, 1890-05-15
AN ELOQUENT PAPER,
The Memorial Day Order of Commando
in-Chicf Russell A. Algor.

The Memorial Day Order of Commander
in-Chicf Russell A. Algor.
May 8, lS6s, John \. Logan, then
commander.in-chi of the Grand
Army of the Republic, In General
Orders No. II, designated May 80
ls6s, "for the purpose of strewing
with flowers or ortherwiso decora'
ting the graves of comrades who
died in defense of their country,
during the late rebellion, and whose
bodies now lie in almost every vii
lagc and hamlet churchyard in the
land.n
May 20, 1880, for the twenty-third
time, the Grand Army of the Re.
public will bo called upon to per-
form this sacred duty and the atten-
tion of q. a. X. comrades Is cs.
poclally directed to the following
order:
HEArqrARrERs GRANp ARMY oE ruEl
RErumIc, DETROIT, Mich, April
-, lsOD.
General order No. n:
Again Memorial day will cause us to
assemble TO pay our tribute of respect,
love aud yoneratiun for the heroic dead.
No sight 80 quiCkens the heart OF tho
veteran as 10 see the children with their
baskets OF flowers at thc graves of his
comrades, Why is II that We observe
Memorial day after the lapse of these
many years. No legislature ordered II (;
no governor directed 1t, yet In every
state of this Union IL Is rcligously and
teyorontly observed. IL Is custom no
other nation or people ever followed.
All nations have honored their soldiery ;
they have welcomed home their vic
i.R Il .
tlons Of love and affection. Monuments
have been reared to- perpetuute their
memories. IL has been lett TO tho Amer
lean volunteer soldiery TO inaugurate
Memorial day.
Better than all monuments, better
than all trlumphal arches, better than
ell statutes, Is this beautiful tribute.
Better by far that this country have
no granite shafts than to forget this sa-
cred day. II IL n living, breathing pa
riotism, renewed each year. IL Is q
monument rebuilt annually in the
hearts OF the people. Granite or bronze
monuments are erected but once. 1t is
by far the best lesson OF loyalty that
could he taught to the children who are
soon to be the men and women of the
nation.
Better for the nation that its children
and youth remember this day than
that II have armies as large as those of
all Europe,
No war of disunion will como to this
country so long as 1t observes Memorial
day, which, securely intrenched In
the hearts OF the people, will
make the government safer than a
myriad of forts bristling with cannon.
II matters little how large or small
may bo our standing army, IL We give
TO tho people the education this day
teaches. 1t is n day which the people
tlau al prpntaH 4 IN fannIoH m
the best and holicst sentiments of our
nature,
At Gettysburg. Lincoln said: "Wo
have come to dedicate u portion of that
field as n final resting place for those
who gave up their lives that the nation
might live. 1t Is altogether fitting aud
proper that we should do this. But in
larger sense we can not dedicate. We
can not consecratc, we can not hallow this
ground" And so each year, on the 30th
of May. rs we gather TO dedicate anew
The haliowcd ground, where rest the brave
-.wc, in n higher sense can not dcdi-
cate, we can not consecrate We can not
halow the ground--the brave men who
On n hundred battle fields gave their
lives that the nation might survive have
eonsecrated II far beyond our power to
add or dotract.
1t is for us to dedicate ourselves TO the
work OF perpetuating the Union
lhey prcserveu-the country they saved
Ito the end that their devotion, which
ended with their lives, shall not have
been In vain.
IL Is earnestly recommended that such
posts as can not Jointly attend
memorial services at the cemeteries, or
,thcr appropriate places, hold such
fSstyices In their post halls or other con
fnnicnt places, and invite all patriotic
citizens to join them. By order of
II. A. ALGER,
Commander-in-Ch