The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-31

IL
the wisdom OF mankind is the Offspring OF ueces,
sity. developed iu that school OF oppression ana
want, which teaches Redly fear and humble
submission. Yet as the flower Ia the product OF
the thorny bush, God in his mysterious way
Gtilizes thorns Of life TO pierce the darkened
clouds, that our path may be made lighter ana
our way clearer The sacrifice of the Savior re-
suited in the establishment Of that system of re-
hgion which not only furnished tho foundation
upon which to build Ehope, and thereby lessen
the sorrows of mankind. but paved the way Tor
greater commerce. fer higher civilization and
for railroads and telegraphs, aud wherever the
Christian religion predOninates to-day there
you will find the greatest progress, ana there
you will find the inventive genius utilizing the
flashes of heaven to light our path at night and
TO telephone our business by day. Thus was
the sacrifice of the Savior a blessing to man
kind, and the blood which He shed upon Cat-
vary was but the rlantiDg of the seed from
which sprang the church, and 1t Will grow
brighter and purer with the lapse of time. as the
slcrif1ce made for the honor OF God and the
elevation Of man.
ENGLISH OPPRESSION A BLESSING.
The oppression Of the English government
forced blessing upon the American colonies,
resulting in their Independence and the fOrma-
tion OF a union which will endure as long as
the patriotism and intelligence Of the people
control our public affairs The sacrifices which
our Revolutionary fathers made to resist that
oppression were for the equal and inalienable
rights of man, and after having been tested in
the oruGible of an eight years war were pro
nounoed good by the Judgment of mankind and
nOw after the lapse OF more thdn q century,
the echoes from Lexington and Concord, that
stilled the hearts of 100000 anxious people,
to-day ring merrlly in The hearts OF oeoOo,OOO;
their deeds still live, as the SACRIFICES they maue
were in the struggle for national Independence
and the right of selfgOvernment. The OppreS
sion and greed OF the slave power resulted in
the war for the preservation of the Union. in
which these men fell, but their sacrifice was not
in vain, for after the lapse of four years the
principle OF freedom, hitherto Imprisoned by
slavery, was released and the Union restored.
The late war, though Conceived in sin and born
in iniquity," resulted in cementing more firmly
the union Of these States, and too, upon the basis
of universal liberty, Tne evil that men would
do was shorn OF It's tanEs. ana tne poison was
converted into an antidote, thereby enabling US
to preserve the Union and adopt three
amendments TO constitution abolish
lag slavery. and comforting cltizenshlp ana
suffrage upon hitherto helpless race.
The vacant chair is robbed of its deepeRt
because of the achievement of these
men; and it is because of those achievements
that we hold them In such sacred memory. We
decorate these graves, not that IL dement's the
dead, but that by these exercises VIC show our
respect to their memory, and our love for the
country they died to save, thereby educating
the youth, so that when they become men their
influence may be exerted on the side OF good
government; on the side OF obedience rather than
resistance to national authority. Truth and
right, though migaty and eternal, are forced To
battle against evil continually for their own vim
dication yet this is the surest test OF their ambl
ton TODD Gods Will; and IL wewould perpetuate
our free institutions, we must be vigllanti We
must be watchful and We should guard with
Jealous care the education Of our children, teach
ing them the duty of citizenship and the value
Of the political rights conferred BY our oohSJitu-
ton, Let it not be forgotten that these men es.
paused tine right, and had that courage main
tain Ii, which patriotism inspires and that by
their service and death they huiided monument
of human rights which will seem present te
the most distant generations OF men," But
comrades, In this connection permit me to re-
mind you that tins monument was the creation
of themselves to perpetuate the virtues or good
government 1t yet remains for us TO erect to
will never have fully discharged our duty to
those dead comrades, and to those they left be-
hind, nor to ourselves, until we have raised In
some suitable place u monument worthy of the
cause in which they fell; and here expressed the
hope that every Grand Army post and every
soldier in the State will see to it that before an
ether year shall have passed away provision
will be made for securing a State monument.
If each soldier in the State should contribute a
dollar the monument would be secured; besides
the State owes 1t 10 itself to aid, If need be, in
this honorable undertaking, and l sure
would not be recTeant TO her duty. Pnolic sentl-
ment Will secure action, aud that Will secure
monument. Let us begin to-day, and, as these
men knew no failure in war, let us perseyere
until the Appomattox of success has been
reached.
CAUSE FOR STATE PRIDE.
We have much cause to be proud of our State
for The part she bore i'll thar honorable struggle,
sending as she did over 2O6.OOO of her sons to
the field. one-eightn of whom were left upon the
field of battle or died of disease.
The Indiana soldiers were engaged In over
800 battles, which were fought in seventeen diff
Phillippi, Va. June, 1861, and ending with the
battle of Palmetto Ranch, Tex, May, 1865.
BY their services and their death they hOnored
eur State and preserved cur firesides; and
comrades let us hope that in our Christian land,
war breeds peace, and that now, "the drying up
"a single tear has more of honest fame than she'd
ding of gore" and as the example for seour-
ing peace win the world by arbitration was
established by the great General of the war, let
us in the future labor to bonor our State and
country by preserving peace, ana contributing
our mite to the accomplishment of harmony be-
tween the late cOntending sections, until our
country shall be the dream of Washington; no
North, no South, no East. no West, nut one and
1ndlvls1ble country. whose people live with
malice toward none, with charity for ALL" But,
comrades, We are here for silent action in this
''bTonc of the drad," over whom fioat the stars
and stripes, laughing yet weeping laughing for
the living, weeping for the dead. When have
nonored this army of sacred sentinels by keeping
alive the principles for which they fought; when
we have cared for those they left behind, and
decked their graves with the emolems OF y ma
tton'e love, have done all that
can do for the soldiers dead, What tribute
do we bring to-day 10 the soldiers ltVinsi
Let us give them our hands, and form q link
that will still more firmly bind the Unien. Let
us give them love in grateful acknewedg-
ment for the Uuion they fought TO preserve and
let us here, in the presence of these sacred wit
nsssee, pledge ourselves anew to stand by the
Union OF these States and thus perpetnate to the
children of the soldiers living and dead free
institutions, unsuIlied by the hand Of treason
and cemented by che common brotherhood OF
man. Let that be tribute to the soldiers liv-
Ing, as it is highest tribute of respect the
memory OF the soldiers dead; as IL L. asO, to the
memory of him Who sleeps beneath yonder bend
ing bush, who, though not q soldier, worn
out in the service of his State and country, leav-
ing bright stars adjoining the history of BOTH and
future ages shall read the record, our children
Will have no cduse to blush Aud now let US
deck these graves with Gods offerings and guard
them with the old flag under which they fell.
ANA drop the tear of affection which the memo
ries of this day bring
The quartet again sang, after which the
floral tributes were laid upon the graves Of
the soldiers, Rev. Myron w. Reed and George
w. Spahr, assisted by the members of the
Grand Army of the Republic, giving the
ritualistic service of the order for the occa-