West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1882-06-09
a FINE SPECIMEN Of onATOnY
Coio-,ei Ingersoii.s Decoration Gay
Aaf.rrcA.

was thronged IN the evening OF d. cora
ton Dav. The gay toilets Of lsdies and
the bright uniforms of military men gave
the su fence brilliant appearance Tn,
Academy was decorated profusely with
flags
On the stage were Pre- sident Art ur,
Secretaries Folger and Brewster, General
Grant, General Hancock, Roscoe Conk
ling, the Rev DR.. Newman, Mayor Grace,
members of General Haucuck's snd Gen
'eral Shaler's Stalls, and others. Amid the
thunders of applause that welcomed him,
Colonel IDgerson stepped 10 the reading
desk, locking rather pale, and stood
awaiting an opportunity TO begin. He
made no reference 10 the circumstances of
his selection as orator, and mentioned
neither any mans name nor the sui ect
of religion in his address, of which the
following is an extract:
This day is sacred 10 our heroes dead.
Upon their tombs we have lovingly laiG
the wealth of spring. This is day for
memory and tears. A mighty nation
bends above its honored graves. and pays
10 noble dust the tribute of i's love.
Gratitude is the fairest flower that sheds
its perfume in the heart To-day we tell
the history of our coun,ry's life, recoun,
the lofty deeds of vanished years. the toll
and suffering the d. feats and victories of
heroic men-of men who made our nation
great and free.
:. 1--WE see the first ships whose prows
were gilded by the Western sun. We
feel the thrill of discovery when the New
World was found. We see the the op-
pressed, the serf, the peasant, and the
slave-men whose flesh had known tie
chill OF chaiDs-the adventurous, tie
proud, the brave, sailing an unknown
sea, seeking homes in unknown lands.
We see the settlements, the little clcarinCs
the blockbouse and the fort, the rude and
lonely huts. Brave men, tue women,
builders of homes, fellers of forests,
founders Of States Separated from the
Old World, away from the heartless dis
tincti0ns Of caste, away from scepters
governor
themselves. They defended their homes,
they earned their bread. Each citizen
had voice, and the little villages became
almost Republics. Slowly the savage was
driven, foot by loot, back In the dim for
est. The days and nights were filed with
fear, and the slow years gilh massacre
and war, and cabins earlhen floors were
wet with blood Of mothers and their babes.
But the savages of the New World were
kinder than the Kings and mobiles Of the
Old and so the human tide kept coming
and the places of the dead were filled.
Amid common dangers and common hopes
the prejudices and feuds of Europe faded
slowly from their hearts From every
land, OF every speech, driven by want and
lured by hope, exiles and emigrants sought,
the mysterious Continent of the West
Year after year the Colenists fought and
toiled and suffered and increased.
They b,gan to talk about liberty-te
reason OF the rights of man. They ask
ed no help from distant Kings, and they
began to doubt the use OF paying tribute
TO the useless. They lost respect for
Dukes and Lords, and held in high esteem
ali honest men. There was the dawn of a
new day. They began TO cream of indie
pendence. They found that they could
make ard execute tha laws. They had
tried the experiment of self.governmest
They had succeeded. The Old World
wished to dominate the New. In the care
and keeping of the Colonists was the des
TOY OF this Ccn,inent-of half the world
"On this day the story of the great
struggle between Colonis,s and Kings
should be told. We should tell our chill
den OF the contest-first for justice. then
for freedom. We should tell them the
history of the Declaration of Independence
the chart and compass or all human
rights-lhat Gil men are equal, and have
the right TO life, liberty, and Joy. This
Declaration uDcrowned kinys and wrested
from The hands of titled tyranny the
sceptre Of usurped ard arbitrary power.
1t superseded royal grants and repealed
the cruel statutes Of thousand years
IL gave The peasant career, It knighted
all the sons of toll, it opened ali the paths
TO fame, and put the star Of hope above
the cradle Of the poor mans babe. Eng
land was then Il nighiiest of nations.
mis- ress of every see, and yet our fathers.
poor and lew, de6,d her power.
q To-day we remember the defeats The
victories, the disasters, the weary march
es, the poverty, the hunger, the sufferlpgs
the sgonies, and, above all tie elories Of
the Revolution. We remember all-from
Lexington to Valley Forge, and from
that midnight Of despair to Yorktowu's
cleudless day. We remember the sol.
diers ard tbiDkers--the heroes Of the
sword and pen. they bal the brain and
heart, the wisdom and The courage. Z,
utter and defend these word. Govern
ments derive their just powers from
the consent OF the governed. l..
defence OF this sublime and self-evidept
truth the var was wsged and won. To
day re remember 81 the heroes. all tho
geDer> and chiyalIic men who came
from other lands to make ours free. Of
the many Thousands who shared the eloo-s
and glory q the seven sacred yesra. not
one remains. The last has mipp'ed with
the earth, and nearly all are slcepipg now
in unmarked graves, "and some beneath tbe