The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-05-31
The Observance Of Memorial Day.


The memorial exercises in this city began with
the services at the North Church last Sunday
morning. Thomas II. Marshall Post, G. A. r., at
tending in body and occupying ten front pews il
the centre of the church. The pulpit was draped
with the national flag and pulpit and chancel were
decorated with cut flowers and potted plants. The
pastor, Rev. Il. I. Hack, took for his text: "Wha
mean yc by these stones?" Joshua, 4.6. He began
by reading from an article in the current Century
magazine a description of stone pillar marking
| the boundary line between Russia and Siberia
and which the political prisoners pass on theil
way to exile. He then proceeded to describe Other
stones which mark the progress and conflicts OF
our day, and to trace the history of this country
! from the signing of the Declaration of Indepen.
dencc down to the war for the Union. His dis
course was both instructive and interesting and
held the closest attention of the large audience. A
mere synopsis would not do justice to the sermon
which many pronounced the best memorial dis
| course they had ever listened to, and which all
praised without stint. The pastor said he did not
believe in waving the bloody shirt, but he main
tanned that in the bloody conflict which freed the
slaves from bondage and maintained the Union the
men of the South were wrong and the men of the
North were right. After the sermon the choir and
! congregation sang America, and then the paste,
pronounced the benedicton. The congregation re
manned seated until the members of the G. A. r.
had filed out.
| THE EXERCISES IN BELFAST.
| Wednesday morning was foggy and the streets
We're very muddy from the rain of the day before
and although the weather frightened later the out
| door Observances were held under somewhat I'm
| favorhlc circumstances. The backwardncss OF
the season also noticeable in the cemetery
where the trees were only partially in leaf but the
grass was green and the floral decorations and
we'll cared for lots gave to this last resting place
an attractive appearance. At 2p M the process
sion was formed in front of Grand Army Hall
Main street. in the following order:
| Lincolnville Band.
| Canton Pallas p NJ. O.O.F.
| Belfast Division, L. r. X. of p.
| Thomas ii. Marshall Post, G. a. X.
Camp A. +. Clark, Sons of Veterans.
| Carriages with cadets-yOung ladies.
| Carriages with disabled soldiers.
| City Government in carriages.
| Citizens.
| TheSolumn was led by Anscl Wadsworth, chief
marshal, G. T.. Lombard, aid.
| The line Of march was down High to the June.
ton with Church, up Miller TO Congress, over tc
Main and into cemetery. Arriving at Col. Mar
shalF grave, a hollow square was formed about
| the enclosure, and after prayer by the Chaplain
the roll of honor read by the Adjutant. Al
the conclusion of these exercises the graves of the
soldiers were decorated, small flags marking the
last resting places of the defenders of country
| These little flags grow more numerous year by
year, as the ranks of the living veterans are thin
ned. new feature of the exercises was the deco
| ration of a mound to the unknown DIS ad which
had been erected in the lower part of the cemetery
At the close of the exercises the lines re
| formed and marched back to the city.
| At p. NJ. the Lncolnville band escorted the
Post to the Belfast Opera House. which was well
| filled by our citizens the veterans and corps occu
| plying reserved seats in front. Mr. &. W. IIaney
| Past Commander, welcomed the audience and en-
tended the thanks Of the veterans to the citizens
| lie SAID he could welcome them no more arpropri
| ately than by reciting the following poem com
posed for the occasion by the orator of the evening
| Prof. l.. c. Bateman:
! The dial of time in its dark winding flight
| Has summoned a nation of motlnels to night;
From the green hills of Maine to the land of tn,
| cane
Arc bedecked the dead heroes by these who remain
Turn backward your thoughts to that sad April
When the old flag from Sumter 10y treason was
| torn;
4 million brave men sprang to arms in their might
| TO restore that proud emblem-Cur nations birth
right.
From the hills of the cast and the plains of the
| west
| They rallied by thousands at Lincoln's behest.
| Determined to win when sustained by their God
banner unsullied or a home meath the sod.
No longer recount the stern deeds of Old Rome,
Or the valor of Grecian defending his home:
| Arbela and Marathon's laurels must Weld,
| when weighed IN the balance with tiettySburg's
Held.
They fought not for glory, they fought not for gold
| Those heroes of ours, like the heroes of Old
They fought for the land which their fathers before
| Had bestreWn with their bodies from mountain to
Go search the proud record on history's page
for deeds that grow brighter or darker with age
ou Troy dips her coors by Donalsons pile,
Ana the dungeons of Venice to brutal Belle Isle
| And brother fell bleeding by brothers own hand
| sweet mercy and justice in silence expired
Mid the passions which malice and treason had
| The lannon's deep roar their missiles were sent
| from the rampant of foe to our own battlement
Resounded from morn till the evening $ cool breeze
saw dead and the dying by cheramrdetrise.
'Twould require Lcthc's waters on Gods fateful
| power
| To Danish from memory your comrades last hour
WIN MS back to the earth and his face to the sky,
| His cold marble brow, and his last heaving sigh.
o. wild were the means of a mothers farewell
| mat haunted her son on tile field where he fell;
| Still wilder the accents of children and wife
| mat rang In his ears with the ebbing of life.
Tonight as we mourn through the land of the free
For those who fell fighting by sod and by sea,
we Dedeck the dead warriors who sleep in the
| grave,
And chant our sad vespers for those meath the
| wave.
Through the rift in the clouds that cncirclc the
| tomb,
| A bright star shines sweetly to lessen its gloom
While the lightning reveals the soft blooming rose,
That speaks to the soul of our heroes rcposc.
Tread lightly, speak gently beside their green bed
Mourn softly tonight and disturb not our dead.
sleep on ana sleep sweetly brave comrades in
| blue,
We hail thee as victors-and bid thee adcu'
Music by the band. Prayer by Chaplain. Music.
Mrs. Alexander recited the "Sol,licrs Return, -
with her usual vigor. singing by company of
young misses followed. The orator of the even
ing, Prof l.. c. Bateman, of Searsmont, was then
| introduced.
The speaker began by saying that we are a
nation OF hero worshipers. The man who acquires
wealth anu distinction is sought after and admired
while those upon whom fortune has not smiled
are spurned and despised. Society throws open
Its doors and receives with outstretched arms the
man whose pockets are lined with the gold wrnng
|
iaporer Is turned aside with sneer. The cell of
| the murderer is thrOnged with sentimental and
snivelling hypocrites, and his pathway the gal
lows strewn with garlands of flowers. The man
who passes from his humble cottage to his daily
Toll Is met with averted faces by the favored few.
In Ike manner do we glOrify leadership An age
| produces one Napoleon Caesar, while it heeds
| not the brave heroes of hl n,rcd battle fields
whose self sacrificing and undecorated valor made
| the great general possible The common soldier
PUSHES into the jaws of death, and passes into obliv-
| ION; while we Irvine the wreath of undying fame
| around the brow of the man in glittering uniform
who from safe distance directs the battle or the
SIEGE Let lis be thankful that one day in the Nv
ing year has been set apart to do to those
brave men whose footsteps now re-echo upon the
| 1afther shore. With one accord we uncover in the
shaioWy presence of a million heroes, and demand
for them the sublime equity of everlasting Justice
lie then took up the subject of immortality, trac-
ing thls universal belief back to the banks of the
| Nile. The Wondering ruins of Greece and Rome
| lind their counterpart in the mounds of Ohio and
the cities of the cliff-dweers in the far west-and
all are but silent mementoes OF the faith in an I'M
dying SOUL The universal credence in an unre
vealed future has in all ages sought fitting express
sion III tender regard of the living for the dead
The growth of flowers in spring has from the ear
lest ages been regarded as symbolic of the resur
graves of departed friends was shown to exist
| among the ancient Druds, Sabines and Etrlscans.
In the galleries of antique sculpture the statues of
Ilberius, Aurelian, Augustus and the Caesars are
| always crowned with laurel. TO win the laurel
wreath was the highest ambition of the spartan
warrior. Branches of palm were thrown in the
PARKWAY or the Saviour AS he entered Jerusalem
universally observed in the Catholic Church. rhe
crucliied Christ received crown of thorns at the
| cross; but flowers strewn by unseen hands exha
Ell their fragrance around the spot where his body
was laid. From all these facts and fancies one
idea is lndelibly impressed upon mind from
tne Daptlsmal font to the dying couch of man
there lies but single step; and the rose which
blooms ut the cradle of the infant gives place to