The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-06-05

pathies the need we bring. Wreaths woven
from evergreen whose life the long winter
never chills, whose tint remains unbleached
by frosts and snows-sym Dol of an affection
that abdes unwasted and unwithered-mute
prophet of immortality, we lay upon these
graves. And with the laurel and the cedar,
the lockwood and the pine we blend the
brighter bloom the season so lavishly supplies
Flowers that nowhere seem out of place from the bril-
da head to the cold hand of the dead flowers before
whose fragile beauty little children and the gray haired
with equal admiration and delight scatter on
the green turf covering the quiet breast And it is
pleasant recoect that all the land there some
burg where thousands rest along the banks Of the An
tetam where lie the slain of those September days OF
missionary Ridge and adiacen battle fields our fallen
were permanently inferred, at Bull Rum where the
Iington whose heights overlooking the Capitol are
crowned with tiers Of tombs at Belle Isle and Ander
pen death fire. in many less noted spot on Southern
soil in hundreds Northern burial yards to which the
the sides of comrades or kindred the awakening hour
all made sacred now--some hands shall lay gifts from
Twenty years ago the grave of a soldier in this
country was rather uncommon sight. In an old
burial place the Hudson where in childhood my feet
often strayed. there headsone at which many
stopped. 1t DID, inexpensive, and very plain But
after the usual record there followed this single line
"a soldier of the Revolution" That was sufficient to
invest that sanken mound and leaning slab with an in
the wonderful events of later seem more wonder
full as profound shall be ret and snoTh ior
won To-day we are too near the great strnggle too
much oppressed with its burdens and too barred with its
bereavements and too blinded by thS party passions
which stirred to see or estimate the gain The men
Fascinated generation that half million of their
age sacrificed to the horrd Moloch of butch
cry and blood. There are hearts that carry wounds
only half healed and that never will be than half
healed this side of DEATH wounds not of the body but
of the soul wounds that were gotten when the wild
eye spied in published list of dead names that sent
through the iuttering heart sharper than daggers
thrust Fathers and mothers still think of the strong
right arm which years had not Weakened of feet that
could travel leagues untired of faces that neither time
trouble had left frrow on, of eyes undimmed, OF
locks unbleached unbent of hopes unblighed
of energies unspent of plans unbroken of loves un-
and rapidly war used this early promise up Parental
pride had busted itself in picturng the sons success
Imagination had anticipated the day when the enlid
might be staff to lean upon If occasion should arise,
and when instead of that all that was given was to hear
how such had been moved down in bloody swaths and
been consigned to unknown graves all light was put
of fe and the world since has never seemed
quite the same. And wives who when the cup OF awful
agony put into their countrys hands parted with
husbands proudly yet with sinking and Trembling OF
final farewell spoken with an anguish that time has
tempered but never altogether done away Struggng
widow the additional allowance granted their father
should iS look even on the services Of Memorial DAY.
thro gh tears thinking only of the bitterness OF their
might live. But off from the sorrowfu past the dark
ness is slowly lifting Forgotten In while wall be It's
| heartacheS
days glory rather than gloom shall be in sight.
Up amid the notches of the Franeona Hills there is
projecting crag called the Profile, from its supposed
resemblance to human face Close beside IT or under
its shadow the form and features are so irregular and
roadway half mile below the figure stands out to the
mountain traveller softened and subdued Distance has
lifts itself gradually and gracefully against the
ing sky That part of our national history that lies be-
Appofnattox has much in it which is like the stony
face. But the years come and go and we leave 1t
TRANSPORTED by and by And it is farng and is to
with this battle period it farng and it is to
with those who sharers in the struggle and its
vicissitudes. The that this nation made Its
armies ofwere not all saints by any While among
volunteers and conserips there higher average OF
character than military service commonly enliss there
those who donned the blue who very far from
being model citizens at home model troops in camp
and field. And over some who were sad specimens of
patriotism and manIiness it is altogether likely such an
offering as we have brought hither will be laid. What
then? Because counterfeit coin gets into etreua-
then it is the soldier that honor in these rites
rather than the and If the soldier sometimes drag
times lifted up the and made him more than he was
before great service lent of It's greatness to the
one who served A high and heroic object impaired a
higher and heroic type of character to those who
struck for its accomplishment by SO much as their aim
lofty they elevated officially If not personally
to loftier plane. settle the question whether this
nation should perish endure, and solve the grave
the boysn OF 81 to "a shouldered Their utter
substantially this By all that is sacred in
heaven by all that precious earth by the ashes of
the fathers by the cradles of the children by the
plies the past by prophetic visions of the future
called to keep this land its high career" No
put his life in peril for such purpose that is not
worthy of respect. No man laid his life down in
show this honor to-day But they doing something
more than help keep all parts OF the nation Little
we knew iteither the living or the dead-somethng
than unity being purchased through the vast
expenditure of pain Immense and intense the an
gush was there had been ordained for it remedial
power We did not pass through such convulsive
throes merely to determine whether government Of
the people, for the people, and by the people should
prevail perish higher national character was to
be the outcome of strife and grief and loss And when
that shall have fully come when waste places shall
have been restored when the finished temple OF Ameri-
can 9erty sa stand Out IN angas. ana raaa
glad thanksgiving totng up to God, when the oppres-
sion and injustice which forced the struggle shall not
only have been shattered but its last fbres rooted out
when tranquil millions shall dwell in better peace
sending forth benign ministries wherever their COM
merce whens the sea- their language greets human
ears then shall the subj ne compensation for all the
waste and wreck of life and hope appear.
questions that hang to-day like lowering clouds upon
sky There are heated discussions and angry init
nations that rumble and mutter like distant IL under
There is feeling of uneasiness and dissatisfaction
Labor and capitol are on the best of terms The
wheels of industry turn slowly and uncertainty stand
wonder what and where shall be the end But courage
brothers in the darkness of the night that the
ed deeps is walking still And the that
little rough and the surf that beats little heavy He
will quiet when they have done their work. We have
not been started people on our pilgrim path to be
drowned in the Red Seas waters nor fall along the viii
of the present and the prospects of the future be
faced undsmayed and undepressed Gloomy forebodngs
msbecome this place and hour These services recall
days that fearfuy tried many soul Days when states
stood bafied and perplexed, and irresoute, and
rulers instead of steering could do little more than let
the good ship drift Days when defeats drawn bat
ties saddened and sckened heart and hope Days when
the public credit staggered beneath its obligations and
industry groaned under the burdens necessarily i'm
} posed Days when fell in ranks forest
leaves fall with autumn's heavy frosts and when our
homes echoed to the mourners wild weary wall. But
all ills overpast Where is the that last
blocked the thoroughfares of travel and pushed
the fields and choked the mountain gorge? Where the
Arctic see and the bitter cold sheetipg league after
league with icy pall2 Why they have become the May
days crystal brooks. They in the mellow air. in the
vegetation that has unreefed its sails in the wreath OF
bloom every side gladdening the eye So the troub
les that during the great conflict tried to the utemost
faith and courage the proves and the pluck of loyal
souls vanished and the bodings and the ills OF
the present shall disappear leaving but the blessed
of rights which they vindicated or of wrongs
which they redressed All that remains for to-day is
that ourselves afesh to those interests to
which who died gave the last full measure OF de-
l yoti0n.p
My brother soldiers, fallen comrades seem as
speak to be mastering again and falling into line AS
the warrior imagined that the shades of his slain
companions gathered often around him to fancy
those once with march and post, in camp and
: field ahoat and ashore, coming back we haow
their memories. Again seem to hear the drums rolling
I.kI ,.x.tsI a.,