Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-03


mockery, but may be as they should be. O.
untold benefit to our common country in
| years TO come.
But 1t is in vain that we annually meet on
this day. il from these sad and solemn cere.
monies, we are not more deeply imbued with
love OF country, more deeply filed with ven-
Grafton for those who died, to secure TO us
all the blessing of free government where
all men are equal before the law, where NO
mans sphere is circumscribed save BY his
own conduct.
Ii Il IN vain that we come with muffled
drums, with flags dropping at half mast, in
vain are all these "trappings of woen if we
as people are not made more upright, honest,
tolerant and liberty loving citizens thereby.
II is IN vain if we fail 20 Empress upon the
minds OF the rising generation, the fact that
1t is priceless boon which these sleeping
heroes. dying, bequeathed therl. Il is in
vain II we fail to impress On their minds
the truth that ''eternal vigilance is ever the
price of liberty.n
Ours is indeed 1.-THE land OF the free and
the home of the brave" but II is free land
because its citizen soldiery have earned on
fields of death, the proud title of ''brave
men,"
To-day all over this land from ocean to
ocean and from the lakes to the gull, a grate-
iui Nation stands weeping uncovered at the
graves of its benefactors.
The proper observance of these memorial
ceremonies tends to develop the noblest
traits of our nature.
Here we stand upon sacred, coBsecrated
ground.
We come in no boastful spirit. We leave
our pride and vanity a. home We seek no
dlsplay-we come in meekness and humility.
We como IN accordance with the pronptings
of hearts filed with gratitude and love.
We seek this our country's Mecca to drink
In deep lessons from its sacred teachings.
We came not to glory over the defeat OF
Others who are and must ever be our fellow
countrymen, but to manifest TO the world our
approval of the deeds of those who repose
here and to evidence our faith in, and devo,
ton to the grand principles for which these
eight hundred heroes of Grant county, died.
God forbid that there be one act or one word
spoken anywhere on this memorial day that
will revive the issues or awaken anew the feel
ings that for four terrible years distracted this
once happy country, and moistened its soil
with the best blood of American freemen,
Forbid that one sentence be uttered by me
that shall tend to open those wounds that
our whole country long since should have
healed or covered with its mantle of charity
Every aspiration of nay heart, ana know
it is the same with those that hear me, is for
the peace and prosperity of our whole
country.
1t is the wish of all that fraternal feelings
shall prevail throughout every portion of
the land OF Washington and Lincoln, that
sectional prejudice and race animosities
shall not be found in the breasts of Ameri-
can citizens, and that there shall never
more forever be any strife in this reunited
land, now entering upon the grandest era
of her progress save in duty, love and devo>
tior to the Union and in their zeal for the
welfare of all her citizens, and the perpetuity
everlasting of her glory
We as Americans may even be proud of
the noble manhood and dauntless courage of
our misguided countrymen, who allured by
false teachings and prejudice sought in VAN
to destroy that ark of liberty freighted with
the hope OF humanity, whose voyage COM
menced at Runnymede, sailing through
tempestuous seas, buffeted about by adversely
almost wrecked in the great revolution, till
thanks to Grant county's 500 dead and their
100000 comrades it was permitted to anchor
in safety at Appomattox, welcomed with the
prayers and tears of all Gods oppressed hu>
manity. We as Americans are proud of the
heroic devotion, proud Of the answering
manhood they developed, proud at least Of
their conduct Of the day of the termination of
that domestic tragedy that made them flash
the powers of our era, our country and our
race throughout the world. But,
"a Nation mourns her heroes lost
Whose blood for her was shed"
And commissioned as l am to-day to speak
for the friends of Grant county's honored
dead, to speak for the children, brothers,
wives and fathers and mothers, whose
loved ones names are inscribed on yonder
marble shaft, to speak Cor their loving COM
rades, who wear the evidence Of their coun-
try's Indebtedness in their crutches and
empty sleeves, and last to speak for all the
dead who sleep in unknown and sunken
graves" cannot give utterance to other sem
timents than those prompted and dictated by
a stern sense of justice and duty.
On this day of all days we should look
down deep into the hearts, and be true to
their teachings.
have no sympathy with that sentimental
gush that would make no difference between
the blue and the gray, that would place on
level the destroyer and defender of the homes
stead of liberty.
l would cast no stigma upon the name and
memory of those who persisted for mistaken
ideas.
would simply let their names rest untarn,
ished-remembered and cherished by their
own loved ones.
But cannot, will not tell those trembling
gray haired parents whose feet are .reading
light upon the brink of the grave, whom we
every year see on this day, with the bending
forms and dimming eyes endeavoring to read
the name Of him who was the only prop of
their declining years, who gave his life rans
som for his country, that their patriot son Is
no more worthy Of the nations honor and
gratitude than the red handed traitor that
took his life in his mad endeavor to destroy
the Union. There must be no apology for or
compromise with treason.
Let US proclaim to all future ages, that in
this land at least. no patriots grave shall be
dishonored or his memory furnished
1t is indeed our duty as citizens of this
great republic to forgive the errors of the
past, to throw no obstacles IN the way of am
one on account Of the part he took in that
lamented contest, when he comes with
true heart and willing hands to build
up the glory and prosperity of this
government. But forgiving must not be
forgetting. The lesson was learned at too
fearful sacrifice to be forgotten.
If we do not remember and profit by it, If
We do not avoid the calamity in the future by
our experience in the past, if il is not a
monitor for oil time to come, then in vain
has been all this expenditure of treasure and
flow Of blood.
No so long as the memory of the mar,yred
President is preserved, Sc long as the mem
DRY of all the martyrs of constitutional lib
erty everywhere shall be revived. so long
must remain in the minds of Americans the
memory Of that fearful struggle in which
treason was "vsnquished by right where the
weeping goddess of justice re-seated upon her
imperial sceptered throne shall reign in ma
jesty forever.
BY the blood of thousand battlefelds the
"Temple Of Jaunis is closed" The blood red
standard Of war that lowered phantom-like
over this land for four years has been furled
For four terrible years the nation was
stepped in trstricidsl blood, while now on a
thousand affairs, which were once srrewn with
the victims of the fell carnage of battle, is
heard that sweet benediction let fall by the
angels from heaven, "Peace on earth and
good will to men"
And standing here to-day in this loveliest
season Of the year, when all nature seems to
have taken on new life, with the SYLVAN ca
denees mingling with the rus:ling melody Of
the breeze, all conducive to peace and happi-
ness, it is difficult to realize or conceive of
those stirring yet gloomy days of '6l, when
the very air was resonant with martial mu.
sic, and the earth seemed almost to tremble
beneath the tread of armed squadrons.
Little did the people through the country