasionally revive the sacred spot, and
all the circumstances where kind fathers
and brave boys fell.
And who, OF the noble Spartan band,
who, in the wise providence of God,
were spared to return to their homes and
friends--a fate then little more desirable
than the sleep in which these sacred
bones are now reposing-can ever forge,
Une unutterabie srteT and despair, that
held the citadel of the southern heart,
when the news of Appomattox was pro-
claimed Who can forget the parting
words of the " Great Chieftain," at tina,
fatal spot, as he disbanded the little rem
nant of his gallant army: You will
" take with you the satisfaction that pro
" ceeds from the consciousness of duty
faithfully performed, and | earnestly
i" pray that a Merciful God will extend
" to you His blessing and protection
With an unceasing admiration Of your
" constancy and devotion to your coun
"t-y, and grateful remembrance of your
Z" kind and generous consideration iol
" myself. 1 bid you an a6ectionate fare
" well"
Or who, of the followers Of Josepll
f. Johnston, will ever forget the g loom
that pervaded his army, when. 10y solemn
order, it was made known THAT events
" in Virginia broke every hope of success
" by war, enforced on its General the duty
Of sparing the blood Of this gallant ar
" my, and savin the country from further
" desolation, and our people from ruin, y
Brave men turned away in silence, stalk
ed to and fro, with eyes cast down, and
hearts too full for utterancc, feeling
That for thom no more the blazing hearth shal
burn,
Or busy house wife ply her evening care.
Nor children run to lisp their sire's return,
Or climb his knees, the enyed kiss to share.
But are not these the recollections of {
single generation? Yea, even now seen
more like dream than realities, There
is then necessity for these solemn Ger
emones that awaken in our hearts th'
remembrance of the fallen heroes
whose spirits hover around and keel
solemn vigil of our lives. For there il
no thought more beautiful. than that these
dead are not dead That their disembodi
ed spirits, linger yet little while. ano
forget not their surviving comrades
That they see and watch us this day il
the performance of these solemn ceremo
nies and that we shall ty and by NEE
them face to face, Who has right tc
say that their invisible spirits are no
forever around, guiding our erring foot
steps aud directing us for good, Fo
"Thcre is no death The stars go down
To rise upon some fairer shore,
And bright in Heavens jeweled crown
They shine for cvermorc."