The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-06-07
ILLINOIS.

Memorial Day services at Bloomington, H.,
were under charge Of Stephenson Post of that
city. The exercises took place in barley Hall,
which was crowded. Commando i. ii. Miner
was master of ceremonies. Governor j. II.
Hamilton, who IS q member Of Stephenson
Post was the orator Of the day. In the course
Of an eloquent address he said:
In Tie telescope o. lnlnory as tyrTl It back to
theneuaorahle morning OF April y, 1851, | see IN
youder field the stlrdv farmer boy patiently pl9W-
ing turning the fertile soil and dreaming OF harvest
Tune TO oene ana golden gram tla6shll crown his
toll But sect the reveTberaBing rear of aun1togs
guns breaks on his ears. Why does he pause IN
the fuErow with thrill f eIn0tion never felt ba-
fore, and, with startled yisae he scans tle hori-
zofi, what qieGsl Of light is thai which flashes
from his eyes as he sees his conatrys flag waving
from the village spires? 1t Is the raging fire OF
justice n his soul rs be reads in these manilessa
tons his country call 10 come and pillow in fields
Of battle. In yondeF shop Is another. His braway
arm IS pounding ont the plant crimson steel before
the blazing forge TO tie music ringing of hIs strokes
upon the anvil bat the shoeg1 ot tressoni5 blow
sends discoFd through his ears and in the roll Of
drums upon the street be hears his country ealing
him to work before ygEfs flaming foFgcs TO weld
together the bands of a broken Union. In yppder
ae1ayoal - o,Atls Sh ~
patiently sowing the intricate problems of the arts
and sciences, and storing the mind VIII. gems Of
useful knowledge. But what strange Light IS that
which blinds their eyes and opens TO them new
visions of glory and power? II is theelectgie flashes
from treason's hostle guns calling them 10 solve
the problem OF thc ages. With spriuging aagGlty
now rs they gather from al the walks aI avenues
OF life and shoulder 20 shoulder, upon the public
/ commons, they form the seSTled ranks OF var.
Yesterday they were the quiet devotees Of peaceful
pursuits, to-day they aTe The Terltabe sons o. Mars,
shutting the battle from alr &fd cbaInptac the e
! of discipline ALI, but this is only as the swift
bfeeEeS hurrYlns 10 . common center 10 form the
/ terrible Cyclone OF war There, my fellow citizens,
/ were your sons, fathers husbands, br8thers and
I betrotfled, upon whose departing necgs you shed
the bitter teArs OF anguish thcn and DER whose
! grave You linger with lnbroken love to-tiay Two
hundred and utty-eiglit thousand OF them went TO
! battle from the grand commonwealth OF Illinois
| alone
Aprocession Of Grand Army men and others
visited Evergreen City cemetery and held ser
vices there. Commander Miner delivered a
| short address The programme included music
and other features.
Comrade Alvin d. Harroun, Watseka, ILL.,,
writes that the observance of Memorial Day by
| Williams Post, No. g was a great success.
/ The soldier graves in ell the cemeteries about
the city We're appropriately decorated. The
literary exercises were conducted in the largest
church in the place, which was crowded TO its
utmost capacity. A double qnartette furnished
several beautiful selections Of music. An orig
| inal poem, The RoIl-Gall, !" written by Major
George G. Harrington, was recited with touch
| ing effect by his little son. Bat the GROWING
effort of the day was the Grafton of the major
himself which was q masterpiece Of rhetoric
and pathetic eloquence. The success of the
programme was due chiefly to Commander
Major VI. IL. Peters, who entered into the mat
ter with his whole soul aud spirit, and to Adju-
tant a. I. Whitehall