The times., 1889-06-07
Memorial Address.
DELIVERED BY JUDGE T.. I. vANzILE, OF
CHARLoTT, AT owOsso, MAY 30, 1889.

AT these annual StatlOnS VI our h'SS'
comrades and citizens of the republic, 1t Is
indeed fitting that we should halt and re-
fiect-reflect upon our own condition as
citizens-the condition of this our great and
prosperous nation--reflect upon the past
rejoice at duty done-and above all remem-
ber and cherish the memory OF our noble
dead, who, together with you, by valor ana
bravery never excelled, IL ever equalled,
have made it possible for this republic to
live and be republic Remember with
reverant and thankful hearts the great God
of battles, the Father and Protector of us
all, who has through all our struggles SO
kindly, and so mercifully, protected and
preserved our county; and permitted us,
through scenes of peril of shot and shell,
field, camp and hospitals, to witness this
hour
On such an occasion we may prohtably
remember, TO our fellow citizens, our old
comrades in arms and especially to onr
children, as well as we can, something OF
the cost of this liberty of which we boast;
and thus make our memorial services inter
esting and profitable lesson days to teach
those who are coming after us the lessons of
liberty; and instill into their lives that love
of country that will insure the safety and
perpetuity of this grand republic, crowned
as we have crowned it, with honor liberty
and prosperous life.
Today, we and our comrades stand about
the graves of our honored dead, and with
uncovered and bowed heads remember the
sacrifice they have made. We can indeed
remember it, and Oh! how freshly it comes
to us now, although we are standing on the
outer boundry of quarter of century that
has passed; but aCe cannot describe it; Ian
guage, poor, weak, stumbling language, is
not sufficient to paint the picture of that
sacrafice. Hearts of devotion, of patriotic
love of country-hearts that have almost
stood still when they witnessed the terrible
strife in which many of these heroes fell;
hearts that have almost broken, as they
have witnessed the ebbing out of the life
blood of the brave-can only look i'll OH the
picture they each present, and listen to the
sentiment of their own souls. During such
reflections it seems almost sacrilage to speak
rather be still, and mediate and drink in
the spirit of devotion and love of country
that such reflections teach.
Citizen soldiers of the republic, these
memorial days are your days and the days
of your dead comrades. Year after year
on these occasions we assemble to celebrate
the memory of other days, and pay a tribute
of love and affection to our dead heroes.
We come to light the camp fires of the past,
and around them live over again the days of
yore.
To be surrounded by and to participate in
such beautiful ceremonies as these ought to
fill us with gratitude and thankfullness;
because in them we see evidenced the fact,
that the privilege is one which was gained
by our own strong arms and noble deeds of
daring. We come to decorate the graves of
heroes who helped to gain the victory, and
who have died to be forever remembered as
loyal to their country and to ours.
1t is not always best to live i'm the past
when there is all around us such glorious
present, invitating us to much more glor-
ious future; but this day to the old soldier
especially is a day somewhat peculiar, be-
cause of the recollections it brings of those
stern realities that have entered into and
changed his very life and not only his
life but the life of the nation. And so we,
would not forget them if we could, but
would rather dream them all over again and
again, stopping here and there, to look once
more upon the scenes that were enacted in
those days, freighted with so much import
ance, in which perhaps these or some of
these whose dust lies smouldering i'm these
narrow tenements took an active part.
And then when we reflect and bring back
to memory all-it hardly seems possible, as
we contemplate the quiet, peacable, pros
porous America of today, that the events
which originated and have solidfied this
great organization "The Grand Army of
the Republic" and because of which this
ceremony was instituted, could have ever
transpired. And now as the dream of the
past leads us afresh through field and camp
and fills our dreamy reccolections with those
terrible days when the life of the nation was
threatened, and when with walls Of steel
and storms of shot we forced back the trait
orus onslaught and when again in memory
we live over the days of 61-65, we who saw
them, and witnessed and participated in the
conflict, can scarcely realize it, and almost
stop and exclaim: ''Was it indeed so'? "And
is it true my comrade that you and / wore
the blue? Aye, even so.
Those were the daysof our boyhood when
life was fresh and strong and full of bright
hopes and determined effort, days when we
were led not by selfish ambition for wealth
and personal prominence, but by that am
bition to do our full duty as true, loyal pat
riotic ctiizens-a duty to our country-a
] duty to God