The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-06-07
MEMORIAL DAY,
Tho Soldiers OF the Late War Re-
member Their Comrades Who
Have Cone Before:

nave 00Oo 0orOE0s
Once again tho annual recurrence III
Memorial day has called up to the minds
OF the people tho memory OF the brave
men who gave their lives to preerve the
nation.
The whole country, in the large cities in
the towns, in the villages and even in the
country church yard, honor was done to
the brave soldiers over whose memory
flowers were strewn. At St. Paul tho de.
monstration was like that In other
cities. and an extract from the grafton of
Col. G. y. Kerr will serve as sample of
this thousands that were delivered else.
where. Col. Ketf said:
II indeed there be any thing iii rast 1850.
Citations lit to affect the mind OF man, We
need not strive to subdue the emotions
which press upon US here, for these men,
whom you have met here to honor. pur-
it with Their blood, illustrating again and
attes,ing the truth az old as the world, that
only thus by sacrifice and fiery trial and sor-
row, can either nations or individuals be
purified and made fit to be prosperous and
happy. Every noble crown is. on earth, and
will forever be a crown of thorne. The man
who hss lived In this country for the last
thirty, Yeats has attained an experience
and reached a. fill statttre of manhood
compared with which the nine hundred
years Of Methuscla's tame pastoral life we're
but as the fleeing existence of a child. For
We live in thoughts, not years: in heart
beats, not in figures on a dial.
GAINED AN EMPTY PRIZE.
I can remember as though it were but YES
tertay where was twenty six yeas ago to-
day. think it was just about this time of
the day on May 80. 1862, that 1 marched
with my regiment over the abandoned works
and into the deserted streets of Corinth.
That was: indeed, gloomy period in the
East had proved total failure. Beaure-
gard, through the imbecility of Hallock, had
escaped from Corinth unmOlested with his
entire army. and with all his material and
munitions OF war. Gloom HAD settled like
pull upon the hearts of the people. and al
Isady the cry was reaching the army that
ure Oh! Ysak OF faithl Trembling in
doubt and despair Wheh itido,aitable will
and fearless courage alone cctf:d SAFE the
nation. Where would you doubtefs haze
been to-day; on what a tempestuous sea Of
anarchy would you and all of us be. drifting
and the dead of the Grand Army, had shared
in your doubts and partakcn Of your fears?
Nothing that can say or that this nation
can do will ever express a 1.-THE of the graf
itude that should animate every patriotic
heart for the men who fought and died TO
retrieve the fortunes that seemed then and
for year thereafter 50 near the lowest ebb
of their receding tide.
THE REBELLION IoNa-cHER1sHED SC HEME
For years the rebel leaders had nursed the
project OF seratate nation, With slavery as
its corner stone. They may have brought
themselves to believe that their Cause Was
just. But my friends, it makes all the Diff
ference whether we pursue Certain
course because we believe it to be right,
or judge IL right because we pursue it,
A pretcxt was the last thing such men were
Lincoln served their purpose. And now at
lasd tho rebel leader stood upon his sunny
Pisgah, looking back over savage deserts OF
doubt and disappointment and delay and
forward to Canaan of promised Joy, which
ne had only the Jordan of secession TO cross
in order to possess. None but the hand that
rules above could save the nation then. The
government and all its resources we've under
the control OF Southern sympathizera Wash
ington was full Of rebels openly proclaiming
their treason in the very halls of congress
and the mansion of the chief executive
Washington was also full of Northern men.
politicians mostly, who were crying God
save the country. but the cry simply meant
God save my place and my fortune. The
prayer of the South in Washington was let
inc live upon the fruit of other mems in
dustry, and the prayer of the Northern poll
ClCtNh lU VIC Ciatit0A NO6 1CU tuO ldtlCH upon
the plumber OF the public. Fort Sumptcr
was attacked and civil war was upon US.
Then uprose that mighty host in the North,
not of politicians. not Of seekers for place or
plumber, but of the honest masses, the man-
stay and support of every republic. To
these masses belong the credit and the
honor Of that wars success.
The VAR NOT HOLIDAY EXCURSION
It was no holiday excursion over. summer
To-, A.
the end drew near. But the South still hal
corn bread and roasting ears, there was Still!
lead and gunpowder, and while these means
of sustaining and destroying life remained
it seemed as though the South was de-
iermined to prolong the struggle. The same
ties of the Union, fought again ut the polls,
a nj in legislative halls the battle of recon
struction. The result is before you to-day.
THE LESSONS TAUGHT.
Now, what are the lessons all this teaches
to us, TO be taught in turn by us to our chill
drcn on occasions such as this Primarily,
that this is a union, and not a con federacy
merely. Second, that slavery, in whatso-
ever form it may rise it's hydra head, has
been banlshed from this land forcvermore
Third, that liberty, our sacred heritage
from the forcfathers. Is handed down again
by us TO our children, sanctitied anew by our
toll and treasure and blood; but, above all
things, that the liberty thus transmitted is
not lawlessuess # is not the liberty on the
ono hand TO die by starvation, or on the
other tn run riot with unbridled license but
is founded on the rock of obedience to law
and respect for government That political
liberty is q means, not an end, and a means
valuable chiefly as the great safeguard OF
order. of property and morality. Fourth,
it. teaches the lesson that the safety of the
country depends in the future. as ip the past,
rho 1rnfocEi0n91 f01itirion
sportsman, but upon the virtuous and Intel
,eent mass of tho people, and. that
the highest honor our children can
attain is TO be classed with the
latter US distinguished from the former
leach your eh:tdren: my comrades, to
and let this and this only be their creed and
their party. In all human probability these,
our comrades who died that such principles
might live, are as much without SUCCESSORS
Az the martyrs of the church. but they are
canonized in the hearts OF ak generations.
and are yet living to all bv the memory OF
what they did aud were. Who dares say to-
day That they died in vain? Why, then. do
we meet here to strew flowers upon the
graves of these dead heroes to-day? Not
surely to shadow forth our grief and sorrow
at their fate. Nay. not SO. Flowers. from
pathway of our Savior to the day when
they decorate these graves. have everspoken
the language OF love and constancy and
gratitude and joy. And they appropriately
speak that language here.
SOON WILL BE THE LAST CANT FIRE
Why should we mourn these honored
graves? Life ut best ia so short, so fleeing!
The days and hours of it that we count so
precious are flying over our heads like clouds
on windy day. See! While you arc fasten-
ing to your breast that honored badge of the
Grand Army it fades and grows dim. Every
time we say good night at the camp fire, and
every time We meet and part on Decoration
day, arc but preludcs to that eternal sepu-
ration we must shortly make. Shall I mourn
then the fate of these, my comrades, who
passed over only little before. with tho
sweet assurance that they had died for their
country and would be remembered with
grateful hearts and with floral offerings of
praise and love by generations yet unborn?
Nay, verify! II tue spirits Of these patriotic
men are looking down upon us to-day. as /
believe they arc, it is with no tinge OF regret
that they made the sacrifice they did to &C.
cure a nations safety and enjoy these endur-
ing tokens of nations gratitude. And so
when you drop the forget-me-not and the
rose and the violet on the honored
graves Of your comrades, you say to
III Savh@