The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY EXERCISES.
THE ABLE ADDRESS BY REV. E. j. THOMPSON
AT THE CEMETERY.

yesterday ditSthooi '''0 P'oeS""'oii
headed by the Corvallis band with the
G. A. r. veterans, the w. r. C.'s, the
college cadets, the E COM
pany, O. N. G., and Others, began its
line of march for the Crystal lake cem-
etery Just south of Corvallis, there to
decorate the graves Of the brave soldier
dead and all others Inferred therein.
After the usual exercises an address
was delivered by Rev. E. ]. Thompson
of the Presbyterian church, which was
full of deep thought and showed the
great intellectual powers of the orator.
His full remarks are here given:
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS.
Comrades of Ellsworth Post, Ladies of the
Relief Corps, and Friends.
Upon this memorable day we have once
more made our pilgrimage to the city of the
dead. and once more we stand around the
graves of our fallen but not forgotten COM
raies. Deeds are more fitting than words
IN such an hour and at such place as this.
Silence is the language of this hallowed
SPOT THERE'S no elnquence so commanding
as the eloquence of these graves-no flowers
of rhetoric so appropriate these flowers
of spring. with which We honor the patriotic
dead.
1t is All inestimable privilege to live in
this famous land; it is all immortal honor
to die for it. These heroes rose from the
sphere of the citizen to the plane of a patriot
with the courage of the warrior. To the
harvest of death they willingly went forth.
The Spartan band of Leonidas at the
Thermoplean Pass were not more heroic
and self sacrificing. Curtius who leaped
into the yawning gulf to save with his own
life his nations life was not more daring.
Oh, they were not only patriotic and brave
and daring but they were martyrs also. 1t
was a grand principle OF American patriotism
that inspired them to sacrifice ami made
them hero martyrs. To save the dear old
flag from dishonor they gave their lives.
You and l. comrades. lived to see the
victory won for which they periled all-but
how many sleep in the city of the silent
tiead-some near to friends they loved while
living, Others in distant cemeteries; ann
sadder still not few lie in graves marked
with that mysterious word ''nnknown.
But whether here or far away, known ol
unknown, preserved republic honors al
their memories and gratefully enshrines
their valor in unttying history.
We canuet to-day adj to their glory
| honor or fame. We cannot make sacre
the ground wherein repose their precious
| dust. But We may adorn with loving
| tributes their resting place. We can sire"
| flowers above their tomhs which shall sym
bnlize the living fragrance OF their memory
| We can teach mankind, and especially In
youth and children of this laud, to low
| more deeply her institutions and to prlZ
more highly her manifold blessings
The legacy of home happiness and Lift
seems more precious i'll this presence to day
| Appropriate is the tribute of tender an
sacred recollection we pay to the memory o
the priceless legacy. Bring flowers, yea
wealth of flowers, to strew upon their grave
carve their names in the imperishabl
stone-embalm their deeds in immorta
words. Do all this, but then do more
Wear sacredly their fallen mantle-keel
inviable the solemn trust.
Guard with unfaltering vigilance thei
names from oblivion. Make the story {
their sacrifice power perpetual III th
world. Dear friends, these graves ar
breathing to-day most earnest and mos
solemn teachings. These ashes tell us tina
neither foreign assault nor domestic treaso
shall ever he able to break up the Union an
tear down our starry flag.
These ashes tellus, too, that if our land an
it's laws were worthy that brave men sloul
die for their keeping, they are at !eas
worthy that pure men and loyal men shout
live in grand fidelity to the principle OF
true democracy; and from these ashes CON
words of peace AMI love. In the strang
and silent brotherhood of death sleep, in I'll
bosom of this consccrated land, alike tt
soldiers of the blue and the grey. Not
) word shall dim the glory of our hero con
{ rades; nor yet shall word of bite
ness drop upon the memory of a fallen to-
believe that as each returning sprll
comes to cover with grass and flowers tt
fields where our comrades fell. all bite
ness from hearts north and south shall
buried, aud together in a graader, truer al
stronger loyalty to the old flag all me
north, south, east, west. shall walk tt
3 WAYS of Justice, brotherhood, and low
1t is meet and proper then that this di
, and thi occasion should be observed by a
oil and yonng-that here above the grav
, of the honored dead VOWS Of allegiance al
> LOYALTY should be renewed.
NV friends, days like this are monume
) tai days in our nations history. They a
the exponents of crucial periods. On the
e SUBMITS float banners of blood bought 10
i aly. The gathering hosts in the cemeterl
of this broad land to day teach lessons OF
6 finite Importance. These veterans OF {
= G. A. R.. these women of the X. Z. IN tht
march to-day to the sepulchrcs OF t
i, brave speak Of days aud deeds the mo
n worthy and immortal.
r Give the biography of Washington al
omit if you please the very act that crow
c him prince of warriors. statesmen ana pat
OTIS; write of Florence Nightingale and fe
L. Lob Al
fee: tell the story of Arnold of Wlnkleri
without word of his gathering the spe'
into his own bosom, or of his thrilling cr
q make way for liberty" Yes, do all TIL
). but do not blot from our nations hIsto
j those four years of baptisinat sacrifice a
suffering and the mighty resul. they wrong
! upon the destiny of this Republic and t
!. world.
!, It was better that this child Of the we
q ern world had not been born if this shou
happen. Let the children of to-day and t
oncoming generations learn the lessons OF t
|. past: let them read the story OF brave m
l. and Drawer women who gave home, fortul
J, kindred lite-all for country's sake. L
/. them study the pages Of stern conflict for
right, of self-denial for others; let them Vi
: field, and camp, and hospital, and Il
. what sacrifice means. Let them follow
!, army nurses angels ofmeroy and relief. as tn
:, stand by the side of dying and dead soldi
to offer ministries of comfort and hope a
to catch the last whispered wish for friet
g at home. Let them see in this sad pages
!. to-day the vision OF what the precious bl
q sings of the present cost. Then In the
"a ture there shall be deeper and grander l.
for the land and liberties our comrades d
! to save. And then what lessons does t
day teach our adopted children from ev'
cline ON earth. The regiments OF ev'