The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-06-11

,reldsr-d anasner musical eesee ios
sod the Geruan Se igerb uug ,aug
The soll.es'. Farewell
Hen. j. Warren Keller, IT Oai'.
was then introduced aud delivered
the Grafton Of the day.
His opening remarks were as fol
loNs:
COMRADES AND CITIZENS: IN fall
view ef the capital city IT cur coan-
FRY, III sight III tie statue % Freedom
which surmounts the dome Of the m
lions Capitol, on this Sunni !.
at the foot of which rolls the beauti-
full Potomac, to be famed ia future
years as the Thames, the Tiber, aud
the Nile 10 sight OF the spot where
the immortal Lincoln, uhen be had
just plotted our proud ''Ship Of State"
through stormy seas to q haven Of
peace and safety, poured on his heart's
blood, a libation upon his country s
altar, to mingle with that Of the nun
dreds Of thousands who also paid tho
penalty of self sacrificing devotion to
national unity and honor; with
Mount Vernon, which holds the tomb
Of Was hington, just beyond the horo-
scope OF our vision /; within easy
sound Of the ~cannons' roar from many
battle fields of the recent fierce war t,
by the side of the once proud home
Of The adopted con of George Washing
ton, and in later years OF General Il.
Z. Lee, who became the leader in
the field of the great American rebel
lion ; on soil recently watered with
the tears of slaves. hard by the still
preserved ilave quarters, now signif-
csn;ly empty, and 10 the midst of the
seies Of graves withiJ which ere the
earthly chambers Il repose" Of the
gvry bodies aud mangled Iemains Of
tbe Uuion dead, gathered from hospi-
,al and battle field to tbe number of
sixteen thousand, This vast o
~ofpeopie, assembled from every rank,
station, nationality, and race, irrespec-
tive Of age or sex, unite 10 honor and
render homage {, he nations ioycl
dead
The speaker the, devoted some
space TO recitiDg the customs III old
en- times Of decorating heroes graves
With flowers, citing many national
Instances from the earliest ages, aud
said Why this honor TO the soldier
dead? Why deck tho soldiers tomb
with the fresh, fragrant flowers OF
spring? These garlands aud wreeths
We strew here to-day are beautiful
and fragrant, but their beauty will
fade, and their fragrance depart with
the setting sun. This coronation of
floral offerings is nothing t the dead;
it is much 10 the living. These DEAD
have nc captivity but the grave, and
they are beyond our reach fer good
or evil.
If the spirit which moved US 10
bring hither these offerings is as per
ishable as The uow ornamensat iijw-
ers, the Offering will prove of litlle
permanent value 10 the living or the
dead. This solemn aud beautiful
ceremony will be q most shameless,
ssnton moekery if our souls are
not filled with nat high and holy re-
solve which inspired them. These
dead, with stou hearts, Oeat with
patriotic zeal while in life againss
their country's foes.
We shall dishonor theic memories
if We prove fsithless To their exam-
pie. While their lives ebbing out Oh
the bloody field of war or If they
died more slowly of wounds, want,
or disease ia hospital D: pi5J4.
their country remained a great bea-
con-ligbt OF liberty-tbat last hope
OF freedom to the oppressed. We
chant the story of their greatness by
singing to the world of deeds accom-
plished, the SUGGESTS gained. add re-
suits attained through their personal
sacrifices. But for these sixteen
thousand dead aud their dead anil
living cJmrads, the government Of
the people by the people and for the
people would have persisted from the
earth.
Nexl he dgelt upon the evils the
rebellion brought upon our land, and
said: But for the rebellion, civiliza-
ton and Christianity would have
stood still in at least one half of the
territory Of this Union. But for the
overthrow Of the rebellion and
the triumph of the Union
this now united nation
would have been dismembsred-two
flags would have nJa.ed over the
Of II divided country,
and at least Que new na,ion would
been in being, having for lis
primal object the preservation and
pe%rpeiuation of human slavery. Had
the rebellion been a success, the bsne
fall doctrine would have attained
that Jul national organic act conferr.
ed no power not subject to be con-
withheld, or terminated by
state authority. Had the rebellion
and the Confederacy be-
come an accomplished fact, instead of
a united, liberty-loving people, +;
with singleness Of purpose, with one ,
flag and one destiny, and a govern.
ment to be emulated by all other ma I.
lions of the earth, there would have
been two feeble n~ationalities engaged
q ~exhausting the resources and e1er-
gies of each other in perpetual strife,
lnfeared and unhonored- Truly Gay
be said: :
% not In vain our martyrs sighed 1
And not In vain our heroes died. )
Next the orator paid a tribute to ,
the bravery of the American soldiers {
But he made q distinction between i,
The bravery of soldiers 10 a good and
those in q bad cause. He said = i
Had the French Marshal Moreau
fallen at Hohenlinden at the head of
q French army, and not at Dresden, {
fighting with the combined despotism
of bis country's enemies against
France and for her ACKNOWLEDGMENT. |
be would have had a nation of peo.
pie TO honor and adorn bis name and 1
perpetuate his fame. Had Arnold {
failed at Saratoga and been spared I
bis fell q, West Point, his bravery +,
and now would have been placed /,
alongside of Warren aud other dis {