Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-06-17

All, they must not be forgotten to day.
What would our sick and dying soldiers
have done had it not been for the noble
women who went with the lint and
bandages and cordial, and leaned over
their cot in the hospital. May God keep
in everlasting rememherance the names
of those christian women who suffered
for the land in the hour of its darkness;
and peril.
And among the fallen heroes, demand
ing the honorsnf, Decoration Day mns moi
be forgotten the ''nobles1 Roman VI Them
all" born in the wilds of Kentucky
forest, Graded in a cabin, ,natursd on
flat boat and the broad prairie =. son OF
toll and himself ,laboriny man
bronzet, and awkward in the reception
room, perchance by reason Of carly pri.
ya;ions; becoming the truest representa-
tive, The noblcst president, the emanci
pator who gave the boon Of freedom to
1900, 900 Of fellow beings, the sublimest
act Of executive statemanship. He
presents to history 4 manhood better
| sculptured,~ more complete, more symet
rica!, more perfectly filling the ideal OF
American greatness, than any other Of
our honored dead, or honored living,
save one, perhaps, the great "Father Of
! his Country" man in whom mercy
| and justice blended in almost divine per
fectio:, whose we'll earned fame shall
widen with the march of freedom round
the world; whose name shall be the raj
lying cry on ba,tlefields Of liberty yet I'm.
known, and whose individual character
shall stand out more admired, more
colossal, while the years roll out the
f;,me Of Abraham Lincoln.
We feel, then, that the observances Of
Decoration Day are no empty parade
but, full of meaning and subltmity
The nation can never fully estimate the
services, speak the worth, or raise mon.
ument that shall adequately celebrate the
memory and service Of her citizen
soldiers. History alone can rear a col
umn commensurate.
As to-day, then, we wreath our gar
lands of gratitude, let lis appreciate thu
greatness of the cau< e in which our he
the VOWS OF loyalty. To swear by thes'
martyrs graves that they shall not have
died in vain. That the institutions ane
blessings they defended, we will main
tain and extend. That the country they
sanctitied by their death, we will honor
by justice and purity and uncorruptet
truth.
In this we can all bear a part. I hav
perfect confidence in the perpetuity ant
~ growth of our country and her beneficen
institutions. But my confidence doe
!: not lie in our rulers, whoever they may
be- But in God first, and then in the in
te!ligence and christian principle ant
true nobility and good sense which
1 characterize the great masses of our PEG
= pie. [ have great confidence In the goot
sense of the American people. 1t is yer.
important that we have the ght leaders
: but it is vastly mere important that W.
, have the ri ht citizens. For public sen
timent is stronger than any man. An,
in the formation of a right public senti
ment We can all, as haye said, bear
part.
Let us remember that there is yet wor1
to be done. That man is not yet eman
cipated: That there are yet bondmcn il
the land, slaves of worse than human
masters. There are yet dangers to GU
country scarcely less imminent thai
those from which our soldiers died t
save us. There Is yet ample oppor:unit
for seifdcnylng devotion to truth an
e right.
J.. Oh! We heroic dead, who have lai
your bones on many cory field of tn
;. south, Or whose ashes laid to rest b.
e friendly hands, 10 make our norther
). hills and valleys, sacred ground, you
I glory can never iade Yours 1t was t
J. die that the nation might live. Her vas
e and expanding life shall be your las
ing memorial, From rebellions storr
and wars comotion, ye brought her to III
e broad and open sea of peace. May oul
:: be the heaven inspired virtue and wi
! dom to guide her to long and prospe
! Gus voyage.
J. .rhen sail thou on, ship of state.
e Sail on oh! Union, strong and great!
- Humanity with all it's fears,
- With all its hopes of future years, -
Y - Is hanging breathless on thy. fate.
v Our hearts, our hopes our prayers our tear
v Our faith triumphant FER our fears,
Are all with thee, are all with thee"