The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-06-04

the question in his mind, whether to de-
eide in favor of the state or the govern
ment, and finally made his allegiance to
the state and turned against the Union.
State sovereignty turned the South
against the Union. Those men who have
died for their country, have cemented the
Union with their blood.
The second question to be settled by
the war, was that of the hydra headed
monster slavery. Go over tie old issue
to-day. Our fathers gave us the inheri-
tance of slavery. Slavery was to have
possession of the whole country; slavery
was the great question of the war, every
where or nowhere. This question has
been settled for all time. AS the result
of the death of your comrades, we have
no slavery anywhere. No walls of mother
and child as in the days of slavery.
How we enjoy liberty to-day, as the re-
suit of the loss of the lives of our soldiers.
We have true government, tho same
flag and one nation, reaping the results
your comrades secured to us. The peo-
pie of the south are receiving great bene-
fit from the abolition of slavery, greater
prosperity to them by the sacrifice of our
soldiers, and they can rejoice at the result
of this war We should decorate the
graves of the dead. Seventy two soldiers
sleep in yonder cemetery; martyrs to the
cause of freedom and the republic Teach
the children to honor those who gave their
lives for liberty.
The Rev. f. X. Smith, of s. Andrews
P. i. Church, of this city, then gave an
eloquent, pointed and impressive address,
which though brief, was of particular inn
portance in its bearing upon the subject
of the day.
The Reverend speaker remarked, that
we are American citizens here to-day,
surrounded by American citizens, of one
heart and one mind. He had read in the
papers of Decoration Day, named also
Memorial Day. 1t was called Decoration
Day on account of the ceremony of using
flowers to decorate the graves of the dead.
The time will come, when these cere-
monies will cease to DO called for. The
monuments of the martyred dead are not
the marble shafts on yonder hill; they
will crumble and sink out of sight.
Since the earth opened to receive those
who died for their country, within twenty
years, thousands Of people have gone to
Dakota and Nebraska, and already num-
bers of men are in country where there
are no soldiers graves Are our sons aud
brothers in the great northwest to have
no share in the decoration? Decorating
may cease but not in our hearts.
In the future, Memorial Day will be in
common; not merely that Of battles, but
the outcome of war, of the sacrifice OF
pleasure and of life. There will never
again be such a divided question to make
a civil war. We warred not from anger,
but from sense of duty, In order to pre-
serve the Union; not to make breach,
but to heal one. That is the result.
Soldiers of the late war now exchange
friendly greetings welcome to each
other. The public calls are mutual, the
north and south, east and west, are now
united one and inseperable.
The benediction was then pronounced
by the Rev. G. Reed, of the New Hope NJ
E. Church, after which the audience dis
persed.
City Council Items.
Tho regular meeting of Council for the