Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-06-01
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
MENORIIL-D1I ADDRESS
Delivered in BraIIIeboro, May 30, ISSS,
BY REV. 4. j. PARRY

Delivered in HrnIiIcborO, May 30, ISSS,
BY REV =. }. PARRY
In the latter part Of the fifteenth centu
ry the people Of Florence one morning
| found that the grave Of the great Italian,
Savonnrula. had been covered by flowers,
aud they attributed it 10 miracle which
the angels had wrought. We come today
| 10 the graves whore lie the men who were
noble enough to die for liberty, and with
| human hands will cover them over with
flowers that have been moistened 10y hu-
man tears We bring the honeysuckle and
the myrtle with their lessons Of consola-
ton, and the rose with its symbolism Of
love, aud the lilac tq.spcak Of the soldiers
manlness, and the oak leaf to typify his
principle, and the dafodil To set forth his
mntchrss chvalry, and the umaranth to
prrhgurc his Immortality, aud the olive
| branch to illustrate the peace his valor
made possible. with the duties Of the day
/ there comes IA shndowy host Of sad memo
/ rrs aud restless flood of conflicting emo
/ tions We weep today because our heroes
| fell aud yet We rejoice because Of their
/ patriotism aud exult because Of their no
/ hlp sacrifice The duties Of the day are
solemn, aud impressive, and patriotic
There are those who claim that the observ
/ ancc Of decoration day has tendency to
/ perpetuate bitterness and anmosty. As
| though it were possible for flowers the EN-
| blems Of purity aud love, to perpetnate bit
terness Flowers suggest sympathy, com
passion, forgiveness Flowers are the
worlds decorators, and beautiiiers, aud
| swceteners. In the garden and the field
ON the hillside aud in the dell, they are ev
erywhcre Gods messengers Of mercy,
| breathing the sentiment Of Kindness and
| brotherhood. And am confident that this
| is the sentiment that dominates the day we
celebrate The widow will mngle with u.s.
| bringing the wreath she has freshened with
! her tears The children will come tu lis
| ten tu the story Of their fathers valor and
again vow their devotion to the country for
which he gave up his life Rich and poor,
old and Young. men aud women, will honor
| todav our surviving veterans, and do hom
age to the memory of our patriot dead.
| who together constitute our nations grand
army an army that needs no statue or
| inscription to reveal its greatness, for its
greatness is revealed in the ioy with which
we tread the hallowed ground which holds
their vemerated bones, aud in the peace
that smiles on all they fought for and in
! the wealth that clothes the land they died
for. and 50 we say
.,,..,, ,,.,,, o,., in, ,..o,,,,r,,i a,,,,..rs
beck tlirm with gurlanls th,s.. brothers Of ours
Lying S" silent 10y night and by day,
/ C",,, lien, ,1y,.r y,.e ,,,y,.r them ,yrr
Parent. husband. brother and lover.
/ Crown in Your hearts thrs'' lrr~s Of ours,
wv '''''' wv WV" NUM-
As We render tins tribute today, how
these very services recall aS nj magic
mirror the events OF that long struggle,
aud cause them all to pass IN panoramic
view before Us. lio" We <" back today
over the years beginning with that quiet
| April morning, when there was flashed over
the wires the news that sumter had been
| lirrd upon and that II was doubtful whether
the heroic Anderson could defend II with
| lils lttlr band. li"" We recall tdhy those
sounds Of preparation that followed the
music OF holsterous drums, the silvery voice
| Of heroic hughes, then the appeals OF the
| orators, followed 10y the pale cheeks Of wom
en- and the flushed faces of men Nivldly
We recall to-day how, III response to the
| Presidents call for men, the thousands left
their farms, and business, and mills, and
| schools. giving up ease and peace, and
home and study, and enlisted IN the army
Of freedom. Then came the partngS with
/ loved ones Some lnger Tor moment
IN tn" quiet place tn whisper the parting
words to the maiden Of their choice Some
/ bend over cradle beds to kiss sleeping
/ babes some bow 10 receive paternal ben
| edictiun. Some part with mothers who
! press them Tor moment To the heart, while
some with hravest words try to drive the
awful fear from the heart OF the loving
wife. And then, under the Haunting flags,
keeping time to the wild, grand music Of
war, they marched Ia the front 10 save
their country from the division Of civil war
| and the terror of political death You
each recall to-day how event after event Of
| thrilling interest thickened IN those days
about you. How clear before us stand the
men and events of those days OF strife
| There was the young aud gallant Ellsworth
aud the brave treble, and the chivalrir
! Winthrop, and tn" heroic Lyon, and the
gray haired Sedswick aud Baker. You re-
member how, under our first admiral, Far
ragut oar fleet steamed past the batter
les 10 victory, and how he aud that grand
"ld hero Porter, driied the bursting torpe
dos, aud how B"ggs handled the Naruna
rs he won his splendid victories ON his way
up to New Orleans, and how Gushing dc
| struyed the Albemarle, and how Craven
went down coiilned in his Monitor, and
how, with the old flag flying at the main
and the guns hooning defiance until the
waters quenched their utterance, the gal
liant Morris went down with the Cumber
land in Hampton Roads. You old soldiers
recall today the scenes, and trials and
temptations, and hardshipS Of those days Of
strife You remember the marches, when
50 many sank exhausted Ia be laid by com
rades beneath the friendly shade Of the
wayside tree and the bivouac, when with
| IA rubber blanket upon the ground and
| boots or knapsack for pillow, You wrap