New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-31
DECORATION DAY.

The beautiful custom Of decorating the
graves Of soldiers and sailors who 1eil
while fighting the battles Of the Union was
observed at Chalmette Cemetery yesterday,
under the auspices of the American Union
Club and Joseph A. Mower Post, Grand
Army of the Republic. The steamer La
Belle had been chartered for the occasion.
and made three trips. The two o'clock
boat took down the largest number Of visi-
tors. It had on board the band Of the
Thirteenth Infantry, the officers of the
United States monitor Canonicus, includ-
ing Commander Bsbcock - who, by
the way, fred national salute
from the Canonicus at noon-also q
large detachment OF seamen from the. mon
itor. Two officers from the staff of General
Augur were also present. The boat land
ing at jackson Barracks, took on board
the Third Infantry and band, with
Colonels Floyd-Jones and Brooke. Ar
irving at the cemetery, the troops,
without arms, paraded mp the main
avenue, and afterwsrd assembled at
the speakers platform, where was con-
gregated q large number Of ladies and gem
tlemen from the city. At three O'Clock
Captain Yorke A. Woodward introduced
Rev. j. D. Adams, Of Ames Chapel, who
made q prayer appropriate to the occasion.
That concluded, General Hugh j. Campbell
was presented as the orator of the day, and
spoke as follows:
Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen-We
have come to do honor to the memories of
those dead who died in battle for the Union
of these States; who, in the inspired words
of the prophetic Lincoln, 'laid down their
lives that this nation, under God, shall have
q new birth of freedom, and that the gov
ernment of the people, by the people, and
tor the people, shall not perish from the
face Uf the earth" We have come to place
our yearly offering of flowers upon their
graves; and although We are . small and
feeble folk in this Southern land. yet on
this day We are joined with that grand and
mighty army of all those who, all over this
broad land, are engaged in this same
solemn commemorstion, and who love and
honor the cause for which these soldiers
died.
Seven years ago addressed most Of yoa
on similar occasion, on this same G OriOus
field of Chslmette. Chslmette! immortal
in history. Chalmette! beautifully resting
under the glories of Southern eky, in the
arms Of that mighty river, whose sounding
waters come from every cline and every
latitude of this great land. Chslmette! to-
ward whose historic field the hearts Of
Americans have turned for sixty years
with pride and venerati0n.
On this field of Chalmette, l said to you
then. as l say to you now, in full sight OF
hof hot nf
in sight of the statue OF the immortal Jack
son, in sight Of that monument which your
reverent hands have erected to these bPAve
and illustrious dead, almost in sight of that
other monument which other reverent
hands have erected to their no less brave
and illustriOus dead, that tho day will come
when the fame of the armies of Lyon and
jackson, Of Grant and Lee, Of Sherman
and Longstreet, will be alike honored in
history; when the chaple's of poetry will
twine alike around their brows; when the
hearts Of the American people will swell
with pride alike at the record of the valOr
of Do.t; when Americans will strew the
Union and Confederate graves alike with
flowers, and viii uncover the head with
reverence in prsse nee of both dead alike,
breathing over then the grand words Of the
poet,
Res: and 1encwn for all the slain.
To-day can repeat the sentiment with
renewed confidence That part Of the war
is over. Its effects still Iiuger and will n
ger, only slowly vanishing with the lapse Of
time. To completely efface them the
changes Of trade and commerce and immi
grafton will be more potent than any legis
lation or political measures. The opening
of the mouths of the Mississippi; the grid
ironing of the South by railroads, as the
States in the North and West are grid.
ho erfi nf ho ttup
of cotton and sugar by improved methods
and implements, so as to attract immigra-
tion-these changes, all comiDg-will do
more to complete the work Of pacifcat,on
and reconstruction than any and all parely
political means When this comes, this
Southern land will be the richest section of
this country. But comrades. the picture is
not all light; it has it's shadows. also.
Somewhere have read this, which has
deep significance, and is singularly appi
cable to all public speakers:
OF what we say we feel-belOw the stream
As light Of what We think we teel-thera flows
The central stream Of what We feel indeed
There is what we say we think, there is
what We think we think, there is what we
do think.
That famous historian, who wrote the
most ancient and authentic history of New
York, Diedrich Knickerbocker, divides men
into three classes
Those who think for themselves.
Those who think as others think.
Those who do not think at all.
l shall speak now to the first class land
suppose you all belong to that class, and
in the few remarks l ehall make l shall
speak to you what "think indeed"
Comrades, we make mistake if we imag-
inc that the war is all over. One phase of |
the war is over. We are ON the margin of |
another phase.
struggle to decide which of the two sover- |
eignties under which we live, that of the |
State or that of the United States, was |
paramount in the last resort.
The Supreme Court has decided that the |
Of the United States is su-
preme within the sphere of its delegated |
powers. The last was decided that the |
of the United States was para |
mount to that of the State in case of con-
brave souls lay down and died. This is
Why We honor them to-day.
The last war was one Of arms. The war
If TO day is one of ideas. This war is to
lecide the question: How can a pure,
lOnest and stable government be main
aimed, and at the same time the democratic
'vOlutions of universal suffrage and the
'lvll and political equality OF all men, how.
'ver poor, or humble, or weak, Or of what
'ver race or color, be guarded and protected
md made an actual fact. The first part Of
his question is the great issue in the North.
The latter part is the great issue in the
'outh. 1t is at the North, can an honest
md pure government be elected by the
'eople9 1t is at the South. can really free
lection be held, and really stable govern.
nent be administered upon the oasis of
UNIVERSAL suffrage of white and black
like-free, unmenaced and undisturbed by