Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-05-31


true of those who worshipped the
the GRANTEES, the Ganges, the
Pagan deities of Greece and Rome, aud
the varied inventions of all rude theol-
ogies down to che anuunciatiop of the
Christian Saviour.
The universal credence in au unre-
vesied future sought fitting expression,
in the very earliest times, in n tender re-
gard of the living for the dead. Before
the full development of language COM
munication consisted largely of symbolic
expression, and by this mode of
speaking some of the most beautiful
truths OF nature have always been illus
trated. 1t was no less natural than
poetic to call in the vegetable and floral
worlds to represent the verdict OF the
ages, against the hopeless doctrine of
final extinction.
The growth OF flowers in spring indi-
dicates the revival Of the fruitful earth,
after period of quiescence,
which bears perilous semblance of
death. The idea conveying intimntion
OF life, after apparent death, was the off.
spring of the earliest thought; and Its
susceptibility of enlargement has been
made to express more or less arbitrarily,
the IDEAS of power, dominion, love, sor-
row, Joy, friendship, hate, and almost
every humane emotion, through the
symbolism of the vegetable world.
Flowers in sculpture form part of the
head-dresses of Egyptian sphlnxes
while the worship Of the sacred bull was
largely on ovation OF these beautiful en-
blems of devotion.
Men and women of America! we have
| come with beautiful flowers and ever
green's, culied by the eager hands of our
brothers, and woven into speaking forms
| by the fair fingers of our sisters, to rem
der the homage due to patriots, who
died for their country, and for all man
kind. Let that not be considered an
! extravagant expression. The now silent
| soldiers, whose life work is finished,
championed principle toward which
| the warriors ana armies of the world
have been constantly drifting from the
earliest recorded struggles upon the
plain of Shinar.
/ This principle the rights of man and
| the liberty of the individual-whichw was
planted with the first blood ever shed in
behalf of government, has, like the
flower, bloomed upon the morning air of
all the ages. 1t has been the task of
royalty to cut it down as q weed encum-
berlng the grain. Waited by the wind
of destiny, its seed found Judgement
upon the fertile soil of America, where
it has grown and filled the world with
its sweetness. Our brothers, whose
| fN -.
lives to prepetuate its growth and pro.
hended that dissolution of the Ameri-
flower of liberty and whitening of the
cherished hope of the race. Did these
revered warriors hesitate in duty through
considerations of self? No They sprang
to the defense, and from out the nettle
danger they plucked the flower safety
for their country and posterity.
The world will not soon forget the
couplet of Simonides in commemoration
of the men that fell at Thermopyl@:
stranger, the tidings to the Spartans tell,
That here obeying their commands, we fell.
1t was most unjust to the American
soldiers, fellow-o citizens, whose memor.
we honor, to compare them with tht
band of rude men who, twenty-four
hundred years ago, accepted death, no
In behalf of a great principle destined tt
follow mankind to the end, but in simpl,
obedience to the Spartan law, command
ing the sol iiers to be victorious or tc
die upon the field.
Lsonidas, with his three hundred mel
saw that death for them was an unal
terable conclusion. They must die il
the contest, or in flying from their posi-
ton accept the death penalty from the
hands of the violated law. They-select
ed death by the Persian spear; but il
dying they sent back the reproach tina
they had been sacrificed by command o
their country.
Was any American soldier inundated
upon blind law OF his country? No
one Every soldier in the union ranks
whether of the regular army or not, was
: in the fullest sense, q member OF th
great, the imperishable, the immorta
: army OF American volunteers. Ihos
. gallant spirits now lie in untimel
sepulcher. No more will they respont
to the fierce blast OF the bugle or th
l call to arms. But let us belleve tina
they are not dead, but sleeping! Loo
at the patient caterpillar as he crawls o
the ground, liable to be crushed by ever
q careless foot that passes. He heeds II
y menace, and turns from no danger. Re
9 gardiess OF circumstances, he treads h
Q daily round, avoided by the little chill
sporting upon the sward. He has worl
earnest work to perform, from which
will not be turned, even at the forfeit
8 his life. Reaching his appointed plac,
,. he ceases even to eat, and begins to spi
Q those delicate tibers which. woven int
. fabrics Of beauty and utility, contribnt
G to the comfort and adornment OF So
0 perior race. His work done, he Ii,
q down to sleep from which he new.
9 wakes IN the old form. But that silen
o motioniess body Is not dead; an astol
l. lshing metamorphosis is taking place
l. The gross digestive apparatus dwindle
y away; the three pair OF legs, whit
IL served the creature to crawl upon I'll
3 ground, are exchanged for six pai
e suited for different purpose; the ski
p is cast; the form is changed; pair {
u wings, painted like the morning flower
s. spring out, and presently the ugly wor
J. that trailed Its slow length through ii
Q dust is transformed into the beautif
'r butterfly, bs.sking in the bright sunshin
n the envy of the child and the admiratie
IS of the man! is there no appeal in th
l. wonderful and enchanting fact to man
.. highest reason? Does 1t contain no SUI
" gestlon that man, representing the hig
y est pinnacle OF created life upon I'll
l. globe, must undergo final metamo
q phosis, as supremely more marvelo
> and moro spiritual, as man is greater