Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-31
War upon war and blood upon blood.

cuCSub governments lIie WOItO ever saw,
A government whose corner stone i
equality and liberty. They gave us owl
flag spangled with stars. These latte
heroes have by their valor preserved
and maintained this grand government
intact. From that flag not star il
effaced. Over twenty years have
passed since the conclusion of that
gigantic struggle. Peace has spread
her benign influences over our land
plenty and prosperity have crowned tn,
industries of our people. We have {
larger population than Great Britain, F;
greater wealth than France; happ,
homes dot the hillsides and valleys al
over our land; education, culture ant
refinement is general; the strength o.
union has been personal. and as whole
by united influence and purpose oul
country is speeding onward in the
mighty march of human progress.
/ said 100000 of men rushed forth
at their country's call. Alas they re
turned with deciminated ranks; comradt
after comrade was left behind, theil
absence told of the place when the
Kissing bullet and the shrieking shell
claimed their victim, it told of the
deadly charge and the terrible field of
carnage their numbers constitute an
army 100000 strong. When on these
men who went forth filled with patriotic
devotion to do battle for their nation
The graves are scattered all over the
land. In the valley, on the mountain
side, by the river, in the woods,
wherever the storm of battle ragged,
repose these heroes One hundred and
forty thousand, and over marked "un-
known sleep in the national cemeteries.
Oh the pathos of that word unknown. y
How aching hearts have grieved in vain
unable to ascertain the resting place OF
their dear ones. He is an unknown
SLEEPER. Grant counties dead heroes
number over 500. You have in your
court yard monument erected to their
memory; hut enshrined in the hearts OF
the people there is a living monument
of gratitude and praise for their valor;
a living remembrance of their devotion.
Where do they all sleep?
"on flames eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
While Honor guards with ceaseless round
The BiYonac of the dead"
cannot speak in words tribute to
these men. Stand beside their graves;
silently contemplate their lives, it is
more significant than speech. Their
| DEATH" as has been said by another,
was a poem the music of which can
never be sung in words.
Here stands a mother; over a quarter
| OF century ago her son stood before
her in the flush of young manhood.
He speaks to her of his country's need.
See how her cheek pales as she cries
out, My son | cannot let you leave me,
and then as thought of her country's
peril ceeeps in. she bids him 60 With
high hopes but aching hearts they part,
she to pray for his welfare and to wait
with anxious bleeding heart the return
| Of her loved one; he, with his face to
the front, goes where the battle RACES
hottest. Bouyed by by that mothers
love he does his whole duty; in the
fight where the bullets fly like hail we
find him; he falls with his face to the
enemy; his remains may have been re-
covered and now repose in some ceme-
terry, or he may be lying in some grave
marked unknown That fond
mother never clasped her dear one to
her heart again. With fond recollec-
ton of his noble manhood slain, but
with sorrowing, aching heart, she comes
to-day to strew garlands upon the
graves of the dead heroes. This is the
history of thousands upon thousands of
similar cases. Mothers giving up
their sons, wives their husbands, sisters
their brothers. Oh the unselfish earnest
patriotism of the womanhood of our
land. Nearly two and one-half decades
of peace have failed to soothe the
wounds of broken hearts, have failed to
heal the many desolate hearthstones of
the north. Mothers, fathers, brothers,
sisters who to-day 90 to the lonely
graves of fellow-heroes mourning the
loss Of your noble slain, we claim the
right to mourn with you, we mingle
our tears with yours, your dead are our
dead, they are a nations sacrifice and
nations loss.
Oh war, thou art terrible, but the
wise DEGREES of an insorutable Provi-
dence has seemed to order that no great
good should be accomplished except by
exalted human effort and human sacri-
fee.
Nations have been born and liberty
achieved and its blessings maintained
only by sacrifice Of thousands upon
thousands of human lives. That is the
price paid for human rights. With
what feelings of gratitude and venera-
ton shall we regard those who made the
sacrifice, who voluntarily paid the price
for others, for you and me and genera
tons yet unborn. Then bring forth the
flowers and scatter them upon the
graves of our heroes. 1t is but small
tribute but it is all we can do. These
flowers show our remembrance, our
sorrow our gratitude. They will soon
fade. Men and women droop and die,
but the memory of our country's
martyred slain shall always remain us
fresh and green as the flowers first
plucked cast upon the graves.
leather them ont of the valley
Bring them from moorland and hill
And cast them in wreaths aud in garlands
On the city so silent and still
SO voiceless so silent and still
Where neighOor speaks never to ncighbor
Where the song OF the bird and the brown
bee is heard
Bot never the harsh sounds OF labor.
Bring them from woodland and meadow
Bring them all kinds and all colors
That grow upon upland and lea.
That spring in wild grace on the lea
And rife the green earth's warm bosom
OF each flower and blow till Goods acre"
shall glow
And bloom like garden in blossom.
Bring them from vase and from hot house
And strew them with bountiful hand
There is nothing too rare for the soldier
Who laid down his life fer his land;
And turned to the duty before him
And how now can we prove our thanks and
our love,
But by casting these May blossoms DER hin"
Since the the conclusion Of that
terrible struggle, twenty-three years of
peace have blessed our nation. Happi-
ness and hope like ministering angels
are lowering DER us. May the sounds
OF fractracidal strife nevermore be
heard in our land Let the mantle Of
charity heal the wounds of the past even
as we gather round the graves Of wars
victims and may this nation as one
united whole, henceforward and forever
more onward and upward in the mighty
march Of freedom and progress.
Justice David Davis was once
asked who was the greatest man he
ever knew. The Justice, not unlike
most members of the Supreme Court,
valued highly his own opinion and was
exceedingly careful in delivering it.
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