The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-06-04
The Procession-Judge Fletcher's Ad
dress and Other Exercises.
From saturnax,s nailvt

to those who to-day are
living in that land where the fierce
field of bloody battle is unknown.
Several of the business houses were
very prominently decorated. G. w.
Newman s. Co. had a large flag flying
over their establishment early in the
morning. The front of Mr.. Tatham's
store was very attractively decorated
with the emblematic colors of the ma
ton, and long strips of bunting hanging
from window to window and reaching
from the upper story almost to the
ground, gave the new Baird block a
very loyal appearance.
AS announced the procession formed
at the corner OF Sixth avenue and Gem
mercial street In the following order:
Z. P. Band
Emporia Rifles.
G. A. X. Post of EmporIa, No. 55.
Select Knights.
Odd Fellows.
City officers.
Carriages, wagons, etc.
The Z. P. band dressed in their best
uniform, played Rock HILL" by Pettee,
| and Thirteen, Webster's Funeral
March," The procession was a very large
one and moved very orderly up Sixth
avenue to Merchants street, then up to
Tenth avenue to State street, thence
north to Twelfth avenue and to the Gem
eterY. There was considerable crowd
| ing among vehicles for position and
more than 100 formed the procession.
On arriving at the cemetery the graves
of soldiers were decorated with flowers,
the band played another selection and
an effective prayer was offered by Rev.
Ingalls,.
Mr.. Chas. Fletcher then addressed the
people In a very forcible but pleasant
manner. He said:
He at whose shrine all nations
shall yet bow, no sI1gus to es-
tablIsh the eternal principles of love,
truth and justice gave to the world the
sublImest of principles when he
said: "Greater love has no man than
this that man lay down his life for his
friend" Abiding to the great struggles
| of revolution and rebellion . he
/ spoke of the brave soldiers
who died for their country as the great
est sacrifice that could have been made.
He spoke OF the soldiers grave as holy
| place
1 That tells in a silent tone to all
1 OF a country's need and a country's call;
OF a kiss and tear for child and wife.
That tells of battle Held OF gore,
OF the saber's clash OF the lannon's roar,
" the deadly charge, Of the bugle's note.
OF gurglinR sound IN Greeman'S throat,
Ofthe whizzing grape. of the fiery shell,
OF sight which mimics the scenes OF hell.
The speaker then compared the, wars
of ancient times with the American
struggle for independence and the war
of the rebellion. Ancient wars, be said,
were either for vengeance, re-
! venge, plunder, the accumula-
| ton of wealth, the acquisition
of territory, wanton destruction or the
mere qualification of military ambition
| or kIngly pride. How different from
this the cause OF the American wars
| which were undertaken 10 establish
| principles that should never die. Mr..
Fletcher spoke of the eight years OF
national growth from the date of our
| civil war. The speaker d ~elt at some
length on this last bloody struggle IN
| which SO many brave men sacrificed
their lives for the preservation of the
Union. During the critical time of the
rebellion with what overwhelming
force were the utterances of Henry,
Adams, Washington, Jefferson, jackson
and of Webster repeated. How the peo-
pie again reiterated their words. Lib
erty or DEATH" defend the Union"
"One country and one flag" by the
Eternal, the nation must and shall be
preserved, )" Liberty and Union, now
an6 forever, one and insepsrable." These
were some of the expressions from the
valiant patriots that again served
the noble purpose for which
they were first spoken and made a mil
lion men ready to defend the flag of this
country and preserve the union OF the
states. When the question, Snail the
sovereignty of the people give way to
that of the states? was asked,
million freemen answered,
call sprane to arms. The result of the
war Is known to all. The cost of pre-
serving the Union was almost beyond
comprehension. Almost a million of the
good and brave sons of these states gave
up their lives and are now resting be-
meath the sod owned by one government
and equally priced by nearly so, OO0, 900 of
people. Peace was secured, the govern
ment was preserved and still lives and as
the pledges of peace, hope and promise
lowered like the dove at the window of
the ark awaiting to be received into its
rlghtful refuge, so to-day do we hear
Gods voice and see in HIS hand the
OLIVE branch at the door of this great ma
ton commanding Us BE ye brethren"
And in the presence of our dead we here
this day obey that voice and extend to
our southern brethren that olive branch
and welcome them back into
the rlghtful refuge of all.
To-day this glorious old Union with
earnest forgiveness extends the right
hand of fellowship and join in the wish
that peace and good will toward all men
shall exist forever.
Mr.. Fletcher concluded with the fol-
lowing words:
Comrades, there is q gIadness e.
| well as 9 sadness in the discharge
| Of the duties of this almost holy
1 day. A gladness IN rejecting on the no.
bility, the grandeur of the principles tor
/ which our comrades fought, suffered
and died and the glorious results by their
| victory obtained. BY the striking
off Of the shackles of more
/ than q million slaves sectional heresy
1 was destroyed forever and liberty en-
Ihroned in the hearts Of the people. The
establishment of the Wisest and best gov.
eminent on the face of the earth was
preserved, to whose gates the oppressed
Of all nations may come and find q
/ home.
A sadness when We think that these
comrades gone on before as suffered so
much, and sacrificed 80 much that the
nation might live to shed abroad the
blessings of peace, liberty, freedom, jus
tIce and morality; to continue the
brightest pattern of all governments, un-
der whose free institutions may live q
happy and prosperous people where
dWells no castled lord or cablned slave
and where all men stand equal before
the law.
| A pleasure as well Is pain in these
simple offerings we make 10 day to tes-
] tify our love, esteem and affection for
them and 70 here resolve anew to tender.
ly cherish and halloW their memories.
and that these acts of tribute may be an
incentive to keep alive the fires of patri-
1 Ofi1m IN our heaFfa "a IL