Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-31
The Celebration at the Ma
tiOnal Home.
The Graves of the Dead Adorned
With Flowers.
Interesting Exercises During the
Afternoon.
"Doped''-Other Items of an In
teresting Character.


Santa Monica, arranged fine programme
for the celebration of Memorial day, and
sent out invitations to number of
civilians in this city, to all veterans and
their friends, to members of the G. A.
r. and w. r. c., and to the citizens of
Santa Monica.
Promptly at 8 am. the sergeants
marched their companies to the parade
ground, where the whole command was
formed in column of companies under
command of Major A. Erdman, marshal
and commander of John A. Martin post,
and John G. Morris, sergeant-major and
assistant marshal.
The procession marched to the ceme-
terry of the home, where there are
twenty-six graves of soldiers, and
the following exercises took place:
Music (dirge); prayer, by Rev.
S. G. Blanchard memorial SER
vices, conducted by post COM
mander; poem, Blossoms for the Brave"
?. F. Thornton decoration of the graves
benediction, Father Howe. The process
sion then reformed, marched to the
parade ground and was dismissed.
AT p. m. the invited guests sat down
to sumptuOus luncheon at the house of
Governor Treichel. There was quite a
large party of ladies and gentlemen pres
ent. Amongst the latter was Mrs. Gen
eral John c. Fremont. The luncheon
was greatly enjoyed by the guests, many
of whom had whetted appetites after
their ride from Los Angeles to Santa
Monica and the home At the conclu-
sion of the luncheon, the guests were
driven in carriages to the dining hall of
the home, which was filed with the
soldiers and large number of civilians
who had come to take part in the eXer-
cises.
Governor Treichel presided, and when
all were seated, he introduced one of the
veterans who, in clear, musical voice,
sang patriotic songs.
This was followed by the introduction
of Judge w. P. Wade of Los Angeles,
the orator of the occasion. Judge
Wade, who is veteran of the war, de-
hvered very interesting address. He
recalled many scenes of the war with
descriptive vividness. He rapidly
glanced at the opening of hostilities by
the firing upon Sumter, and the eager
ness with which the youth of the coun-
try rushed to arms. He paid eloquent
tribute to the valor and patriotism of the
union soldiers pitted against men of
their own race and of equal valor with
themselves. Coming down to the time
when peace was restored, he severely
criticized all who opposed the dependent
pension bill or any other measure de-
signed to show a just recognition from
the country to the men who had shed
their blood and endured the tolls and
dangers of war for the preservation of
the union. AT the close of his address,
which had manifestly grown upon him
as he spoke, (for at the beginning he
claimed it would have the merit of
brevity) he was greeted with loud ap-
plause.
Col. II. G. Otis, of the Times, followed.
Instead of delivering an address, he read
Mr.. L. E. Mosher's poem, "The Thir-
tieth of May" The reader and the poem
were very cordially received, and the
lines were finely read.
Governor Treichel then introduced
General Horace Binney Sargent, who
delivered an address of superlative merit,
and abounding in bursts of lofty and
stirring eloquence. In a mastery flow
of language he reviewed the incidents
leading up to the war; He depicted the
great uprising of brave and patriotic
people to meet brave and determined
foe. Some of.the battle scenes in which
he was an actor were described in
graphic and eloquent speech, and dis
claiming for the officers the merit of win
ming the battl's that eliminated in
peace, he gave tile palm of achieved vic
tory to the private soldier, to whom he
paid one of the finest tributes of which
language is capable. He said we
had by force of arms conquered
peace and freed the nation from
the stigma of slavery; but
it was now our duty to see that our tolls
had not been in vain. By the wiles of
politicians and the greed of gain of the
creditor class, silver had been
demonetized and the people left at the
mercy of money-changers. The shackles
we had struck off the hands of the
negro were being riveted on the hands
of the masses by injurious legislation
and stupendous fraud. Until the peo-
pile had restored silver to the place from
which it had been fraudulently
eliminated by the legerdemain of the
great creditor class, our sufferings, our
tolls, our bloodshed would have been
spent to fasten upon our country worse
slavery than the one we had amidst the
smoke and flame of war, so completely
abolished. We regret that our space
forbids our giving even a cursory synop-
sis OF this fine eXtemporaneous address.
We cannot forbear, however, alluding to
a touching episode in the course of it.
He spoke of California in glowing terms,
described her grandeur of scenery, paid
tribute to her matchless climate, her
richness of soil and her unapproach-
able diversity and wealth of production.
He then spoke of her vast extent of ter
rltory and immense length of sea coast.
.All this magnificent state and empire
In extent you owe to the prescience, the
perseverance, the gallantry, the mill
tary and scientific attainments and the in
domitable will of one man, who was
daunted by no obstacles however great,
and whose ardor would not be quenched
by the direst adversities. The great
pathfinder led the way, the cream of the
nation followed and here built up a
state that is destined to be the brightest
jewel in Columbia's s crown. The consort
OF that illustrious American is with us
today, and | take the liberty of congrat-
ulating her here and now upon the fact
that the American congress has done
tardy justice to his pre-eminent services to
L.