The Portland daily press., 1890-05-31

nne memories of the past there were those
who sought to destroy this rnaon mo,e 'npse ms
| 4uestl0n was, In the language of Ti,oain
/ Wnetner this nation or anv na,ian tI,
conceived and dedicated could long enduTe.' SuS :;
| or whether this hope Of liberty. this exe,,
| pie of free government should be des,roSadd
From the patriotic men and women nj tSs
nation, from the pulpit. the press and the
platform the answer came in the language of
one of Americas truest patriOts-''the
Union, it must and shallibe preserved" and
before the war ended one million defenders
OF the Union by sea and land answered in a
mighty chorus, "The Union, IL must and
shall be preserved" And from Abraham
Lincoln we hear: "Let us highly resolve
that this nation shall have a new birth Of
pie for the. people and by the people shall
not perish from the EARTH"
As the years pass by the American people
must appreciate more and more the weari-
ness OF patience and Of pain with which
Abraham Lincoln bore his anxious cares.
And the fact will ever be present with the
people that through the valor and devotion
OF the defenders OF the Union; through the
dutiful service of those who, from defending
the flag, went down into the shadow Of
death; through the anguish OF those who
wore the weeds of mourning; through the
sacrif es and prayers VI the devoted lovers
OF a common country; through the blessings
Of Almighty God, the American Union re-
blessings fully ample we trust, to repay even
the great cost Of the purchase.
Major Ii. S. Burrage then spoke as fol-
lows:
MAJOR BURRAGE's REMARKS.
What gave Lincoln the pre-eminence
among the great men Of our time? He was
greater than CavOur, who reunited Italy.
He was greater than Bismarck, who reunited
Germany. These were statesmen. Lincoln
was statesman, but he was more. His
aims were moral as well as political
IL was as IL he had heard the words of
Burke. uttered at crisis in English history,
1t Is time for man to act" and act he
did, nerved by high moral purpose. 1t was
as II he had pOndered the words of Bunsen,
The greater the Christian vocation of a ma
ton, the higher the problem 1t will have to
solve or perish" That problem, given to US
as people, he had long pondered How IL
was to be solved he did not understand. He
stated II In his famous "house divided
against itself" speech, when. in 1858. he ac-
cepted his nomination for the senatorship.
Referring to slavery agitation he said, ''In
my opinion it will not close until crisis
shall have been reached and passed." The
crisis came sooner, it may be, than he ex-
vinely chosen as we believe, and how
grandly he led the host Of freedom
loving men forward to the great issue he had
arms and the shock Of battle we heard his
own ringing words, "Let us have faith that
right makes might, and in that faith let us,
to the end, dare to do our duty as we under
stand It," or those other golden words from
his second inaugural address. "With malice
toward none. with charity for all, with frn-
ness in the right as God gives US to see the
right let us finish the work we are in" Here
we have disclosed the real greatness of the
man and as people we can never be too
grateful to God that he gave us leader so
full OF faith in the immutable right In that
faith let us abide. The shout of those who
wore the gray and still cheer the Lost
Cause" need not disturb us. Abraham
Lincoln has taken his place in the worlds
history and there he will remain, receiving
with each added year the increasing love Of
loyal hearts and the homage Of the best of all
mankind.
Shaw's quartette then sang with great ef-
fectiveness the descriptive piece "The
Soldiers Dream" arranged by Mr.. John L.
Shaw. Hon. NJ. p Frank then spoke as
follows:
HON. NJ. p. FRANKS REMARKS.
1t is most fitting that we should honor the
memories of our departed heroes by the an
nual observance Of this day. 1t Is little that
we do for those who have done so much for
US. The instincts of our common humanity
would rebuke us should we do less. He VINO
could enjoy the gift and never express "a
kindly feeling toward the giver would de
serve censure of mankind. Amid so many
blessings can we not pause for brief season
to speak kindly and tenderly of those who
defended and preserved them all for us? As
we recall the names of the great leaders who
survived the perils OF war, we are sadly con-
scions that but few remain Grant, Mcclellan,
Meade, Hancock, Logan, Sheridan ana
Thomas, have 0beyed the call Of the great
commander. Countless others. less known
IN fQnsQ huf lass WOrIbV 0f
grateful remembrance, sleep beneath the
sods OF Mother Earth, gone to join that great
band OF noble patriots, who, stricken down
in battle far from home and loved ones, sleep
in unknown graves. Brave souls, of all re-
ligious persuasions, of every shade Of politi.
cal OpiniOnl Over the grave Nf Protestant
and Catholic alike the flag of a redeemed
country floats today. We make no distinc-
ti0n on account of political views or religious
creed. We remember them only as the
brave defenders of that free government
which makes possible political freedom and
religious liberation. They laid down their
lives for no onelparty, for no one se"t, put
for each and for all.
And as we stand around the graves today
and call to mind their herolsm, their suffer
ings, the cravings Of hunger and disease,
the groans and shrieks Of the wounded left
dying on the field of carnage, the wasting
form In camp and hospital and prison, and
Imagine how, in those dreadful hours, they
thought of loved ones in their far off homes.
whom they should see no more till the graves
should give up their dead, and then remem-
Der that 1t was for us, that we each might
enjoy unmoleSted our particular faith, reli-
gious or political, that they endured all this,
and laid down their lives at last, can we for
moment hesitate to entertain for them the
precious hope OF glorious reunion with
kindred and friends and comrades, when the
smoke of ell earthly strife shall have rolled
away, and the strains of martial music have
been succeeded by the songs of angelic
choirs?
Year by year the ranks are thinning. Those
who yet remain will soon be called to join
the great army of the immortal. The step
that bounded TO answer the beat Of the long
roll is growing slow and feeble. The bright
eye that aimed with such deadly precision
Is already growing dim. The arm that
thrust the bayonet with such strength and
vigor is growing feeble and uncertain. aud
silver locks remind us that our veterans will
soon be called to bivouac beyond the dark
river Butlso long as this day shall return,
so long as liberty shall endure, the sacrifices
made, the good accomplished for man and
for God, will ever be held in thankful re-
membrance and grateful tribute be paid to
the brave defenders OF our country in the
hour of its peril.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Franks address
Gen. III. G. Thomas spoke as follows:
Mr.. Marshal, Comrades. Ladies and Gentle
men:
Ontll yesterday INTENDED 10 address
you in the usual form, and pass some sort Of
brief eulogy on Abraham Lincoln. but felt
that the other speakers would do full justice
in that direction, and that as had enjoyed
his personal acquaintance when he visited the
Army of the James and at Richmond Just
after our victory and that anything | ac-
tually saw of our martyred President how
ever trivial or simply told would interest you
moret than any pas egyric that wouldfall from
my unframed lips The Presidents coming
created furry among all from the private
to the General commanding. The news flew
about. We learned Mrs. Lincoln was with
him. They were quartered at General Ord's.
Somebody had seen Capt. Boo Lincoln Of
Grants staff riding up from City Point.
One young staff officer came in breathless
with the news that Lee had surrendered
well, I'm glad your empty heads stuffed
full for once" growled grizzly old quarter.
master, and the young aid retired, hating
himself, despite his handsome new drill
jacket.
Then we got something positive viz, an
order that the President would review US at
10 a, m. on the morrow. "But where's a horse
ht for him to ride" said one of the group
Say, Thomas, your Dom Piatt stallion is the
toppiest thing about here" said another.
Yes, you lead him up there said third.
He'll please Old Abe so he'll make you a
major general ON the spot" was the sarcaism
of a fourth whose own promotion had not
been satisfactory, at least himself. mo use,
chirped a third, "Sam Elders got chestnut
giraffe hand taller than ThOmas's horse,
ond IA ord kpoyvs all ahOut him. - And sO IL