Daily Republican., 1881-05-30
Uniform Division. Knights ofPythias,

| IulIOIu DlNlsloI, hHlBubs VI ytHld
y New Castle Post g. A. H., America
Protestant Association, Seminole Trib
Of Red Men, and Knights Of Pythias. /
large number of Sunday school childre
turned out All the grave-yards wer
visited, and the graves decorated. Th
children sang patriotic airs beautifully
d. An address was made by Rev. Georg
X. BriStor, and Department Cumman
der W. S. McNair, of the &. A. H., de
livered the following oration:
DEPT. COM. NC NAIR'S GRAFTON.
COMRADES, LADIES AND GENTLE +
: MEN:-We meet for no empty show o.
: grand parade, but to do honor to ou1
heroic dead. We revere the memorie,
of those who willingly gave their lives
their all, that free institutions aul
free government might not perish from
the earth.
Stricken hearts are weeping for deal
ones who went down to death in Free
! dom'S cause. Mourners kneel by the
graves of tire Sleepers, and children with
huShed voices and silent tread throng tC
our cemeteries to deck the graves OF
those who fell 1t is an annual sacra
ment of sorrow for those whose remains
find shelter and renose in these quiet
cities of the dead.
All nature is springing into life and
covering the earth with beauty as WI
droop again the old flag and Strew witt
fresh garlands tlleir narrow beds. As
these flowers fill the air with fragrance,
SO may the fragrance Of their heroic
valor ill all our hearts.
This is Il memorial Of all who died for
the preservation of this Union. History
records the deeds OF our great generals
their familiar forms cast in bronze or
sculptured in marble worthily grace
many pedestal, but these flowers re-
cord the herOiSm of all our dead, but es-
pe2ially Y of those whose names appear
not on the pages of history, but whose
deeds are cherished in our hearts and
related at many an humble tiresde. The
humDlest of our slain has crown of
remembrance brighter and more cndur-
ing than the diadems of kings.
| Could command the eloquence of
the past and Of the present. would CON
centrate it into this one brief hour.
Could invoke the spirits of those who
sang OF ancient heroes, | would swell
the mighty chorus otthe bards who sing
OF our own noble dead. Could sum
mon PericleS | would have him repeat
the splendid Grafton which he pronoun-
ced over the graves of his fallen coun-
trymcu when a graf 3ful people went
forth with garlands and crowns to hon
or the dead heroes Of the Samian War.
When the clouds of war o'erspread
the Union skies and few stars in the
blue field Of our banner waXed dim, the
Others Shone with added lustrc in the
darkness Of that reasonable night.
Wayward sons dug the grave Of the
Republic and set themselves the task
of numbering the mother on whose low
ing bosom they had been nouriShed: but
she had other loyal SONS, who, fresh
from the quiet villages and hamlets of
their native States, rushed to her de- |
fcmse Sustained by a noble patriotism
and inspired Ivy heroic spirits, they stood |
undaunted mid scenes Of carnage
wounds and death. The world has
never seen nobier examples of courage, |
patience and endurance. They fol
lowed our National emblem through the
fire and smoke Of many conflict, re-
solved to see their country triumph or
sacrifice themselves ON the altar of |
Freedom. Rather than cast single
stain upon our ensign or blot q single
star from its folds in disgrace they were
content to wrap it about them as wind
ing sheet, and drop with it into an un-
timely grave. Nandal hordes polluted
our starry bauner by the touch Of their
foul hands, tore it from its place on
high and flung to the breeze flag black
med by the foulest treason the sun ever
Shone upon.
To Columbia's loyal sons was commit
ed the mission OF freedom to man and
leath to tyranny. Voices still speak
rom these silent tombs, and tell us to
owe and cherish Virtue and Religion,
Liberty and Truth
Their spirits wrap our ddsky mountains,
Their memory sparkies o'er our fountains;
The meancst rill, the mightieSt river,
Roll mingling with their names forever,
The war for the Union called to arms
hree millions of brave defenders, cost 8
i've hundred thousand loyal lives, left $
hree hundred thousand SCARED and {
rippled veterans and more than mil
ion dependent mothers, widows and
rphans of those who ne'er returned to $
i'll the vacant chair. g
Noble words came to us from those a
Who died. One smoOth-faCed boy said L
when am shot down, let no one put /
II mourning for me, rather fling out n
he stars and stripes and be proud. t
Rather fling out the stars and stripes t.
nd be proud - And so to-day we Il
hey his request with tender and sor- il
Dwtul pride. 'Tell them not to weep fl
Dr me" was the last message of many
soldier, young perhaps in years
ut mature in courage and pa
riotism, who knew no shrinking a
rom duty and who never took counsel Il
nth fear Fair-haired boys died with d
le name Of mother, sister, or loved t
ne on their lips-no eye to pity, no
lother, no sister to weep over them h
o gentle hand to soothe the dying DOS t,
Ire or to bind up the ghastly wound ii
ON which the lite-blood ebbed away. S;
h al
There was lack of woman's nursing, u
There was dcarth of woman's tears" h
They were our heroes They were u
.r martyrs They made of their d'
'easts barricade between our country CT
I'd its foes. They stood as adamant in tt
wall of defence, or like the bolts of I'll
I'VE were hurled upon the foe. 10
Theirs not to make reply, a. a.
Theirs not to reason why, I'd
Theirs but to do and die" 10
The painters brush, the historians III
N, the orators glowing words have lo
lied to depict the awful grandeur and
e terrible sublimity OF those scenes.
ethinks | see again brave uncom-
aiming men borne from the field, their
e. blood flowing in a crimson tide. of
l sec again my comrades fall, l bend th
lift him but find |" the spark of life N,
IS fled" l see the field strewn with hi
anpled forms. Night spreads her "a hle - -.