The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-06-05

Nt NhhcFOn-A luiSo STu"h uHu uVuu
SpecGhcs-Speech OF lion. G. W. Atkinson.
Correspondence Of he Ia'eiHgeneT.
CAMERON, W. Va, June 2.-You have
given an account OF Decoration Day ser.
vices at most every place in this county
except Cameron, consequently l desire
to give you brief statement OF what
we did,
The day was beautiful and the crowd
was large. There were three brass bands
in attendance, and the music was good.
There was also profusion OF flowers.
Short addresses were delivered in the
forenoon by Rev. Lynch and Mr.. Young,
but the main speaking was done in the
afternoon. Judge Cranmer and Hon.
G.. W. Atkinson, Of your city, delivered
liable and attractive OratiOns. They held
the attention of the large audience from
the beginning to the close OF their nd
dresses. The strongest and ablest effort
OF all OF them was by Mr.. Atkinson. l
took down a bricfsynopsis OF his address
which hope you will print.
lie began by stating that soldiers had
no apologies to make Tor their presence
on such occasions rs this; that the war
for the union was right; that the war for
secession was wrong; they were present
because they love their dead brothers,
and love the cause for which they died.
He quoted the inscription on the great
monument on Boston Common, as fOl-
lows: ITO the men OF Boston who died
! Tor their country on land and sea, in the
war which kept the union whole, de-
stroyed slavery and maintained the Con-
stitution, a grateful city has built this
monument that their example may speak
to coming generations" He claimed
that in this inscription was found genu-
inc patriotism, and that all Americans
will entertain the same sentiment when
a hundred years shall have rolled by.
He claimed that patriotism more than
anything else constitutes the State, and
that from 1861 to 'G5, the powers at
Washington were not the Government
the soldiers on the field were the Gov
eminent,
He spoke at length upon the meaning
and lessons OF Decoration Day." He
claimed that it means world OF memo
ries, deeds, tears, sorrows, and glories ms
unfading us the sun. The boys in blue
came forth at the call OF the Government
from five hundred thousand homes,
went through 1874 battles, $4,000 were
killed in battle, $4,000 died from wounds
$4,000 died ofdiseases, and 100000 were
captured us prisoners OF war, OF which
number 6l,O0O died in prison-in al
$4,000 OF our boys went down to hon
ored graves.
Among the numerous lessons that the
day teaches, note these: 1t is lessor
Of what men will do for principle. It'll
lesson OF patriotism, lesson OF endur
ance, Il lesson of seli.sacriiice, lessor
of love. Another lesson that the day
teaches is the unfaltering love that thu
people cherish for the citizen soldier
Our soldiers were nearly all citizens sol
diers, not professional soldiers; and h
claimed that we would never need {
standing army in the United States n!
long as we can number the civil war o
1861. No record anywhere comparable
to the record Of our boys in blue can b.
found for seli-sacriiice, for superiority
for toll, for bravery, for obedience, an,
for devotion TO the unseen. 'These,
said he, care the elements OF the Christ
ian. and the Christian is the grandes
tyne Of real manhood under Gods sky
. Mr.. Atkinson, ut this point, reCited
beautiful poem entitled, "Pledge to tn
dead" which was tender aud pathetic
The speaker next took up the tw
f, ideas implanted in this country by th
settlements at Plymouth Rock an
jamestown, and discussed them Mt som
length. The Northern idea was thu
every man should be free and own hin
, self, while the jamestown idea WI
i based upon human slavery. These tw
> ideas spread ont over different section
Of our country, and when they grew Il
Ito such proportions that they could nj
I' pass each other without conflict, tt
war was precipitated and human SLAYER
was shot to death by the million mu
kets in the hands OF the army OF Il
Union. He closed this interesting arg
: ment in these words: "Where your woI
bv your bayonets and swords and gui
= was left off, education and religion can
L in and took up the cause; and in Il
i fullness OF time the work OF the war VI
be completed when all men, white "
black, are raised to the exalted plane
intelligent Christian manhood and /
intelligent Christian womanhood."
In conclusion, the speaker enumerat.
number Of things that were settled
the war, such as no rule or ruin par
can live in this Republic; that labor
honorable, and that no badge OF dlsho
or shall ever again rest upon it; tn
is, popular government is not only pos