Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-06-18
THE DEAD AT PROSPECT HILL.
Mr. ID. skutsch Delivers an Grafton In
German.

The veterans of the Eighth battalion,
District OF Columbia volunteers. deco
rated the graves of their fallen CON-
rades III Prospect Hill Cemetery yes
terday. They marched from Loeb
boehler's Park in a body, and ID.
Skutsch. of the Journal, delivered the
address il German. The conclusion OF
his Grafton was as follows:
Now that all nature Is again IN YER
dure clad; that fields and forests, gar
dens and groves. appear again rejuyen-
atsd in the garb of lovely spring; now
that new life has sprung forth where
the icy breath of winter had held all
animation suspended. we find our
selves, in the midst of all these eviden-
ces of life snd health, here. at the
home of peace, OF seclusion, and OF
eternal rest, TO look back upon the dead
past.
We have assembled to-day to pay our
tribute of love and devotion to those
who are past all earthly sorrow and
trouble, who have returned TO tina;
bourne whence, as the poet says,
mo traveller ever returned
This our tribute, this homage is paid
to those who, in patriotic devotion 10
tie country OF their choice, the country
which most closely approached their
ideal of a land of liberty, took up their
arms for its maintenance as such, who
helped to fight its battles and TO win its
glorious victories, until they themselves
have passed over to that great army
beyond, whose silent, endless leglons
our minds cannot conceive.
Wars noisy activity has long since
ceased: those who wee once arrayed In
sanguine warfare against each other
have long since returned 10 the calm
occupations or peace; over the graves OF
dear friends the hands of tie men
OF the y orth and the South have long
since grasped each other IN frateTnai
spirit, and il common they are now
striving 10 contribute to a common
country's greatness and prosperity 1t
IL not in a spirit OF hatred, therefore,
that We are here united to-day-we
would but recall anew lovingly to our
memories thoughts. of the dear departed
and of the duties which they, as our ex-
amples, have left us as heritage.
Of these duties We adopted citizens
are reminded by every last resting place
upon this hallowed spot-a silent admo-
milton of tie dead to the living, that
We should be true to them and 10 our
selves.
Not upon the field of honor alone are
there duties TO perform tor the patriotic
citizen, there are also duties which
claim our obedience in the calm pur-
suit of peaceful development Mt
only should our own welfare claim our
exertlon and attention, but theIe are
common interests which must be pre-
served.
If the German element of this coun-
try docs not wish to expose itself TO the
well-gTounded charge that it places
material success above all other aims
and objects of human existence, then
il will have TO devote Itself to those
duties in the future in a greater degree
than it has done heretofore. But II
Will then also find that 1t is much easier
10 prevent unjust and ol pressive legis-
latiOn by attacking the evil at its roofs
than TO avoid the consequences Of such
legislation when IL has once assumed
legal force.
In nine great States Of this Union no
Governor, no Legislature, could be
elected If they should be unfriendly
disposed toward the Just claims of the
German element, if it would but assert
its inherent power and political strength.
No man could be elevated 10 the Office
of President of the Uuitel States by one
or the other of the two great parties Of
our land who should bear upon his
brow the Cams mark Of knownothing
Ism.
The principle of political equality,
upon which our entire system of gov
ernment rests, places into the hands of
every one by far the most powerful
weapon of self-defeGse mans ingenuity
ever created-the elective franchise.
TTa. Z n ~ a1.
preciated this weapon. has II done JUS
tice TO its responsibility as an import
ant, integral part of this free nation?
\ glance at the political situation of
to-day will show IL. Let US look be-
yond the narrow confines of the place
where we, an significantly small pOr-
ton OF that element. comprising mil
lions Of the inhabitants of this Union,
are assembled TO do honor to our dead,
the heroes of the Union
Let our eyes wander 10 yonder stately
dome under whose massive colonnades
are enthroned not only the legislative
power OF this country. but also the
highest judicial tribunal which passes
in Judgment upon the DEGREES of those
legislative bodies. We find that this
German element, one-seyenth of the
entire population Of the Union, is
neither represented upon that judicial
tribunal nor IN the Senate of the United
States 10y but 4 single voice. We
find that among the hundreds OF
Representatives fIom all parts of this
great land in the National House of
Representatives hardly a fiftieth part
speaks rs the mother tongue those
sounds so welcome to our ears and
hearts. Can there he valid reasons, in
a system OF government based upon the
bToadest foundations of universal
equality, for such disproportionate rep
resentation of popular elements claim
ing common rights Such a suppOsition
would be hardly justifiable. There Is
not city or any extent in this country
where men of German origin do not
hold pieces of honor among the fore
most members Of the legal fraternity.
There are not many portions OF this
great lat.d in which men of German
descent have not made their way to the
front ranks of citizenship by their great
personal qualifications. by their brilliant
successes upon the fields of Industry.
commerce, The arts and sciences. or by
their success in caring for public inter
ests or by their philanthropy. Can it
be, nevertheless, a lack of interest in
the common welfare, or ill-becomIng
mOdesty which relcgates the best rep
resentatives OF the German element to
the darkness of the political back
ground? Why this seclusion from the
public and political life of this nation
on the part of the German element.
this almost imperceptible representa-
ton in those fields in which its own in
terests should be preserved and pro-
tected?
Surely, it is an evidence that the Ger