Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1881-05-31

Il nature to the forms that here mOuldel
Here come the children who are to liv
after us, and who daily learn with eager
ness somewhat of that eventful histor,
which you and I helped make in tn
troublous times that began just twent.
years ago. Bye and bye Ve shall all b.
gone hence; and to those children mus
we look for that perpetuation of ou1
memory for which every man has some
yearning.
! So comes it that out of the hate and
bitterness of the civil war shall be gen
Grated throughout the land the kindly
and gentle custom that tells the world
we are one people, one family, one
blood, one Nation, and that Americans
never forget the tribute of flowers in
the Springtime - emblematic of un-
dying glory of the deeds of our soldier
Dead.
l have tried thus far in my poor way
to point out the fact that as a people we
are gradually developing national
custom, beautiful in itself, and in no
respect sinister in meaning toward any
section or element of Americans Elm
the North we honor the sleeping forms
who in their day saved and perpetu-
ated the Nation and Union of States
against the armed, rebellious attack of
the South. In the South the VOtaries
Of the Lost Cause decorate the graves of
those dear to them, and WHO, despite
the fearful wrong they sought to es-
tablish, are looked upon by their sur
hn Of .hi 1.io
bravery and soldierly virtue. In each
case the feeling just described predom-
mates as yet, but it requires no gift Of
prophecy to say that the occasion which
brought about a custom which is the
same everywhere, will be so far for
gotten in the observance of the GUS
tom itself as to be no longer a source of
irritation or personal or sectional es-
arrangement. This Nation will always
honor its defenders, and this custom
both North and South will grow more
and more consonant with this idea.
The years roll on, and eventually the
soldiers of the North and South will
march shoulder to shoulder against
some other and common foe, and in
their turn will they receive the Nations
honor on Memorial Day. The South,
with the North, will have its heritage
of soldierly glory in defense of the Re-
public, and that higher, holier senti-
ment of love of the whole country and
of our common origin and brotherhood
will succeed to that which yet remains
of sectional animosity. Other and
natural causes are ever contributing
to the same result, and we may there
fore freely honor our Union dead with
out needless offense to any, and as duty
which it were ignoble to omit.
Friends, Fellow-Citizens: We are as
sembled in this silent city of the dead
to perform over our departed comrades
the gentle 'ceremOnials which we as
survivors of the Grand Army of the
Republic are wont annually to observe
ever since the National integrity was
assaulted. To-day, as for many years
agone, we rejoice in your approving
presence and your kindly participation.
To you and your successors as citizens
of the Republic must shortly be con-
signed the performance of these floral
decorations in memory of the Nations
new birth and of the soldierly heroism
that gave to you and posterity that
priceless guaranty of human freedom;
the Republic of the New World,
.leansed for all time from the stain of
human slavery. AS soldiers of the
Grand Army we give to you in charge
ever to remember the enormous cost of
blood and treasure that was the price of
our preservation as Nation. We give
It to you in charge that not even yet
nave we outgrown the resulting evils of
he most gigantic civil conflict known
% the page of history. We give it you
N charge that would you enjoy the
complete fruition of the surrender of |
you must not yet sit down |
;upinely nor deem the conflict over |
past. You, and we who survive the !
scenes of battle have in common line |
# civil duty to perform that the march |
# events is rapidly bringing to our
lands. Everywhere do we notice the
lbnormal condition, that led to the es-
Adjustment of a pseudo-arlstocrisy and
relative abridgment of the happiness
md prosperity of the people. While
'ou honor your soldier dead forget not
n their name ever to defend in its
'roadest scope and its most absolute as
ertion the rights and liberties of the
Iumblest citizen that walks upon our
lomain.
Comrades! How shall we most fit
ingIy and tenderly welcome the charm