Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-05-30
A UNION MEMORIAL ssRnoH

lIhe sermon was requested for publ
cation in the Press and Dakotaian and
Dakota Herald by q unanimous vote q
Phil. Kearney Post, May 28.l
Thy dead men shall live. Isa., %. 40.
The day has come when amid life',
busy din the thoughtful person pause.
and ponders as he reads the epitapt
which grateful republic has written
with the fragrant blossoms of spring
Sacred to the memory of my dead"
by common consent and the unani
nous decree of the American people
one day out of the three hundred and
sixty-five has been set apart to do homo,
to the memory of those who so nobly
and bravely gave their sacred lives in de-
fense of their country.
1t is fitting that the churches. and pas.
tors and people OF the city of Yankton
unite with the officers and comrades ol
Phil Kesrney Post of Dakota, this holy
Sabbath evening and together minole
our tears, our songs our prayers and ON
words Of praise in behalf of our honorad
dead.
Your speaker has been appointed to
deliver the Grafton, not because he DOS.
sesses any special merit beyond MANY
others, pastors, lawyers, editors, Judges
ex-governors, justices of the supreme
court, and college professors and many
others occupying positions of greater re-.
sponsibility in social and political life,
but because he happens to bs chaplain
of the post here assembled, and chaplain
of the department of Dakota. The pres.
ent occasion will be- q memorable one in
both the history of the Phil Kearney
Post and the city OF Yankton, because Il
is the first public observance held here
in honor of the heroic dead. What is
here done and said tonight will besome
matter Of history for those
who shall come after us,
This union memorial service becomes a
proper prelude for -Menor.
ial Day-redolent with the fragrance of
flowers, bedewed with the sparkling dia-
monds of the nations tears, declaring to
all the world with its voice of music
and still sweeter music of its sobs and
prayers. that the republic with her more
than fifty millions of people is
not ungrateful to the memory of her de-
parted defenders. They have deserved
well of their country and worthlly do we
do them honor and perpetuate their
names. They have earned the largest
praise that living men can give. But
our best homage after all must be with
deeds not alone with flowers and words.
The most fitting honor that we can pos.
sibly bestow is to take up and carry for.
ward the work which living, they did
60 well. and dying they handed down to
US. 1t is only as We possess the same love-
ly country, the same spirit of seIf.ab.
negation and self.forgetfulRess that we
can accomplish the work which they 40
nobly begun.
But you tell me they were not all vor.
thy and deserving of honorl No doubt
there were many such among them
those whose hearts were hard, whose
conduct was vile and whose lives we're
debased. and that 80 far as their coun-
try's good was concerned they are bet
te: off dead than alive. Some such I have
seen in camp. in the guard house, in mil
itary prisoners, men with evil faces, cruel
eyes, dragging the ball and chain after
them, and with placard on their back on
which was written-"Coward" "Deser.
ter, Bounty jumper" "Thief," "Drunk.
ard" But what of that? Was there
not Cain in the first family of the
earth? A Judas among the apostles,
an Ananias among the sarlytchristians, q
Benedict Arnold among our patriotic
revolutionary fore-fathers, Jefferson
Davis who stood at the head of the
greatest conspiracy Of the world to
%ent2 uasat All IF these as 0sss beine govern. nm.
worthy and dlshonorable Constitute
no reason why We should not honor Abel.
John, Stephen, Washington and Lincoln
Abel who who had the great honor of
being the first to enter heaven from
earth, John tolean on the Savior's breast.
Stephen to wear the martyrs crown.
Washington to be the father of his ooun.
try and Lincoln to be its defender, Gov.
Howard (God bless his saintsd psme)
who was member OF the church which
has kindly opened her doors for US, who
used to sit Us humble worshipper in
these pews, who said on one OCCASION
II have given my life to Dakota and if
God wills I want to lay my body here. .
and ex.G Governor Newton Edmunds,a com.
municant Of the Episcopal church of this
city-and honored and loyal citizen who
has saved millions of money to our ma.
tional government aud hundreds of hu.
man lives by his wise treaties with the
red man of the west-hopored namas
these-and,I will not dishoner, thesa
great and good men, by mentioning IN
this sacred pulpit, the name of him Who
perchance has been the occupant of the
same pew ~ the lamented Howard. at.
tempting to fill the same political posi-.
tion, who sends false kilograms to the
great dailies Of Chicago and st. Paul
public print that the town Offering the
most money would get the prize-tlat d
the capital Of the great territory
OF Dakota. 1t seems to be one of the
laws of life that where YOU find . man n
his noblest you will also see him at his
worst.
But standing in the presence of the
true, the noble, and the God like. We for.
get. the base, the low, and, the mean.
We gaze enraptured on the symmetica]
proportions of some noble manhood
just as we do upon some raro plani
aud never see the worm that cravls near
by. 1t is not with the feeling of the nm.
certainty of suspicion that we honor the
country's dead-that, forsooth, they NAV
possibly be unworthy. know whereof
lspeak. There Is many one with us
to. night, who with your speaker
can say have seen
some of the sacrifices they have made, /
have heard their words Of unswervinp
loyalty and walked among them when
food was scanty. clothing insufficie mt
and the only sure thing that stood be.
fore seemed to be death. have often
been at the bunk when they lay worn
with disease or shattered limbs, writh,ng
in pain. have seen them tie sick and
wounded, and dying, because Of the neg.
lect OF unfaithfal chaplains .orldrunken
surgeons. / have talked and triad tn