Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-30

Ne w AOIl1IN " ONs lie "
for the occasion with hard board seats These con-
veyanceS were decorated with nags and pieces OF
arH from 10 cent to 3 cens seaa fos
IN West washington at the end Of the street-car
the Free bridge. scattered along the road Were
fruit vendors and dealers In many kinds OF LIQUIDS
AZ Az sne entrances 20 Atngson cemetery such ven
| up the sides Of the road for some distance.
The attendance at Arlington was large. and at
road to-day, was blockaded with carriages and
| wagons
and the gardener Of the cemetery had lent noble
assistance to the decoration committee. Flowers
were blooming, and smoothly cropped lawns
tee had placed little nag. The monuments over
| the graves OF Gen. Hazen, Gen. Lyford,
s sna Myers Aecs capt BaSs aen psS
the gariands that adorned the tomb Of the un,
ems gave an attractive coloring to the scene. The
| bright green robes of the Corean embassy, who
were early on the ground, rivaled the grass In
Many persons reached the ground early in the
morning and picnicked there, but the great crowd
visitors were senators sherman, stocKSf a s
| Palmer and Henderson, General Rosecrans and
members OF the Corean and Chinese legations.
THE EXERCISES.
| At 12 O'Clock a national salute was fired by
Light Battery c, Sd U. s. artillery, Maj. John G.
Turnbull. commanding. A procession was then
formed in front Of the Arlington Mansion, headed
by the Marine lar ,n, Band The orators Of
Grand Army ' pos1s LADIES' Of the re SRa
corps and many Of the visitors fell into the line,
oc was Of sbs oY
where Sa S sss ' made. 'ne Heads SsAnS we're
ladies marching by the tomb threw MOWERS upon
1t. Then the line moved through the cemetery
among the graves the ladies scattering flowers as
they went. After the decoration OF the graves the
members OF the G. A. K and the visitors repaired
to the uncovered amphitheater, where the SER
The Marine Band opened the exercises by play
Ing a national hymn, composed by Chas. c. Con-
with brief address, called the assembly to order.
He referred briefly to the illness OF Gen. Sheri-
S gan, saying; Even now we are anxiously put
leader, the gallant Phil Sheridan, now SO near the
portals OF that other shore, may not for many
years yet respond to the final roll-call."
A dirge was played, prayer offered by Rev. w.
A. Bartlett, and an original poem read by Mr.. w.
A. Cronutt, well-known Journalist, member OF
Post No. 2. After a selection by the choir, Hon.
Thos. w. Palmer of Michigan, was introduced as
one OF the orators Of the day.
SENATOR PALMER's GRAFTON.
Senator Palmer, speaking Of the custom OF deco
rating graves said 1t remained for the people of
this country to decree that the common soldiers
the men upon whose accumulated lives great repu-
tattons are buided, and whose deaths are essen
tal to isolated military fame, should be identified
with the recipients OF a nations gratitude, and
should have their individuality preserved even in
death. In other lands their common sepulchre
can be determined oftentimes only by the rank
grain which refuses to ripen above their ashes
Their fate Is gazetted In decimal figures and their
graves are as unrecognZed as their valOr
at was not" he said, "a war OF conquest. 1t
hOOfV / a
ambition. 1t was war for an idea. Both were in
the main honest in their convictions One was
right, the other was wrong. The Nemesis which
! follows in the track Of nations treats political
errors cOnScientiously entertained with the same
Inconsistencies as she does guilt The wheels roll
on and those throwing themselves beneath them
are crushed the same as II doomed by inevitable
law. Ideas supposed to be recOnCilable at the
formation Of the Government, which like tracks
from common depot seemed, to the casual OBJ
server TO run In the same general direction, when
projected seventy years had carried the two por-
lions or our people so far apart, in spirit, that
nothing but the arbltrament OF arms could settle
the dispute.
at may be, and history would seem to assure 1t,
that people to become nation must be welded
together In the fierce heat OF battle II a common
danger from without does not make them as one
then internecine Quarrels will develop the heat
necessary for complete fusion a fusion whereupon
all foreign and Irritating atoms has been expelled.
ut behooyes us, az good citizens to observe well
the melting causes or the contest; TO treasure up
the heroism OF those who fought for the right, and
as far as In US lies never permit to be oblterated
forces which inspired the respective sides. 1t be-
hOOves US TO acknowledge at all lifting times our
obligations to those VINO suffered and fought for
glOries which they participated ill., and the results
which they achieved, studies on which the future
may be planned
1--WE can well permit those who fought on the
other side the exercise OF their pride in the virtues
and heroiSm OF those who fell in defense OF the
lost cause, knowing that history will be kind in
obscurng the aniInus OF their efforts or, falling in
that, Will descant upon the fallibillty OF human
Judgment which could permit kindred people TO
the fatal tendency OF divergent political ideas
among people who, to be nation, should be
homogeneous In thought as well as In blood. The
logical processes stimulated and the conclusions
enforced by the law, now conceded by many with
a mental reservation, Will in another generation
become acknowledged principles among our peo-
pie North and South"
"Ihere have been other wars, the speaker said,
wars In which men have acquitted themselves
well, and yet he could recall none, possibly
the war for the recovery Of the Holy Sepulcher,
where man has reached so high altitude OF SELF
sacrifice as In the war OF the great rebellion. The
saying attributed TO the Spartan mother, "Return,
my son, with your shield or upon it," then found
| more than parallel In the thousands OF homes In
the North whence sons were sent FORTH not with a
| feeling OF pride In achievement but with adJura-
lions TO die, II need be. for the right.
"Men have died for liberty In many climes and
landslide Swiss In his mountain Businesses, the
Frenchman at his barricade, the negro on his
island but they have been spurred to II by rights
| threatened, hopeless conditions, or wrongs en-
/
men have Cied for glory, for conquest, or for a
name; but where IN the whole range OF history or
OF fiction can we find million OF men ready TO die
and millions OF women willing that the light should
be taken from their lives-all for an idea?
"The debt )" he said 1--WE cannot pay to them
We can never pay 1t TO anyone, but we can acQuit
ourselves OF the obligation In part by seeing that
none OF the dead soldiers family shall ever know
want that his widow, whether he died in the line
OF duty or not, shall have more than a p1ttance
doled out to her; that she shall not be confined
rules OF proof at times impossible for hef to COM
ply with; that dependent parents shall not be
shut OH because twenty-1our years ago they were
not dependent. We can see that the disabled
soldier Is taken care OF whether disabled In the
line OF duty or otherwise. We can see that the
IL, 600 surviving comrades in the aims houses Of
the country are relieved. All these are the wards
or the nation. Let every American strive TO clear
this stain from our escutcheon. II the republic
demands love and loyalty she must care for those
VINO have sacrificed Tor her,"
When Senator Palmer closed, the band played
and then Hon. Chas. +. Henderson, OF N ebraSka
was introduced.
SENATOR NANDERsoN's GRAFTON.
Senator MandersOnS address was replete with
brilliant word pictures. "How vividly,n he said
"this 'boyhood Of the year brings to US that
other spring time, seven and twenty years ago.
when upon the vernal air Of the gentle April
morning., into every quiet hamlet, all through the
country side and over the buStling but peaceful
cities there came the call 10 arms the signal
sound OF civil strife. Ali that firing upon the
nag Of the Republic, floating 80 proudly over the
little band OF patriots in Fort Sumter. 1t stung
like mighty whip, cracked nercely in the faces
Of the patriotic men of the North. A dazed
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