Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-29
DECORATION DAY.
FROM Fifth Pace


Breathe our FAREWELL ali. very gently breathe it
Like oceans murmur in the coral shell,
And tender as the SCI flowers that enwreathe it
Forever and fOrevermore, Farewell.
The Decoration Hymn was then given by the
Marine band and chorus OF philharmonic So
ctety and audience. Next followed the quar-
tette God OF the FatherlesS' by Farragut Post
Choir. Hon. George c. Hazelton, OF Wisconsin,
was then introduced and delivered the follow
o ration:
Grafton by Hon. Geo. G.. HazletOn.
There IS in the human heart a natural reser-
walton for all that is heroic. noble and self-sac-
rificing In the history OF the human race. The
Wondering sepuchre, consecrated by the un-
dying eloquence OF PeIicles, is stin associated
with the most brilliant OF all Victories In Athen-
ium history.
The peasants Of the Tyrol think there is no
monument In all the world like theirs, and no
memory half so dear as that OF Andreas Hofer.
Amid the cautions OF free switzerland the hero
OF the old legend is to-day bright reality. while
I'm Scotland from the borders TO the crag5 of the
highlands the sword of Wallace still CLEANS
and the memory of Bl ice Is still cherished.
AT Westminster Abbey the English people for
eight centuries have crowned and buried their
royal rulers, and within that grey old tomb OF
the ariStocracy have been gathered through
successive ages the illustrious remains of those
who had for themselves a still more endearng
monument in learning and philosophy 10 art
and literature than OF those who had been the
captains OF armies the leaders of parties, the
courts, and however much we may desire TO
hnger among the honored dead OF the old world
we turn inst1nctlvely this morning to heritage
OF our own, more precious than all, the great
cemeteries and the many lonely graves upon
our own Tree soil, set apart and consecrated for
ever Oy frne people as the sacred places
or the Republic, wherein repOSe the remains OF
forms once manly and brave, who surrendered
up their lives willing sacrifice TO the cause OF
Liberty and Union. These graves Who shalt
number them? These dead, who shall tell their
story? From the far southwestern borders of
Texas to the pine-clad bills OF Mane and from
the source OF the mighty river OF the great Mis-
slsSlpp1 valley, among the lakes of the north
until II pourS It's reSiStleSS flood into the humid
gulf OF the south. are SOwn as If broadcast, the
white stones marking the last resting places of
our heroic dead.
There are, too, three score great national
cemeteries, in which are gathered all that
remains Of those who were denied the final boon
OF grave by their own streams or On their own
hfl-sideS. In them are gathered the scores OF
thousands who Tell where only heroes fall at
the Tront, where kissing bullet and shrieking
Shell tell that brave men are daring all the
teTrOrS or deadly battle, for principles sake
Almost score of years have passed and vet
What memories some Of these great cemeteries
recall Pittsburg Landing and Seven Pines,
stone River and AntletaIn, NickSburgh and Get
tySpufg, Chattanooga and fredericksburg
Marietta ard Cold Harbor to ment10n
Dur these few names is to bring to
III freedoms behalf; 10 attempt to Tell
that in them lie the dead OF a full hun
dred OF mighty battles. would be to give the his
Tory OF one or the longest and cost lteSt wars In
NE and blood. ever Waged by man. Nor can I
pause here. there are still four more kindred
10 themselves, over whose mention the heart
shr1rkS. and the tongue we'll nigh refuses
utteTance. Florence. Richmond Salisbury and
AnderSoLyiiC-the SadeSt spots on earth-Where
mculdert d aTayby thousands brave prisoners OF
war, murdered Dy starvation, whose CHASTITY
Sls3geS thrilled death itself with horror, who e
skeleton shadows darken the walls of war
hltholleS forever, aud for whose tortur1ng, of
CODY and mind. there can be no excuse, and no
atoptnent Oh earth, or in Heaven. 1t was bet
ter for humanity If this sad picture could be
Eelled forever from the sight. Taken together
then, the national cemeteries are the tokens
and the evidence OF the priceless Inheritance
which We enjoy. They Constitute the source
from which free people shall draw their prou =
est inspiration, aud they shall remain the hal
lowed shrlneS or liberty cherished and protected
by grateful nation so long as she shall matn-
tain in this broad land her empire and
her home Not alone then at Airing Jon,
day their yearly tribute OF love
and flowers. The conflict OF arms in which
over quarter or million OF American freemen
sacrificed their manly lives, and which you OF
the Grand Army OF the Republic happily sur
yive, was the natural and irresistible result
the elimination la war or long civil conflict
over principles which underie free govern
ment, ard which constitute the very founda-
tlons OF cfvIrZatton aud human progress. IL
came Ike stOrm-clOuds, surcharged with heat.
lODg-gathertng, which at last burst In bol,s o.
nTe and failing hoods, to purify The earth and
air. -A
The issue between the two forces. Closely
drawn ard well defined, composed the terrific.
rial Integrity OF the government; the desr -l1c-
uon OF the Union, and OF liberty itself The
one sprung to arms upon the abstraction thai
the right OF secession was reserved to the states
ard upon the theory that by right cap:f1i
should own its labor. control it. buy it sen il.
dehauch 10. The Other came 10 the rpld3 oi
war win the conviction entreDched in It's heart
that the Union was tnsepa able. that labor
should be lis own master; wear no shacSIe,
aid stand erect before the Law OF government
ana before God and man. honorable and
with the Union cause. or perish on our
Continent Under the 9yis of the
a ased within Of state rights slavery could
for time; but sIaitten with the fear
OF death by circumscription or elimination
oy The growth OF Tree sentiment in the north,
III mad become aggressive. and had sought m
make its doctrine and its power national With
an eye TO its own ACCOMPLISHMENT IL lad gained
toiitlcal aScendency In the republic through
the completely, ard alliance, OF partZan
friends in the Tree states. BY Converting to irs
own use the rich lands OF the south. In vast
plantations, aud By the absorption OF all indus
,fleS; II had forced us Tree middle classes into
The border iree states. and. strange as 1t may
seem, there &c strengthen by Political ALLIANCE
The power from which they mad Deen compelled
to Zee. 1t had entreEcned It's lines and Out noSis
carried It's sentiment and its nag into the new
states OF the Pacifc coast, into The great terri
tories, aid among the Indian tribes: had drawn
INTO us service large portion OF the PIE Of the
north: had invaded The army and the navy and
Solled The er1niDe OF the courts Ii trusted 70
man who was not known 20 be as faithful 70 its
interests as the needle 10 the pole Ii sought
the submission OF freedom and its own national
aggranG ment through the power of party or
gdniZdtlon. For thirty years dominant in
L e republic, with adherentS in every state In
tae Union commanding the allegiance OF It's
northern wing by layishlng favOrs, tempting am
%. ION with the honOrS and en- OuinentS OF Office
dispensing The patronage or a great government
with royal generosity, UNTIL at last when IL saw
that popular viii, which intended to restrict IL
10 us constitutional limits. sive promise OF sue
cess ID the Ifce states. and leay lug the gallant
Douglas 10 lead bis fOrlorn hope IL merged con
SR'racy INTO open rebellion, and carr led the
platform OF the Charleston convention into the
oIgdpic Structure OF the confeSeracy at Mont.
SCHuy. L there confronted the civilization OF
nineteen hundred years With this atrOcOuS
oeciaratlor: BUILD We here new government
WfCSe cornerstone IS human slavery They
had not bartered for treachery In vain.
an oath. recorded ON earth and In Heaven
10 execute the law; holding the sam,
rod or empire that had been welded
With successful power In the hands OF Jackson
came The cOwardly response the republic sur
FeIders-the republic Is dead by the provisions
or Us own fundamental law. whether Con
greSS has the constitutional power to make war
against one. or more states, and require the
execution or the federal government to carry
IL On, by means or force, TO be drawn from tht.
other states Is a question for Congress to con-
slider. IL must De admitted that no such power
Is expressly GIVEN. nor are there any wnr6r