The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-30

not only representation of the Genius of
American liberty, but also permanent
side by side. with her princes and her
monument to the noble dead whose ashes
repose around us. To whose disinterested
valor and devotion Columbia now owes
her liberty, her pride, her unity and her
power. Great honor to him whose epic
is a melodious hexameter Iliad," says
Thomas Carlyle. But still greater honor
IL his epic be mighty empire built To-
gether by mighty series of heroic deeds.
There is no installing this latter epic.
Deeds are greater than words. Deeds have
such life, mute but undsniable, and grow
as living trees and fruit trees do: They
people the vacuity of time and make IL
green and worthy" Here on this green
crested hill, under the canopy of Heaven,
shall the men who wore the blue, yearly
gather and recall the names of those who
went down to battle at the bidding of
Michigan. They now lie sleeping upon the
bosom of this mother who will ever re-
member their .valor and sacrifice with
grateful devotion, and keep forever bright
the splendour of their deeds till earth, and
seas, and skies are rended.'"
..Time cannot teach forgetfulness
| When grefs full heart is fed by fame"
Across the broad Atlantic, in the old Island
home of our race is reared grand historic
abbey, under whose mighty arch repose,
kings, the great soldiers who have writ
glorious names high upon their countrys
roll with the point of their stainless swords"
In martial France there is a cleaning
"Chdpetle des Inrdhdcs," wherein the light
| flames through painted windows on her
tattered flags Of battle. In ancient Athens
there was Painted PORCH" where, for
| 500 years, the descendants of the victorious
Miltiades could "trace the glories of their
Marathon" But your soldiery, some of
whom stand equal in worth to any in
ancient or modern history, have none of
| this to commemorate heroic death. They
need IL not. The Rhodian COLOSSUS has
tottered and fallen, the fame of Miltiades
has survived the Painted Porch" Abbeys
at last blend, with their ruins, in one COM
mon grave, the monuments of the illustri-
Gus dead. The spirit of man alone knows
neither ruin nor decay. And with the
immortal spirit of our nation their memory
is eternally embalmed. All, we can say
with the Latin Horace, "They have reared
them monument more durable than brass
and higher than the regal site of the Pyra-
mids, which the clustering north wind
cannot destroy, nor the iunumerable series
of years, nor the flight of seasonsl" No
nobler epitaph do they need than that of
Latour d Avergue, the "1st Grenadier of
France to whose name every morning at
roll call in the French army, answer was
made as the front rank man on the right of
the old company stepped to the front and
saluted: Mort sur ke champ de 6ataiHe, -
dead upon the field of battel"
But, Countrymen, while you celebrate
the memory of your own illustrious dead
let us not be unmindful of the thousand
nameless graves which carpet that Southern
|
over in the shadow of rock and mound,
and forest shade, and tangled covert they
dragged themselves-to die! No one wit
messed the parting breath or wiped the
death dew from their browne one save
the angels, who bore each knightly and
heroic spirit to the Throne of Grace" to
receive its fadeless crown. The frosty
stars kept silent W atch-the wind sighed
mournful requiem-the moonlight stole
through the matted branches and kissed the
calm face with peaceful light-until at last
rough but kindly hands placed the name
less soldier under mother earth and left
him-resting MereE The din of battle is
hushed and now
IAN is quiet along the Potomac TO- might,
! No sound save the rush Of the rivers"
| While soft falls the dew on each nameess grave
Where the soldier lies sleeping forever.
But no-not forever! Thank God there
is spiritual crown more fadeless than the
laurel of earth given by the creator to all,
high and low, rich and poor, victor or
vanquished who battle for principle and
fall at the post of duty. Here history and
fame alone trumpet the name of Wash.
ington, a Napoleon, Won Moltke,
Caesar, while the nameless band of heroic
subordinates who marched to death with
no hope of earthly reward, but the con-
seriousness Of duty done, live only as one
great family, in the heart of the Nation.
| "Only private and who will care
| When have passed away;
| Or hon, or why perish or where
mix with the common clay
| They'll oil my vacant place again
| With comrAde true and brave;
And blot me out ere the autumn rain
| Has freshened my nameless grave"
| But over the river on the Everlasting
hills" all earthly distinctions of rank
and position are swept away, the soul will
be Invested Of all worldly glamour, and
Ulitfer and fhs ey,irit at Last croxxy,, al NTH