Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-06-06
DECORATION DAY

hour, 2: % p. m, large number p
+ citizens repaired to the cemetery,
0 participate in the beautiful cerc-
Monies. Twenty-Five little girls dress :
ID in white, and a choir of children 6
,nder direction of Prof. Rheem, were :
to the grounds in carriages
provided by the Committee of Ar
The Sheridan Guards {
md the Ottumwa Guards, with a
band Of martial music, under COM ,
mand of Captains Fleming and
Jacques, turned out in full uniform,
and assisted in the ceremonies. About
three o'clock the large assemblage
was called to order by Maj. Mahon,
and beautiful song was then sung
by Prof. Rheem and his choir; Rev.
IL. b. Knight offered very eloquent
and appropriate prayer; Rev. l. p.
Teter then delivered the following
very eloquent and appropriate ad-
dress:
FR1ENDs-It is with pleasure that l
comply with your kind request to con-
tribute few words on this beautiful
occasion to the memory Of our heroic
dead, who fell so nobly in the defense
of human rights. l not only see q
beauty, but fitness in this exercise.
For ages it has been a custom to per-
petuate and keep alive in memory,
the great eras that have marked the
march of history, and not only the
events, but the participants, also. How
appropriate, then, it is to come with
songs and flowers around these graves
that enclose the patriot dead.
shall not attempt, on this occasion,
to review the history of the war, nor
the aggravating causes which involv-
ed us in the mighty conflict. 1t is past,
and now peace and prosperity, like
ocean waves, sweep from the Atlantic
to the Pacific. But the war cost us
much; the best, the noblest of our
sons are to-day no more. Their
blood and their dust was given a will
ling offering upon the altar of human
liberty. Oh, how we ought to love
liberty! AS we read the names inn
mortal with glory inscribed upon the
death roll; as we see fatherless chill
dren, MANNED or disabled patriot,
and husbandless wives, we are re-
minded of the days past, when it
i tried the souls Of men, when love OF
country rose so grandly above all the
endearmcnts of home. Well do we
remember those days of darkness that
came over our political horizon like
an eclipse upon the sun.
As the darkness came on and the
storm grew wild and black, and mems
hearts began to fail them, and the
nation oscillated as in the scale Of
destiny; when light began to dawn
upon our disrupted republic, and
| over the land husbands and sont
: heard the call of our chief; wher
patriotism rose above home, with it,
friendship and love, then came tht
hour never to be forgotten. Tit
4 heart throbbed, the eye kindled will
q the glow of patriotism superior t.
: all these endearments the long rol
sounds; the hurried kiss; the hasty
embrace the goodbye, and away thu
n hero walks forth to battle for human
rights. see father and mother ant
son in quiet and solemn conversation
) The son says my country is in DANCE
IL and calls for help. Shall / go-I mus
e 60. Father and mother: Go, 60 no
n Bile boy, and we will pray fol You
The circle is broken vacant chat
+ appears in that household familia
n forms disappear, but another soldie
e is added to the army of the Union.
~ The strength of o nation is in tn
~ devotion and loyalty of the peopl,
. When the people decide, empires an
republics fall thrones and monarch
y. les pass away. No nation o
party can long disregard the right
Gu and interests of the citizen.
" reading the history of nations,
# find no greater display of true hero
to ism or enthusiastic devotion to libel
;. ty than in our own land. The statei
- men and the soldiery of America SUI
~ fers not when bro't into compariso
is with any age Indeed, our history Q
" a nation, constitutes the grande'
/, epoch in the political annals of tn
y world. The sublime march of on
population across the continent; tn
a wonderful development of our ms
u terial resources; the glorious ACHE,
:" ments Of our arms; the progress Q
: art the cultivation and intelligence
N Of our people stands out upon tn
ID worlds history without parallel
- For this great country; for the pre-
ervation Of the Union; for tf4 owe
ne throw of oppression; for the mali
Y. tainance and perpetuity of equ'
,r rights to every citizen that lives unde
the folds of our grand old flag, thes'
your sons, husbands and neighbOl
is sacrificed their lives, and which "
III are most solemnly bound to maintai
:; forever. How appropriate it is fo
=. us, who enjoy the inheritance SO deal
rs ly purchased. to perpetuate the
IS, memory {; to scatter flowers over thel
ar graves to write their names upon *
!. imperishable marble, OR rather, writ
them upon the inner sanctUal
US Of our hearts, and festoon the
n, with our tears. They should be r
membered as the price of libert
How great the price How great Il
ed boon purchased by their blood /! VIII
,r. contemplate the glory and grande'
of of my country; when l compare h
present civilization with what it W
re. before the war, while mourn ov
to the fallen, and look with sympatl
ns. toward the widow and the orpha
,a vet / rejoice that the great sacrifi
~ purchased for us a higher and pur
ey civilization. Out Of the night bro
We forth brighter morning than has ev
of dawned upon the governments of Il
ma earth; and as our political sun q
a.. cends toward her meridian, the pc
Al pie of all lands are gazing upon o.
\. glory, and the fires of liberty a
" everywhere kindling into life.
ed Thrones are trembling and t
d. grasp of tyrany is loosing. Old al
no hoary aristocracies are disappearin
All nations feel our power. Situat
ms between the great oceans, Europe
ms one side and Asia on the other, lik'
WIS mighty magnet we are drawing t
80 nations to us.
as Let us then to-day rejoice that G.
M has permitted us to take part
these glorious achievements ACHE
ments which put us in the fore-fro
OIL of all nations in the march of civi
ID zation. Let our sorrow to-day
mingled with joy. These patrit
are no more. Nobly did they
InCAI WYNN We AnOW INV Ot9so
ICY they faced the foe-how heroical
they dared the perils of the fleld-ht
-. steadily and resolutely they pr
lvo formed their duty-how tranquil
lit. they passed away. We don't kno
he where they all sleep. Peace to the
,ot dust.
'"' My friends and neighbors lei us
day take again the oath of allegian
nd to country and to God. This is o
ne country from the lake to the gu
:, from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
:" is all ours, more than ever ours. I
me part we took upon those memorial
of fields where heroes rest, makes it
tut Wilson Creek, Pea Ridge, Donaldse
ba Shilo, Vicksburg, Atlanta, Gett.
M burg, the Wilderness and RichmoI
lcr 1t was for the Union we fought q
er- the Union is indissoluble. 1t is on
IRE and shall be the inheritence-the
mo- heritance Of liberty for all gene
70 tons to come. We regret that
"a ntS 70 M