Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-06-01
Memorial Day.

Once more the poisoning flowers and
the sea green surf Of spring remind us
with significance no other season of the
year conveys of the memorable times
"when wars deadly blast was blawn,
And gentle peace returning
with mony sweet babe fatherless
And mony widow mourning"
Childhood beholds with wondering eyes
the impressive ceremonies by which this ma
ton celebrates the return of this memorial
season, and lisping tongues ask with curious
interest the meaning of the solemn parade
led by strains of martial music. The un-
wonted spectacle of sun-browned men and
gray-haired veterans, bearing garlands Of
flowers in their hands and tenderly laying
them above the mounds where the tri-colored
guidons hutter in the breeze is the first OBJ
iect lesson of youth from the hands of po-
tent tutor, in the history of the great conflict
in which millions of men stood in arms and
suffered wounds and death that they might
hand down to their children country unim-
paired, the birth-right received from patriotic
ancestors century ago. In the maturer years
of mental development, when the children
study from the printed page the story of the
great rebellion, it will lose from the recollec-
ton of these memorial-day observances
something of the unreal and mythical char
acter which envelops the history of times
in which the students were not living &C.
tors or observers. The instruction Of Decor
alton day, its songs and dirges, the words
of the orator recounting the story of death
and suffering on battlefield, in hospital, in
prison pens, portraying the bitter anguish
of mourning widows and orphaned children,
dispels the glamour of martial glory from
the vision of the young and sobers the rea-
son of the unreined ambition" No feel.
ing person can go from memorial services
without holding war in greater adherence,
and deploring the development of passions
that lead to war. War has sobered the ma
tional mind, and Decoration day services
perpetuate wars Christening influences and
bring belligerent passions back to calmer
moods and the consideration of peaceful
methods. The war of the rebellion was not
a nursery of military glory. "Let us have
peace" was the fervent prayer Of every
soldier from the general of the army down
to the humblest man in the ranks, and this
sentiment, uttered with rare power by one
who had successfully welded greater mill
tary forces more modestly and humanely
than any man known to history, is echoed
from every stand where Memorial day ora
tor recounts the valorous deeds and heroic
sufferings of his comrades in the war. The
war was nursery of peace, and on Memorial
day the nursery lesson is forced home with
peaceful and heroic; for, as war will not
then be invoked till an appeal to arms and
the God of battles is all that is left to us,
so the storm of war, when it must come,
will break with holy fury on the unhallowed
head that provokes it. The Importance of
Decoration day in impressing upon our
minds lively sense of the value of our gov
eminent has been urged upon the people in
a thousand ways during the years since the
institution of memorial services. This
view Of the observance of the day cannot
be too strongly enforced. 1t should be the
great political Sabbath of the nation when
our truest statesmen, our most gifted poets
and our bravest soldiers should unite in en-.
forcing the principles of political morality,
universal liberty and patriotism, the viola
tion of which brought on the great rebel
lion. A clear exposition of these principles
and the enforcement of fidelity to them,
side by side with commemorative words
and sentiments which can never be too fer
vent or too tender, is as sure safeguard for
our political salvation as the preaching by
the ordained ministers of the gospel for the
spiritual welfare of the people. The means
of spectacular observance is not neces-
sary. No community within whose burial
ground is lodged the dust of dead soldier
is lacking the means for observing the day
in its highest and noblest intent 1t should
be held as a sacrilege to allow the sun of
Memorial day to go down on a soldier grave
from which the incense of flowers has not
risen and over which words of commemora-
ton have not been breathed, and the vow
renewed "that these dead shall not have
died in vain"
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