Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-31
EIoouence That Moyes Hearts.


 Memorial day, the meeting at Peck's Grand | Opera House last evening. The audience | completely filled the house. The members | of the Grand Army who desired seats on the !, platform were provided with them. Gov ernor Waller and staff, Mayor Lewis, Rev. Dr. Newman Smyth, Rev. Dr. J. O. Peck, Colonel E. M. Graves and others were upon the platform.
 While the audience was assembling the Second regiment band played some very fine selections.
 Colonel E. M. Graves, chairman of the meeting, opened the exercises by saying: 'Ladies and gentlemen and comrades of the Grand Army-The remnant of veteran sol- diers have to-day performed their usual work. The annual anniversary has been eel ebrated, and their labor of love is performed It is not my purpose to occupy your time. The sentiment of the day will be well ex- pressed by the speaker. The sentiment of the day has been well acted by the soldiers And now we have gathered. tonight to fur ther commemorate the occasion"
 A large chorus of boys under the leader ship of Prof. Jepson was then introduced.
 ORSA4 ''Tenting To-Night on the Old Camp Ground" with MT. P. Bush as soloist.
 Dr. Newman Smyth asked Gods blessing upon the exercises of the day and upon those who had survived the war, whether of the North or the South.
 The ''B" quartette, assisted by the boys chorus, sang ''Cover Them Over with Beauti- ful Flowers" In response to an encore ''When This Cruel War is Over" was ren- dered.
 Rev. Dr. J. o. Peck. of Trinity M E church, was introduced. He said: s'History is singularly full and rich in memorial obser- vances, memorial days. The idea is grounded in the eternal fitness of things. In the presence of great events man instinctively is impelled to embody his grateful and pro found emotions in some lasting memorial. One reason is seen in the fact that sensible observances deepen the historic fact. They awaken impressions that might fade away, but that should be permanent. The annual Passover festival, our day of independence, Decoration day are examples.
 t'The origin Of Decoration day is not gen. erally understood. In 1864 the graves of our fallen heroes were scattered over the South and there was no man to do them honor. In the spring of that year, when the women of the South went forth to scatter flowers over the graves of their dead the freedmen gathered and stole by the light of 1 the stars to the last resting places of the men who had died fighting for them and with tenderness that has never been excelled
 strewed flowers upon their graves With no l more touching and sacred feeling has the day ever been celebrated. Those have cause l to honor sacredly the graves of their fallen friends. They inaugurated that day. To-
 day the grand swell of patriotism has lifted the nation. We have been to the graves and honored our fallen soldiers. But
 we must not forget the living. They are worthy the highest respect of the country Those soldiers who shed their blood upon the battlefield, who left an arm here and l limb there-what tribute can be too high for them? The same devotion, the same patriot | ism inspired them that inspired them who fsll. What does it mean to be a crippled | soldier, to have to depend on kind hands for | the performance of the simplest duties of | life, who cannot rise to the high stations or | the measures of prosperity which they might | if they were uninjured? Inever see any of those l citizens who staid at home trying with two greedy hands and two strong limbs to get | from soldier postoffice, or a collectors s | office, or any other office without feeling like
 saying shame on you. (Applause) Fall
 back, stay-at-homes, until the old soldiers have passed away. Cloud and prolonged
 cheering.) Who saved the country? The
 home guard didn't. The men who fought
 for it did, and it belongs to them.
 "The services of Memorial day are more
 inspiring each year. Never was there such a
 display in Brooklyn this year. The l old commanders Grant and Sheridan were
 there. The day has taken hold of the hearts of the people. It rouses our ten- derest feelings. It msrshals again the en- battled hosts in serried ranks Our noblest | bravest comrades are seen againin the tumuIt l of the battle. The cemetery is the bat | tie ground; the camp fire is in our hearts ! r1aI I with honor we march to the mauseleums | that are renowned by the immortal deeds en- | shrined within. It is no empty pageant, but | 8 pageantry burdened with horror, pilgrim age gorified by the lives and deaths it cele.
 brates Its thrilling significance lifts US out
 realize that in these graves and
 in the ranks of men who are strewing flowers l upon them are the ones who saved us from
 the enemy Tears and flowers are all you
 can give the dead; but sympathy, kindness l undisguised preference, unqualified helpful
 ness should be given the sorrowers, the wid- | ows and orphans. Much does it behoove us | to regard the hon0rs we pay the living heroes. We must do honor to them or be
 branded as ingrates. We must honor not | demagogues, but men who taught us the mo- 1 bility of duty and the heroism of a soldiers death. We cannot add honor to the memory
 of the men whose very bravery garlanded 1 them with fadeless flowers. We'll may the comrades of the noble deeds lead l the pilgrimage to the graves; well may our pubic schools suspend their duties;
 well may municipalities appropriate money | for the day; well may the Governors of our
 States grace these occasions with their pres- | ence, for in doing so they do honor to them | selves. The day has peculiar significance
 to the comrade whose comrades fell in the
 war. These men see again in vivid memo
 ries and dreams. The present borrows its | khn
 rightly appreciate the day. With what en-
 thusiastic passion they hear the great names
 of the commanders who fell. Citizens may l admire these great heroes, but comrades loved them"
 As the speaker named some of the great generals there was loud applause. He re- lated an incident in General Grants career
 which was deeply appreciated, and was
 warmly applauded. But greatness he said, | was not only among the comrades but all | through the ranks and gave character to the l army. His reference to Lincoln was ex- 1 tremeIy eloquent and loudly applauded. Governor WallRr made few remarks l He said: tI have been thinking that peace has it's battlefelds as we'll as war. It would require less courage to stand before whole 1 infantry than it does to follow such gat- ling gem of wit such an armada of elo- quencej and power as I have to follow to- night I cannot talk to you. will not venture to say but word. I have taken solemn sort of enjoyment in your impressive cere- monies. It was my privilege to visit one of your great charitable institutions and to see the orphans in the care of Sisters of Charity I have listened to the eloquence that your orator has poured out to you.
 sFTwenty-three years ago stood upon your Green when one of the first volunteer regi ments was formed. That is 8 long time ago when measured by the changes that have taken place in the country since then. It is we'll to keep those long past days in our memories for 8 country that would have heroes in the future must honor the heroes of the past Celebrations like this of to-day inspire the youth of the country with devotion that filled the hearts of the fathers.
 "I have never been 8 member of any Grand Army organization. but have a pro- found respect for these organizations. Their object is to promote peace and fraternity both in the North and the South. The sug- gestiop that Decoration day should be called Reconciliation day is good one.
 s'No government has better record for 1 caring for it's soldiers than ours, and it is a l fact that we can be proud of and agree upon in these times whom we are divided by polit- l icsl agitation and feeling. And now in clos 1