The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-28
MEMORIAL ADDRESS.
Delivered Ia ths Christian Church, MsY
2lth, By ihe Rev. W. A. SimkiHs.
PUBLISHED BY REQUEsT OF sALINA
POST q. A. r.

u Reaches 80 lar Is iEUm Nle IfANe.
From this far-reaching pulpit not
only from the graves Of the dead In
general. but from the distinguished
height Of the pulpit erected among
the graves Of our hero dead, II Is my
privilege tO-day-thrOugh the kind
Invitation Of the Salina Post Of the
Grand Army Of the Republic to
speak to you, members Of the Post,
and fellow citizens, In memory OF
those soldiers who sleep IN the graves
which surround this exalted and nal
lowed pulpit, from which vantage
ground my voice is now sent forth 80
your hearing.
Filled with q grateful sense Of the
exalted privilege and the responsible
titles Of the hour, what phase OF the
grand theme - Thoughts and Life
Lessons, suggested by the memory OF
our soldier dead, shall we chOOse, and
with what words shall we elOthe our
thoughts, BETTING the high occasion
words that shall be as "apples OF
gold In pictures Of silver" 20 hang
/ By the side Of the other treasured pic
lures along the walls Of . permanent
and hallOWed memory
It IL natural and In every way aD-
/ prOpriate, on such occasions - this, 70
review the scenes nf that great strug-
/ gle for a.NatiOnis life, and recall, in
/ glowing terms the brave deeds Of he
rOism, the lofty cOuFags, the grandeur
and moral dignity OF character dis
played In standing at the post Of duty
/ ut the risk and actual loss Of dear life
itself, which have immOrtaliEed the
names Of our hero dead or, II not
their names-fOr some sleep i'm name
less graves RGMeless / say, bat not
unknown. Their graves are known
and cherished and held all the more
precious in memory because of the
unknown names Of the sleepers, and
/ annually the choicest flowers are laid
on such grHves-immOrtallzed, then,
not their deeds In the grateful memory
only Of Us the present living genera
i ton, but also Of all succeeding genera
tiOns aslong as the Republic itself shall
endure, who shall enjoy the benefits
Of our reunited National life and free
/ institutions, to save and perpetuate
which they sacrificed their lives, pour
ing out their precious life blood freely
like water, upon the altar Of their
country ia the time Of their eOuntry's
peril.
Besides il Is a fascinating subject,
For no quality Of mind Is held In
higher esteem amongst men than
moral courage, or that fearlessness OF
spirit that enables a man TO stand
firmly at the post Of duty, whatever
perils or OpPOsitiOns may environ
him. IL is this quality which makes
the true hero whether on the larger or
smaller battle fields OF life. It is 9
theme sufficient Of itself 20 fire the
tongue Of the prOsiest speaker to
bursts Of elOquence, and the pen Of the
dullest poet TO surprising flights OF
Imagination.
But confess that always In the
past when listening 10 the subject
treated from this standpoint, though
in every way fitting and most elO-
guent-and the proper feelings of
/ grateful memory were stirred and
| refreshed, far be IL from me 10 criti-
/ else such eloquent reviews Of the he
ruic deeds Of your dead comrades In
arms,-still must confess that those
/ glowing reviews Of elOquence have
/ always been followed to my mind by
an unbidden shadow. / know not
how it IL TO you but To me the thought
/ lOW creep In that all those deeds Of
heFOism and the Immortality Of fame
they have brought, are held up as a
compensation to them for the great
loss they have sustained in dying upon
the battlefield, dying for their country,
thus uncOnciOusly admitting that
they have fallen on a great disaster in
dying-an unmeHsured loss TO them
selves, especially the young soldier
boys dying in the bright morn OF
opening manhood, so full Of hope,
promise and AnticipatiOns Of unreal
lied happiness i'm this life, which are
blasted by their early death. And so
the feeling Of pity arises In our minds
for them, aud at last we content our
selves and say they must be content
with this thought Of compensation,
and then we begin 10 philOsOphize
that it Is an inevitable law that there
can be nothing great In human
achievement, nothing worth enjoying
unless IL costs something. The law
OF cost and compensation runs
through all human affairs. Their
compensation, therefore, is In this
Immortality Of fame and grateful
memory. The service thus ends with
1.-THE still, sad music OF humanity"
echOing In all the chambers Of the
soul.
IfpOssible, however, we would like
10 have our picture to-day followed by
no such shadow, no such sad after
thought Even though the picture
itself be not so bright and glowing, let
not its brightness be dimmed by any
closing shadow - even 70 our silent
thought.
We have, therefore, selected for
your consideration to-day, one Of the
lOwlier phases of the subject, viz
The Fdcf itself, and what Il teaches,
Of scattering year by year flowers OF
memory on the quiet resting places Of
cur dear soldier boys who sleep the
dreamless sleep that knows no wax
ing here, undisturbed by any earthly
care, ambition or strife. True, this
will not afford equal opportunity for
flights of elOquence, or tumultuOus
but sometimes may it not
be best to have our quiet feelings Of
memory stirred rs We 20 to lay our !
tribute Of memory upon those quiet |
graves?
And frsi, the fact itself, or rather |
the continuance Of Il from year TO year |
until it has become q custom is worthy /
Of notice in that IL is an exceptional |
thing among American custOms-nn 4
sncepfiORGi thing d1Saong ARIsricaH
customs.
We almost instinctively feel that
there could be no more 6enHtifttl proof
Df their abiding affection for the dead
soldiers who fought for liberty, than
hat the matter-Of-fact, unrOmantic,
busy American people have spontA-
leOusly set apart q day for flowers
Ind the graves Of their dead.
This would be the natural express
on for the German or the French
nan Flowers have bloOmed and died
or heroes since the earliest civiliza-
IONS. But the driving, dyspeptie,
material American, in his eagerness,
or gain and place, his absorption
n bonds and dividends, has meta
At least, allowed 1.-THE dead
o bury their dead" He has shed
human tear for his loved ones gone,
or q brief day, and then dried his
ears and hurried on into the whiFl Of
business and affairs. The living, act
ng present has absorbed all his atten-
ion and powers. He has, therefore
In sentiment for the grave. and less
Or the poetry Of flowers.
] confess the American heart has
greeably disappointed me, ~ pre-
nme it has many Of You, in the oOn-
inuance OF this custom OF tender, !
Oetic affection. Judging from the