Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-30


Then bring them the farest of lilies,
Far is their record and brave,
Scatter the reildeSt OF roses,
RIChaS he blood that they gave.
Sirew in their fragrant profusiOn,
Gods gentle messengers round;
Each i'll its Innocent SwCe ness,
Blessing this consecrate ground.
Went from the battle TO God:
Brother and husband and lover,
MOuldeIlng under the sod.
Leaving their gardens of beauty.
Nobly they sank by the way,
Tel them bright messengers, softly,
We are their debtors to-day.
Debtors for happier hearth-stoneS,
Debtors for liberty dover;
Debtors for households united,
Debtors for Union and power.
Debtors for peace at our affairs,
Debtors for thrift 10 our land:
These did their sacrifice yield US,
Led by God conquer1ng hand.
Then On their faces so quiet,
Then on their brave hearts at rest,
Then over hands folded ever,
Pulseless on soldierly breast,
Cove sweet pledges of Heaven,
Incense and beauty and love,
Make of these grsve-SpOts an Eden
Types OF the garden above.
Patriotic song, Bright Sound of Liberty
by the choir.
THE ORATOR OF THE DAT.
Mr.. G.. G. Royce was Introduced. He opened
his address by saying that opinions by eminen
men had been given that there was no such
distinct virtue as patriotism. The organization
of man was such, however, he held, that it was
Almost a moral impOSSibility for him not to
have special love for his country; where
TIE love of country is not deep and abiding
sentiment in the hearts of a people virtue
decays, intrigue fOurisheS, and treason, like
dry rot, permeates ana detileS the entire
.,I- at.I,.I
lie Union soldier, and after referring to the
monuments and cenOtaphs erected to thei
memory, and the commemorative service to
the fallen, said if the other side had been
victorious, the erection of these monuments
and cenOtaphS would not have been permit
ted, and the services OF to-day not allowed.
THE flag of the Southern COnfedracy, the
emblem of pretended government, whose
cardinal principle was traffic in human
souls, would have defiantly Haunted from
yonder Capitol, and the crack of the slave
drivers whip would have furnished soothing
music TO the aristOcratic walk of the pro-
slavery statesman placing his marbIed halls
While We confess, he said, admiration for the
physical yalOr of those who fell in an unhOly
cause, yet We are not prepared to accept the
theory that the unrepentant survivors are en-
titled TO the same credit and the same rewards
at the hands of the Government as those who
endured that republican institutions might be
peIpetuated. 1t was not for Union soldiers to
decline brOtherly advances from their late an
tagonists; neither was it for them to prOpIti-
late confederate antagonist should fawn and
cTinge To purchase our forgiveness. But we
do ask that he shall acknowledge that he was
mistaken, and renew his allegiance to one
common country. Then We shall meet him
half way. The speaker then referred to the
pleaCure il afforded the patriotic to strew with
flowers and wet With Symgathetie tear the
right. He closed with high tribute to the
Union dead and said that these services were
not The OutgrOwth of sentimalism.
of 10 filT fNXDc rInn htyt o
choir, and benedictiOn was pronounced by
Rev. Benjamin Swallow. The veterans of the
Home then decorated the graves, assisted by
members of the committee, during which cere
mony the following selections of sacred music
were rendered by the choir: Chant" Mans
Days on Earth are as a Shadow Peace
Troubled Soul" and "Pleyers Hymn"
Decorating the Monuments, &c.
Under direction Of Mr.. John O'Riley, the
graves in Battle cemetery and Oak Hill were
decorated. The statue of Lincoln, in front oil
the city hall, was decorated with a wreath and
a number of flags The bronze statue in Lin
coin square was appropriately decorated. The
Peace monument at the foot of the capitO
received wreathS on the figures a cross being
placed IN the right hand of Peace. On the
statues OF Scott, on 18th street; Mcpherson, Oh
vermont avenue; Rawlings, an New York
avenue washington, on PENNSYLVANIA avenue
and Jackson, I'm Lafayette square and on the
monuments at Oak Hill to Edwin NJ Stanton
Secretary of War under President Lincoln
Gen, Reno, who fell at South Mountain Md
and Lieut. Meigs, son of General NJ c. MeiSs
quartermaSter general of the army, who fell il
1861, wreaths, boquetS and flags were placed
by MI. ORiiey and his colleagues.
EXCURSIONS.
The excursions by steamboats, seemed to b,
the order of the day, and they were all wei
patrOniZed, the cars going south carrying
down full loads.
The excursions by rail were quite numerous
and were well paIrOniZcd-the b. & o. Il. II
taking about 500 10 HarperS Ferry and the
i. took Oh the colOTed Knights Templar tril
10 Richmond last night st ten O'Clock. nearl,
4Oo; on the metropolitan NJ. K. and 12th-Stree
east church To Richmond this morning, owe
500; on .he Hamline church excursion Il
Gettysburg nearly 800: and on the RylanC
Chapel trip to Annapolis. ever 800.