The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-06-01

Couit House at $50 A. NJ, Mon law Ocl
| people made n generous response TO the call
| for ilowers. aud on Saturday afternoon d
; goodiy number Of Somcrsei's fair and patri-
otic daughters met in the council room and
, trimmed a large number ofcyergreen wreaths
| and arranged the many beautiful flowers
that had been sent into handsome bouquets
A number of business houses along the
. street, notably e. c. orton's tobacco and
c. n. Boyd's drug store decorated their
doors and windows with small flags and
, the HERALD's colors hoatsd at half mast.
The procession moved promptly at $50 A. N.
in the following order:
Chief Marshall-R. Il. Sanncr.
Ministers and Speakers.
Somerset Silver Cornet Band and Drum
Corpse.
Veterans bearing flowers and wrcaths.
Citizens
Sunday Scools.
On arrival at the Lutheran cemetery, Rev.
Cameron offered a very appropriate prayer.
Mr.. s. L. Trent was then introduced. who
spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF S. T. TREyT.-My frenGs and
soldiers living We meet III this cemetery
to-day 20 pay grateful tribute TO the memo
ries of our brave soldier dead. We meet to
commemorate the deeds ofour fallen, BROTH
ers, fathers, husbands, sons, whose matchless
valor has made the history of our country
! forever illustrious in hcroism, and lifted her
,,,t., La Of
mortal honor. We meet to consecrate our
selves anew in the noon-day splcndor and
prosperity Of the present to the cause,
which they, regardless of agony Of heart
and BRAIN hereicly sacrificed their lives.
The custom of decorating the graves and
monuments of the Nations dead is fitting
as it is beautiful and sublime For the free
man who breads war and will do everything
in his power to avert it, but who will in the
last extremity encounter its perils from love
of home and country, who is willing to sac
rifice himself and all that is dear to him in
life for the sake of great principles Of right
and for the promotion of the well-being of
his fellow man, such soldier whether liv-
ing or dead deserves undying horage 1t
is such patriotism that crowns achievements
with glory and its soldiers with immortality
So has been written the judgment of the
vanished ages. The dead for country come
to us embalmed by the historic and robed
eil'ulgently by the poetic muse. Art breathes
into her votary an inspiration, and the pen
ell and the chisel vie in transmitting through
the generations an enduring monument of
the patriot past. Natures self is not voice
less 7; with all her tongues she attunes the
deeds of heroes sepulchered in her bosom.
Marathon is still pleading to the listening
stars the story of her Grecian slain and
ever the Aegean waveis beating on the wide
worlds ear the cadenced stroke of the Sala-
minian galleys, and forever into the worlds
great t,irobbing heart the winds that blow
from the green hills of Gettysburg will be
repeating their lessons of unparalleled cour-
age and devotion for truth and man. Gen
erations die but virtue and liberty are i'm
perishable, and from the tomb oftheir cham
pion mighty radiance streams along the
gloom of ages evermore for the inspiration
and instruction of men,
1t is meet that we peIpetuate the grand
lessons of beroism written by a myriad
not long preserve its liberties after its people
have lost respect for the memory of those
whose lives were givenh its defense, or in
the vindication Of - honor. And in no
more effective way can the love of the peo-
pie for our fallen heroes be strengthened, |
the recollection of their patriotic deeds be
kept green in the public mind, than by as
senbling from time to time at their last rest |
ing place, and then while decorating their
graves with flowers and recounting the story |
of their acheyments, dedicate themselves
anew to the principles of liberty and ma
tionality for which they bravely fought and
nobly died. This is why tender hands to-
day strcw the soldiers turf with fragrant /
flowers-nowers grown in natures virgin
purity, sweet emblems Of all that is good |
and true-strewn with affections unlimited ]
measure and exhaling the incense of our
love for them that are in the skies. Per-
chance that invisible throng hovers to wit
ness these ceremonies, because
Ever near us, though unseen,
These dear immortal spirits tread
For all the bounden universe
Is life, there is no dead ~
Twenty years ago the destiny of a civili-
zation and government which have illus
trated the noblest possibilities of man in
the enjoyment Of enlightened liberty
trembled in the balance. The doc
trine of State sovereignty stood confronting
lusting for dominion had entered the Tenn
pie of Liberty and imperiously demanded
tribute, but the heart and conscience of the
great North said You shall not desecrate
another foot of the virgin soil of our prai
ries by your horrid trade in human flesh.
Implacable slavery then antagonizing the
expressed and supreme viii of the majority
Of the American people, marshalled arm
les and arrayed itself in the hostile front of
war TO dismantle the Union of our fathers
Many here to-day distinctly remember the
sad day when armed secession first planted
lis flag of dcsolation, and sought by bullet
md bayonet to overthrow this government
and free institutions in a tempest of horrors,
md how the Sumter shot ominously echoed
through the land .summoning u million of I
men to the sacrifice. In its sullen sound
was heard the question, "Who will dare
md die to save the Republic?" Then with
grandure, American patriotism
purst upon the world like some mighty
,omet. Men saw It's flaming glory stream
ng up that midnight sky and wondered I
rom what depth of heaven it had sprung.
Citizens Transformed by the great emergen-
" eagerly became soldiers and soldier he
-oes. The agony and anguish of that awful
ieath-storm could strike no terror to them.
''For so nigh is grandeur TO our dust
So near is God to man,
When duty whispers low Thou must ,
The man replies i can
In amazement we now recall the scenes of c
he bloody conflict, and the fortitude of our ,
Bows in Blue" while they stood confront I
ng that lie in arms. Enveloped in battle
moke amid hurricanes of shot and shell
hey stood contending for immortal truth.
Fear? A forgotten form; /
Death A dream of the eyes; r
They were atoms in Gods great storm t
That roared through the angry skies. Z
IN ;,ooginafion .va hear the murderotls |