The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-31

hosts 60 forth 10 battle for the cause
man, for Liberty and Truth and JustiC
that our hearts melt within us and oil
eyelids are touched with tears. Then i
them meet the enemy where they may, !
the issue what It will, men, armed In til
holy cause OF Freedom will acquit then
selves manfnlly, and where'they fall moi
uments willrise tlllthey kiss the stars. ]
becomes holy ground. The visltorsput Q
the sandals from their feet and reveFentl
bow their heads as they make pilgrimage
10 the martyrs tomb; Where he strul
gled heaven concentrates 1t place for In
mortality. Earth garlandsitwith her perer
nial bloom. Men make paths across II
holy ground and build eternal column
over 1t. Little children, prattling with in
noCence and childish glee, kneel within II
sacred walls and lay their floral offer
ings OIL the patriots tomb. Ant
there the soft football OF woman
step. Is heard, as every year she bring
the immortelle and sweet buds OF hope Il
lay them on the sacred dust and sweeter
the atmosphere Of the gloomy grave, ant
make II Ut to be the abode OF spirits blest
And often there unseen through all tht
long and lonely years, will come thC
mother Of some darling boy who died un
der the folds OF the starry flag, and when
no eye secs her, save the eyes OF GoG
alone, she will draw close around her tht
black and bitter weeds OF mourning, ant
throw herself upon the cold grave Of hel
martyred son, and by faith hold cOmmun,
ion through her flowing tears and pierc.
ing means with thespiritof the unreturn
ing brave who sleeps below. And when
she Is dead, sleeps, it may be, beside hel
child, will come one younger, but the per
feet picture OF the widow who has found
peace and rest IN the grave, daughter OF
sister Of the dear dead soldier, and muir.
mur with her lips, my Brother or "AIy
Father" And then, too, on great oCca.
siOns, annually, on the 30th Of May, fol
centuries yet TO come, shalt gem
erations yet unknown gatherround those
patriot graves, and strew their flowers and
drop their tears and sing their anthems Of
praise above the holy sepulchres.
And as we decorate the graves Of the
brave and devoted men who fell in defense
Of the American Union from 1861 to 1865.
let US not forget tho fathers OF the Reyolu.
ton, and those who have fallen fighting
for our Nationality in Mexico, and on the
frontier. Though we cannot 20 and kneel
at the graves OF all patriotic soldiers Of the
Union, who all along through the century
have been dropping in the deadly con-
flicts OF battle in defense ot-the Nations
honor and unity, by land and sea, we can
recall their illustrious deeds aud emulate
their self.denying and self.sacrifcing vir-
tues. Though 1t may not be ours ever to
be called upon to make the like sacrifice
with them ot our lives for our country, We
owe their memory one sweet thought at
least, and shall be all the better for the
thought. When we remember that all
they did and dared and suffered, those
men who died at Lexington and Concord
Bridge, at Monmouth and Brandywine,
will be seen as near and dear almost to us
as those who fell at Bladensburg, at New
Orleans, at Palo Alto and Molino Del Rey,
or at Shiloh, Antietam, Fredericksburg or
Atlanta, Their graves seem close to each
other. These contain the bones OF our
fathers, those OF our sons and brothers. We
honor them all alike to-day. 70
Indeed the survivors OF the late war are
marching fast aud are fast finding their
quiet bivouaC With the revolutionary pa.
triots. 1t will not be long until all the
soldiers Of the Union spared from the re-
bellion will sleep in death beside their
fathers OF the revolution. Yet it is SO
lately since the last man Of WashingtOn's
army left us that the two armies seem to
touch hands in life, and retire almost to-
gether into the grave. 1t was only in
1865 that had ut my home in Noble
county the blessed privilege oil shaking
hands with John Gray, Washington's last
soldier, who has since died. 1t is not the
death Of these noble men OF American his.
tory which moves us so deeply. 1t is ap.
pointed unto all men once to die, and
afterwards the judgment. 1t is their
grand beoriC lives that We commemorate
to-day in every city, town and hamlet
Of the Union. 1t is the iiis they lived
that moves our souls like the thunder
blast OF war. O, what brave men were
they! We do not stop us solemnly and Us
often as we should and think OF It. 1t is
recorded that in the heat OF the battle Of
Gettysburg, the Rebel General Rhodes
heard that his old Alabama brigade had
raised the white flag. White and liyid
with rage, he dashed TO that part Of the
field where he knew them to be, and as he
rode along behind their line he again
thought he observed a regiment OF those
brave fellows lying down as il to escape
the Federal fire. On going up, however,
with his sword drawn to force them into
fight, he found they werO all corpses
What must we think OF the Union soldiers
who confronted men like those till they
had laid the last Rebel dead on the field
No wonder that you and l are here to-
day, and that these kind ladies and these
sweet little children, as pure andas bright
us the flowers they bring, are hereto dec.
crate the soldiers graves, who dared SO
much "for you and me, my good friends,
for you and me-"
l am lawyer by profession and some.
times as sit among my books and view
the gathered wisdom Of q thousand years.
Justinian, Tribonian; Qokn, Lyttleton,
Bracton, Pleta, FortGsCue, kGnt and
Story, and thousand other great and
good lights OF the law, ! feel that there is
something for humanity and God, Here
is a grand defense for human liberties.
Why, with these, oppression is impossi.
BILE and every man is safe aud secure in his
ancient liberties. When l look at the
Constitution OF my country and the laws
made to carry It's provisions into effect,
and as | consider tho marvellous excel.
lence OF our form OF government, feel
like exclaiming, This is the greatest
birth OF time tho best government which
has been evolved by the process Of the
ages. a4 " - y
But as sit viewing these grand and Inn
posing institutions and their mutual rela.
lions to each other, and their influence
upon the people, for whose good they
were ordained and established Of old, q
feeling OF sadness comes over me to think
that the men who preserved these for you
and me arc sleeping the sleep OF death,
and gave their life's blood to preserve and
perpetustO these constitutions OF govern
ment. 0, how could wish my comrades
who died for the preservation of these
written parChments OF government, were
living now to enjoy the benefits secured
by theml Then, again, l remember il
they had not died, these ordinances oi
human liberty and equallty-ot equal and