Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1889-06-06
Soldiers Memorial Services.

With every repetition of the ceremonies
of Memorial week the true meaning and
import of this unique festival is more fully
discussed. Just after the war the annual
gathering of companies of old soldiers To
strew with flowers the graves of their com
radeS VINO fell in the service was looked
upon by the public a. a natural and beauti-
full remembrance of the heroic dead: still,
as then exercised, 1t was n rite affecting
only limited class in each community
When. however, the ceremony was follow
cd up year after year, and the citizens in
body were invited to take part bv the do
nation OF flowers ana other decorations
and to JOIN in the services. either in the
parade at the cemeteries, or in the gcucr-
al pubic exercises of the day,--it wa, APP
parent that the occasion appealed to the
sentiments of all. Instead of being a mar
row rite and restricted to class. it was a
broad, patriotic symbol, and belonged to
the whole nation. The nation adopted the
new idea, and to-day it is an Institution
one, too, that promises to last long.
The world hOnorS martial bravery, and
ii is not sign of false civilization that
such should be the case. Theoretically
wars IN modern times have "A moral pur-
pose, and almost always there is a moral
issue involved IN every great strife The
traditions of this Republic, especially are
that war Is ju>titiablc only in a conflict Of
conscience And for man to risk his life
Tor his belief Is universally hel to be the
sublhntst duty allotted to mortal 1t is
this lofty idea-thiS convection which To
many has the saCrcdness Of religious
creed-that runs through all the ritual ser
vices of the military order IN commemorate
ing their dead, and il is becoming gcner-
ally adopted by orators VIII, Il addressing
public assemblies during Memorial week.
Even the martial bravery o! the late enc
my Is remembered by the Grand Army vet
Grams at the tomb> of their own dead com
radc>, and they there >Olcmniv pledge to
their enemy "a soldiers pardon" Upon
the common ground OF honorin. the brave.
thr mon and Confederate veteran, unit,
. otcr tribute to departed yulor
There L. another feature Of this memo
rial work that makes the rite a broad one
II j. not alone those who died fur the
can>c THAT are thus houorcd by tie Grand
Army. but every Union soldier who has
since passed away, 20 far a. the graves
can BE- identified. II does not matter that
veteran haS devoted a quarter OF 4 cen
tury % clEli pursuits since his military
service cndcd, or that changes Of opinion
On the issues Of the war have been opcEly
declared by him all j. forgotten except
the iaCt that he once answered the call Of
duty Mere partisan feelings are tuhoocd.
ahI the veteran, though he died but YES
trr,lay, il remembered at hi> burial wi.A
military honors. To his comrades he has
become a dead ~oliicr," whose 'luarch"
i just over AMI whose spirit has Joined
the long column" above, There is in this
catholtcity Of soldier sentiment, winning.
a. II does the admiration and sympathy ri
former foes. an earnest Of civil security ia
the future.
In that strong fratcrnal impulse al~o,
which i expressed in the most touchiu.
manner IN the JOINT memorial cryicr>
along the old border aud in some of the
chief Interior cities of the South, there j.
trace Of further development of that true
national sentiment which las had >nch nv
markahlc growth in tie South since the
war Lincoln said Of the peopl" Of the
North and The South, in 1868. Both read
the same Bblc and pray 70 Tho same Goa
To-day the veterans memories Of the con
Met that called them t. aiul> arg ou Lutn
SIDES turning 10 a single noble idcal-mar-
tial hcroism. Surely the wor~hipcr~ Of
that ideal viii know no North aud No
South while twining chaplct, 10 immortal
Ile the bravc.-N1y f.htuy.