Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-05-31

| DRY of those who freely give Ii up to save their
| country be mans most precious heritage.
But it was for the survivors of the loyal armies
of the Rebellion to institute the unique and fit
| ting ceremony of Memorial Day in honor of our
| sacred dead.
| On the 9th day of May, 1865 by direction of
| General John y. Logan, Commander Chief of
| the Grand Army of the Republic, | had the
| honor to promulgate to comrades of that society
| an order designating the 30th OF May 8 for the
| purpose of strewing with flowers and otherwise
| decorating the graves of comrades who died i'll
| defense of their country during the Rebellion
| and whose bodies lie in almost every city, vii
| lage and hamlet churchyaTd in the land" No
| form of ceremony was prescribed, but Posts were
LEFT to adopt such fitting services as they might
| choose.
trust may with propriety refer to the origin
of this observance, and that | may. with some
profit to us, read a paragraph from General
Order No. II of the date given;
! "HEADQU ARTERs
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPJ Bile,
WASHINGTON, ID. G., MAY O. 1881.
." General Orders No. II.
I'VE are organized comrades, our regula-
tionS tell US. for the purpose, among other
things, Of preserving and strengthening those
kind and fraternal feelings which have bound
together the soldiers, sailors and marines who
united to suppress the late Rebellion. What can
aid more 10 assure this result than cherishing
tcaGerly the memory of our heroic dead? Their
soldier lives were the reVillc of freedom to the
race III chains and their deaths the tattoo of re-
DelliOus tyranny in arms. We should guard
their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the
cOnsecrated wealth and taste OF the nation
add to their adornment and security is but n fit
ting tribute to the memory of her slain defend
ers. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such
hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite
the coming and going of reverend visitors and
fond mouTnerS. Let no vandalism of avaricc
or neglect, no ravageS of time testify to the
present or to the coming generations that we
have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free
and undivided Republic.
If other eyes grow dull and other hands
slack and other hearts cold in the solemn trust
ours shall keep II well as long the light and
warmth of life remains to us
Let Us then, at the appointed time, gather
around their sacred remains and garland the
paSsionlcsS mounds above them with the choicest
flowers of Springtmc let us raise above them
the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let
us, in this solemn presence, renew our pledges to
aid and assist those whom they have left among
lis rs sacred charge upon nations gratitude
the soldiers and sailors widow and orphan"
join a. LOGAN.
commandments.
y. P. CHlPMAS, AdjutantGeneral.
In each of the sixteen succeeding years the
observances then inaugurated have been faith
fully kept, and Decoration Day has become :,
national memorial, and has received recOgn- |
ton by most of the States of the Union and by |
the General Government.
InoW desire to say what may neveragain have |
an opportunity of saying publicly-that the sug- |
gestion of such Il memorial day came from a |
comrade of the Grand Army living in Cincin- |
NATL by Il letter written me while Adlutant-tien- |
eral. laid the letter and the plan it suggested |
before COmmanderin-Ch ief General Logan. and |
by his direction the general order already re-
ferred to was prepared and Decoration Day was
instituted.
The great battles of the war were Tough. and
won by the common soldier. Their names
were never heralded in.the bulletins and never
appeared in army reports they were known
only by mathematical quantities. many
killed, many wounded, 80 many survived. In
the nature of things, this must have been So but
it only increases the obligation, now that we
may do so, 10 pay Just tribute 10 their memoir |
les We cannot single them ont as we have |
done Farragut Mcpherson, Thomas and a score
Or more typical soldiers and sailors of the war,
but we can by this Memorial Day dedicate our
selves afreSh each year to the sacred cause for
which they fell, and in renewing our loyalty
and devotion to country pay our highest tribute
20 the memory of those who died to preserve it.
And it is significant and interesting fact that
)ut of the ranks of the common soldiery came
he idea of Memorial Day. All honor then to
he common soldiers of the war
My friends comrades of the Grand Army of
he Republic, Memorial Day had in its inStitu-
ion purpose higher than merely to arouse our
emotional natures and kindle recollection of
he companionship of the war. 1t is something
more than sentiment
Your dead comrades have a right to expect
more of you and you have pledged them that it
hall have Il higher significance. The LOYAL
,eople of this land have united with you to
make this day the occasion for asserting their |
eadiueSs to aid you in intoxicating the great |
md leading object of your society That object
IS formulated and made part of your creed is /:
To maintain true allegiance to the United
tates of America, based upon paramount re-
poet for aud fidelity to the National Constitu-
ion and laws to diScOuntenauce whatever |
ends 10 weaken loyalty, incites to insurrection
reason or rebellion, or in any manner impairS |
he efficiency and permanently of our free insti-
utions and to encourage the spread of universal |
liberty, equal rights and justice TO all men
No man OF woman has right to mar the fit |
nj harmony u tD-daV'S OlSarNunppc- no | .
lan or woman has a right to disturb the sacred
epOSe of a Union soldier, who can not come |
nth us and be rededicated to the principles
ere embodied
And this leads me 10 say word, which trust | ]
ill not be mSinterpreted, but which duty to
ur fallen heroes, and duty 10 the living us well
ompelS me to say.
Our National Encampment has declared one |
f the purposes of Memorial Day TO be to pre-
srve the memories of those oRtY who fought in
efenSe of national unity" How can we, with ,
ut an utter and complete overthrow of our
ledge TO "discountenance whatever tends to
eakcn loyalty" step aside and pay the same
omage to the memory of those who died in its I
efense? If treason is a crime, our laws de- ,
are it To be- we cannot afford to honor those .
no commit the crime. II our comrades fought
nd died i'll noble cause, We cannot honor them !
r the cause by honoTing those and their cause 5
no fought against them. To do so would be | ,
aught with untold danger. Those who would
ave us do so fail TO comprehend the significance
our ceremonial and would see in il only a | !
tbutS 10 NdioI, out wholly disconnected from | /
nc cause in which that yalor W Us displayed
DO we want the assistance of those who fought | >
gainst US to help to build up the waste places | !,
the war; Yes; in God name, yes But we
ant their children and their children children +
} comprehend the true meaning of the great | q
ruggie i'll which their ancestors bore a pnrt. | 4
e want them to feel that they cannot rebel | ::
sainst the constituted authorities and make
ioody war for years to overthrow all govern II
tent. and whcn subdued receive the same {,
onor and the same glory that await the loyal |,
,llier we want them to feel that the Govern ~
lent they would destroy cannot more afford to :
ension their survivors, build for them homes ;
ld asylums seek out the last resting places of V
leir dead and erect monuments over them il
IAN can we afford 10 honor their memories and O
ilogize the cause for which they fought n
Ii is impossible to dissociate the lessons and
IrpoSes of the war of rebellion from the memo
es of those who took part in il. II is impossible
r one who truly loves his country and his z
,untry honor to have that same patriotic re- r,
gard for the memory of great soldier and :,
good a man General Lee Us he has for the I
emory of his loyal counterpart, Gen. Thomas h
confess to you that in my belief the greatest u
anger to the Union which could happen, or is y
kelly TO happen, will begin that day when a
G shall have so far forgotten the true meaning !,
the war rs to abolish all distinction between :.
e Union and the rebel soldier. 81
THIS country is large enough for many mil p
ms of loyal people, but it is not and ccun- G
! is large enough for people half loyal and a
If disfoyal. This country is strong enough to |
,otheOsize loyalty, but ii is not strong enough
forget. though il may forgive. rebellioni
If the Grand Army of the Republic had no