New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-30
4 PROPOSAL.


e more urgent necessity for the expression
of d,,p individual feeling than Memorial Day
and NOT Ole which j. in the way of being mosc
m-u-cd. II began with TWO or three broken
hearted women ,oin, ont 10 lay flowers on the
graves Of men dear t. them, who had fought
hiaIcy for tlic Confederate cause. They gave
them flowers and tears. having nothing else
10 give bat bitter REGRETS ont of their great
POVERTY and failure. Women in the North fol-
lowed their example the next year; and the
next. Tie returned comrades of the poor fell
lows vlo had fallen went ont all over the
country both South and North, with the
women and little children in black, with re-
lcI.,d arms AMI trailing banners and diri;cs
10 10 honor to the heroic dead. If the thing
Lad gone no further than this it would have
done the good which any sincere expression of
pure feeling does. The homage to those who
bilNcly fell WAS honest and tender, and the
influence of such homage upon children who
have set to learn the u,rs and value OF hero
ism j. no doubt beneficial.
liut during the Last few years the ceremonies
of Commcmorltiou Day are made. in nine
ca~c, out of ten. an opportunity for political
di,plIy and wirc-pullln.. The individual dead
so',r j. forgotten after hi. sixteen years
-l.rp in the grave. except by some faith
r,l woman ar old father m home who doe, not
ioin thccrovn, to-day. The >pccchcs made over
him in fine o,,rr rebel STATE, will too Frequently
BE-, mere ,loit- Ia kiudlc the old bitter fcud
H:lon- ,'o-r who Wei, too youn. 10 share IL,
rId to keep tine Solid south together in their
auil.,ui-m TO ,hc North will" in tAr Nort',
i,iru..d- fIom ward and village politicians
r'...... 49,, 49,, branch If Il,
500 .,..I $780,. H., ,.,, falkland. viii
...... ...,.,,... .,i, i, Ii,, Of any, .ol,..ru
,..,.,.... f., ,l'r d,.ld OF tn their conn. OF
......,.,, Ji., oruo,ir,i,,. for tLr r,ndi,la;..
I.,;,,,. =, ,,.,.h ,L.. ,,.,ro f H..
..........i D., ,.....JL, V..,,o,,lJ
...,ri I,.,, .,..,.,,i ,.,,.. ,l.,. ti..n
r.l;..,.'..,.,. tL,i, ,,l,.,.. .,
.......:.... ..r l.,f.II, or C,,.l li,.,. .L,
.., ,....,..., ,,,, .,,,y I.,,. IL. u.,.: -,,ur-
oI,, I'm, III, tb,. name. of .l,ccn,,. ,c ii, M
l..., ,b,,,. ,,,t of our ..,.,y,yird..
r.. .',,...,t MS b,,,..t in ;utontinn. mo- /
49,. .t.. :, ,,,,,rt,l this d,y Which |
..i.i.,.,. .,J ,r,h,,s and .,ll:.rs
i'I., .,,..r, 49, s.,.,cd into , l.,.l Lol.l,v
..r ,..,.I tl. mas. If the rro,L. ONT to ioin |
,I.. ri.,,oI,,,. to u,,io lis action. hov,v,r
...l, ..,.,i, and ,.ood f.,.lin., i,lt dt,,
tlt tl,. dead rould be- left wholly to the care OF !
tln,, who actually revere and mourn them. |
Eut il i. po>,ihlr even ut thi, late day, 10
rob the day of that bitter sectional political
significance which it never should have had.
WHY. n We are to have a day of national
homage to the dead. should We commemorate
only the hcroiNm of those who rs rebels
fought the Union, or rs patriots fought tie
South We're the mon who sacrIIlced th'lT
fortunes and their lives IN the tlst desperate
venture which gave us HbrtI! worthy oil no
wreath upon their graves Has the conn
try grown 50 poor IN gratitude thAt
she cannot spare flowers TO the men
who with the baptism ol thrir hiood gave