The Washington critic., 1885-05-30
DECORATION DAY SERVICES.
Concluded from ilrst page.

their gallant dead. A people who would
fail to cmbalm I'm their heart of hearts
those who fall fighting in their cause are
unworthy TO be called u free people. May
the observance of this day purify our
hearts, make us better citizens and better
men, aud may it strengthen and re-knit
the living ties which bind us together rs
one pcoplc--onc in peace and in war, In
sunshine and I'm storm. now and forever,
one and inseparable.
"Ncarly one fourth of century has
passed since the last hostile gun was fired
Every passing year makes more plain the
decree orthe God of Battles that the lost
cause was Justly lost; even those that
fought us-and that they fought us gal
lnntly all history must ever record-evcn
they glory now In the strength and great
ness of our nationality nationality
which they proudly share, which we
know they would willingly defend.
"Ihe triumphs of peace have been
more wondrOus than those of war. All
the old scars are healed. We have Il new
nation--a union Of States that stands as
some prolnontory, reaching into the sea,
against which the waves of passion and
prejudice may beat i'm vain. Surely the
time has now arrived when the South
Carolinian and the New Engandcr can
unite in the belief that greater than South
Carolina and grander than New England,
arc the stars and Stripes floating over the
United States
The speaker did not think with Charles
Sumner that all the results of the war
could have been attained by debate and
peaceful discussion.
"lf history proves any one thing more
plainly than another" he continued, "it
is that no great right OF man has ever
been achieved by persuasion or argument
but by force. No such body ofmen ever as
scmbed upon the face of the earth rs the
N pf
our volunteer army. The courage, the
endurance, the genuine hcroism of our
private soldier, had in them something
bordering upon the miraculous TLcy
were willing TO leave the plow in the
furrow and go to battle, and when the
need was over go backto the plow again.
Peace did not spoil them for war and war
did not spoil them for peace.
Political parties may rise and fall, but
fifty millions of such people will go right
along as q nation. All perils will he
safely passed, and all troubles overcome.
In the final roll-call of nations may
America come forth robed in truth, san
dalled with peace, girdlcd by the stars of
Union, and crowned by the diadem of
Freedom. May succeeding commemora-
tions of this day find those who shall
come after us united, free, and happy
people; a confederation of republics, adj
yancing in numbers, in knowledge and in
all Christian virtues, in land sgnally
blcst of Heaven q land where no head
wears crown, and no arm wields
sceptrc.'
At the Soldiers Home.
At the Soldiers Home Cemetery Mr.. j.
ii. Jochum superintendcd the exercises
and the veterans of the Home, under Gen
eral Hunt, its new superintendent, assem-
bled and proceeded to assist the commit
tee and others in the decorations of the
Npg in n SOLEMN and iu1nrpseiVn man
ner. The decorating committee was COM
posed of Generals II. G. Gibson, II. j.
Hunt, Colonel X. n Batchelder, Sergeants
j. j. Durkin and Dennis Kerr, William
Hart, Mrs. j. IL. Jochum, Misses Eva
Mexican, Gertie, G., Jochum, Eliza Nc
Kean, Mrs. l.. NJ. Richardson, Mrs. S. r.
Edison, c. A. Burghardt, Miss Annie Platt,
Mrs. NJ. NJ. Husband, Sergeants James
! o. Brien, a. p Drost Ed Alexander, G. +.
| Gillis, Comrades W. o. Drew, p. II Weber,
| A. III. G.. Richardson and Matthias Glynn.
| The crowd assembled to witness the eX-
ercises was much larger than could have
| been expected under such unfavorable cir
| cumstanCcS. The ceremonies were as fol-
| lows
| National salute calling the assembly to
| order, Comrade Jochum; invocation, Rev. W.
| A. Leonard; vocal music, Orpheus Glee Club;
| reading of original poem Comrade j. A. Joyce;
| vocal music, Orpheus Glee Club: Grafton. Ed.
| ward Sayre Gerhardt of Danvlle Pa; vocal
| music, Orpheus Glee Club benediction, Rev.
| W. A, Leonardo decoration of graves with
| flowers by the inmates of the Home, assisted
| by the committee and visitors.
The order of exercises was impressivcly
| carried out the music was effective, the
| invocation and benediction by the Rev.
| DR.. Leonard were suitable to the occasion,
| fervid and earnest and the work of deco
| rating was carried ON in the most impress
| sive manner by the old soldiers and Others.
| Colonel IINrn's
| eral run of his productions in merit. 1t
| opened with the following verses;
We celebrate and dedicate
This day of blooming flowers
| To those who fell for yonder hag,
That starry flag of ours
Defying human powers.
Where'er we roam this Soldiers Home
| Can never be forgot
While airs shall blow from Mexico
To cheer our happy lot
And sing OF General scott.
| From sun to SUM- willie ages run,
| Wen sound in song and story
| The record of these mob le men,
| Adown the aises of glory,
| Who fought on fields so CORY.
Through eighteen subsequent verses the
| Colonel reviews the darkness OF the past
and the brightness of the present and
| future, and weaves his rythnical tribute
to the soldiers of the late war.
MR.. GERHARDTs GRAFTON.
Mr.. Edward Sayre Gerhardt of Danville
Pa, who delivered the Grafton, was the ora
tor at Gettysburg last year. He is gentle
man of medium height and very pleasing
| personality. His Grafton conformed to
his personal characteristics. He said, after
paying tribute to the dead, that they will
| live as long as there is daylight in the
world. He said that we owe to the Union
soldiers the debt of eternal gratitude. The
great work of reuniting the nation was
sketched by the orator in language
graphic and truthful. "Unity is oul
normal condition. For this our ancestor,
struggled as they struggled for their indie
pendence; for this they contended in legis
lative halls as they contended on the field
of battle; for this the Union soldier fought
in a later contest of war; for this, we too
must battle in a conquest of peace
afforded him subject for most in
teresting talk. He also spoke most
eruditely of our future as a nation. Hi,
remarks on that subject were character.
lied by good sense and thorough knowl-
| edge ofwhat was going on. Another sub
| iect of his discourse treated of "The Ac
| emulation of Reserved National Power.
This subject was sketched at length and
very forcibly, as was also the leaning
tendency in the opposite direction.
Anothersubject constituting an excellent
essay was the fact that the present genera
ton will never reap the fruits of its labors
'Such tickle arguments as these carry
their own fallacies with them; for to obey
such injunctions as these is to at once put
an end to all human achievements and tC
- 4 T. 4 Il