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

in the face Of foreign foe-went down in sorrow
and shame before the gathering cohorts OF re-
lion
tInr standing army, scattered and emasculated
nv reasonable councils at Washington, looked
hopelessly and helplessly on. One after another
walked forth defantly from the halls OF Con
gress men who had been intrusted with the
guardianship Of our country safety ana our
COUNTRIES honor and trampling upon their oaths
to support the Constitution and the Union, has
tened to place themselves at the head of rebel
hosts. and soon the heavens were lurld with the
camp fires of treason.
| The people of the North sprang Indignantly to
| arms and civil war, with all its untold horrors
| and sufferings, began its desolation.
All the proud memories of the past, the glories
and triumphs of the Reyoiution-our common
beritaee-were for the time obliterated: the I'M
mortal Declaration of Independence was silent
the Constitution under which we existed lost IT'S
cohesive force the proud names of the past no
longer possessed their charm; our nation
trembled and tottered under the awful strain OF
internecine strife.
souls who fell in defense of the nations integ
rity and the nation life during the succeeding
four years of carnage are scattered all over this
fair land-a mighty holocaust of freedom
Here two thousand miles from the more stir
ring scenes of that great struggle, here on the
Western borders of that country whose preSerVa-
ton was more precious TO them than life itself,
some of the survivors of that war came to die
and be buried: here where the sun Is last to
set and where perpetual verdure decks their
graves some of that noble army have Sepu1ture;
and here to-day, still fresh and warm with the
glow of patriotic fervor are found loving hands
and loval hearts to lay our floral wealth at the
last earthly resting place of those noble martyrs
tit emblem ofthe sweet remembrance in which
| they are held.
And why should we not do this? In all ages
in all countries, in all civilizations the memory
| of those who fell in defense of country has been
| the sacred trust of the living.
Monuments pyramids, mausoleums rear their
| lofty heads all over the face of Europe connect
| ing the dim and obscure historic past with the
active living present, in one harmonious tribute
| to the valor and heroism ofthe worlds SOldiery.
Wherever the footprints of man are to be found
| even i'll the wilds ofbarbarOts tribes, there may
be seen perpetual fires burning fragrant incense
| to the memory of battle-Scarred and battle-worn
| warriors.
Who among mankind better deserve such dis
| tinction? Is it the author, the statesman, the
| philanthropist, the artist the messenger OF
| Christ? All these and their proud achievements
| and noble work would perish, the very posi-
bilitv of their existence to enrich the world by
| their labors would disappear, and all organized
| society and government would cease but for the
| protecting arm of the nations defenders IN
| times of war
The millennium is far very far Off and until il
| comes Governments and peoples can only be
maintained by armed forces: and as life is the
| dearest thing TO man, so always will the mem
DRY of those who freely give it 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-in-Chiefo OF
the Grand Army of the Republic. had the
| honor to promulgate to comrades of that society
an order designating the 30th OF May g for the
purpose of strewing with flowers and otherwise
| decorating the graves of comrades who died in
| defense of their country during the Rebellion,
| and whose bodies lie in almost every city vii
| lage and hamlet churchyard in the land" No
| form of ceremony was prescribed, but Posts were
! LEFT to adopt such fitting services they might
| choose.
trust l may with propriety refer to the origin
of this observance and that may. with some
profit to us, read paragraph from General
Order No. II of the date given: