Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1884-06-05

she yanquished. The same sunshine
kisses the graves Of each, and the
same stars keep sentinel watch over
their hushed repose. The same flow
ers which scatter odors around the
that marks the grave OF
the one, breathe their perfumes over
the unmarked grave Of the other.
Representing both sides OF the strug-
gle, representing the two great pollt-
ical parties, standing almost In the
presence of the martyrcd dead, let us
pledge that never again shall
the blast of the trumpet nor the
CLEAN of the banner array US in dead |
" strife against each other. The
conflict, with its train Of bloody
deeds, has passed to the echoless
shore. To US remains the duty OF
healing the wounds and keeping
green the grave where valor sleeps.
A paternal government will mark and
guard the spot where sleeps the SOL
dier who wore the blue, but love-
love alone-must plant the evergreen
and the rose on the grave where rests
the soldier who wore the gray. On
both sides, in the struggle, fell the
brave and true, and tender hands can
perform no holier trust than to laurel
the spot where reposes the sacrifice.
Some things should be forgotten
others should be shrined in memory's
sacred urn and remembered forever,
The passions which animated the
struggle should, if possible, be wiped
from the pages of memory; the
courage, the valor, the heroism dis
r!ayed in the contest, should never
be forgotten. We should forget that
we were enemies and, in the heat and
jar of political contest, remember
that this country is our home. On
one occasion, during the war, the OPP
posing armies in Virginia confronted
each other on the banks of the Rap
pahannock river. As days depart
ing splendor touched the hills with
rosy light and hung its fringe upon
the trees, from the bands on the fed
eral side rose the strains of Hail
tColumbia. The echos had scarcely
died away in the forest aisles when
the notes of "The Southern Girl'
swelled on the breeze from where the
pennons cleaned above the gray
The wind had not sighed a requiem
to the strain, when on the shore
where crowded the blue, "Yankee
Doodle shook the banners folds
THE hills had not returned the trum
Ipet's blast when on the. southern
bank, forest, hill and dale defian
rang with ''Dixie." The music ceas
led; the banners dropped lstless il
the dying wind, when from the fed
eral side, stealing like messengers 10
peace, across the waters drifted th
notes of "Home, Sweet Home" Th
bands upon the shore where sabe
flashed and bayonet cleaned beneat
the southern cross, took up the strain
and blue and gray, together, playe
it to the close. That night when th
sentinels were placed and the soldie
laid his cheek from which the tear
had washed the stains Of powder ur
lon his pillow of leaves and swar6
his dreams were not Of slaughter bu
of home. Our country! together Il
US enjoy, protect and defend its fire
! institutions. and transmit all bless
] ing to those who will come on tt
stage after our part in life's drama
played. This much, precursor.
you will excuse. / have thought
pardonable, on account of the seem
which have been witnessed so nea
and over whose ruins love so ofte
folds her wings and broods in silent
and in tears.
In contrasting our own happy ci
. ilization with the less enlightened e
ochs of the past, the array OF love
ness which graces this occasion, al
that reverence which man owes
gentle woman, demands that we stal
, with uncovered heads in the presen
of that medieval age, when beau
first illumined the halls Of chivalr
and the mailed retainers Of the baro
Showed before those ineffable char
and eraces in the cultivation of whi
woman has ever found her strongt
security, and which will exalt her G
shrined, high above the jeer and gi
of popular passion, until female 81
frage shall wither the flowers in /
: crown of glory, politics sully her
ritv. and the ballot contaminate
white, tender hands. With this r
Z erence to the morning which bro
! over the gloom Of the dark ag
when the World -Phenix sprung fr
the immolation of the flames q
darkness to begin that flight VIII
will end only when her wings shad
= the pinnacles Of time, come now
y my subject:
THE PRESS AND OUR REPUBLIC.
Assembled here. to-day~is
priesthood of the noblest OF Ncallil
and professions-the servants IN Z
great church in which there is nett
q Pope nor Mufti, without -pluralisiea
y fhierarchies, bat from which has ei
mated all that makes nations enlie
ened and men humane; q priesth'
without robe of Office or altar rea
to the perpetuity of any form or ere
J Iwhose service Is in the worlds q
~ temple, and whose mission is to
vste, enlighten and benefit manki
From every portion Of the great 81
Of Missouri, representing every
ton, and with devotion to every
terest which tends to the developn
3. of this, the grandest commonve
in the sisterhood, we have come,
to pronounce upon the canonicity