The National tribune., 1884-05-08
THEY DIED FOR THEIR COUNTRY.
TFrou, an gdlress Jv Per. DR.. Qaiatl


@Who died in defense of their country"
Hardly had the head of the column entered
the rebellious States, hardly had the keel OF
the war-ships cut the Southern waters, when
the roll of the dead was begun. Thencefor-
ward it heightened year by year through four
wears of warfare. Dead ON the slippery decks
Dead by the camp-fires Of the night Dead in
the smoke-cloud Of battlei Dead in the muir
derous prison-pensl Time, which has hidden
the trenches under the green grass, and plowed
over the track Of the heavy guns, has softened
the first violence of mourning into gentle sad
ness, and is healing a Nations wounds. But
wherever loyal men and true comrades are to-
day people brings its offering with which to
garland the graves Of their dead heroes.
We pause by this memorial stone, comrades
and citizens, for parting service We could
not find all the graves to-day. You know
where they are. The waters are the restless
graves of some. The bluffs of the quiet rivers
cover some. The thronged burial-place where
dropping captives mustered strength TO bury
the starved dead, hold some in endlesss captiv-
ity. So, now you have decked the graves Of
those who sleep at home, pause, and here honor
the graves Of those who sleep far off
This is DO time for many words. Sometimes
words are helpless, because the great idea dis
dams the bondage of language. The men
whom we remember were not men of words
their bayonets. With their sabers they shaped
the destiny of their land. "They died in de-
Tense Of their cOuntry!" What is more elo-
oucnt than the majestic simplicity of that
phrase" Their country?" Let not him try
to measure the length and breadth Of these
words, who thinks of his country only as a
4 place to buy and sell and get gain Let him
not try TO sound the depth of these words,
whose idea of his country is only that therein
he shall get public Office, and honor, and profit
Let him not aspire to the height of these
words, who thinks that peace is better than
Righteousness, safety better than manhood
4 They who endured hardship, and dauntlessly
met the fiery storm, and poured out their
4 blood, and lay with their white faces upturned
TO God, they knew-in their lifetime knew
what our country" means They, in their
/ graves tell us that no country can live with
/ cut law and liberty, and true manhood; and
because they saw, in the Flag the soul of the
Great Republic, with strong hearts and chiy-
alric daring they planted themselves by the
Stars and Stripes, and now sleep till the re-
1 Yeille Of the resurrection morn.
Better than words do the things Of this day
speak. Hear them.
This service says that the old soldiery do not
forget their comrades. Fresh In memory arc
those who were once with us In march and bat
tie. True men do not forget those with whom
they stood shoulder to shoulder in the greatest
1 hardest times this land ever saw. The fellow
ship of the living, welded In fire, still endures
Some men look angrily on the great brother
hood of former soldierly, which now covers
the loyal land. They affect to feel danger from
the hundreds Of thousands who link their
hands under the leadership of the gallant
Logan. But pause and think you, you who
frown-are the fellowships of the battlefield
made in love to the hag sworn TO on the altar
Of death, 10 fall asunder like blades OF grass
mown down. Think you that men who rested
together on the hard ground, stood in the same
line, followed the same flag, charged together
when death was IN every step; men who were
deprived of home, and had no friends but each
other, and closed up as the dying fcll-do Won
ask that they shall throw aside these ties of life
and DEATH Can you not instinctiyely feel
that they cannot do itf that they cannot aban
don their needy and often fricndless comrades
and the widows and orphans of the dead thai
they cannot dishonor themselves by DESTROYING
the sympathies of glorious cause Bear witt
u.s. we pray you, in this thing Think not hard
| Of US for our soldierly care of comrades iii
be weakness in Us TO cherish old memories
yet deal tenderiy with us, and grant us thi
one little boon for once you needed us, anG
then nothing was too much to promise u
when you asked us TO encounter death. w,
did it, When we ask you to let us keep frcsl
the tics of death, will you not do it? Be no
jealous because we remember each other Dan
gcrousf Yes, once, dangerous to the traitor
! and rebel. But not now. Men who perilet
life for law may be trusted in peace. Danger
GUS again, only should the lawful authoritie
need their right hands again, and then danger
GUS only 10 the disobedient and lawles5. See
only the color-guard carry muskets, and tn
muzzles are filed only with flowers. There
nara