Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-31

the undying and inherited hatred Of
Rome. Reared and educated amid the
triumphs of military prowess, he devoted
the best years of his life to revenge. in
which he displayed a heroism and an
energy undaunted.
Not single principle was advanced by
his phenomenal success, but misery and
woe stalked like specters in the wake of
his conquering hosts.
The Roman Conquerors
Fought for gain and the aggrandizement
Of the Imperial City, at the sacrifice of
all the rights of surrounding people.
Here, too, the lust of power and the
vengeance of thwarted ambition did it's
poisonous work, until the glory of the
commonwealth went down amid the
throes Of civil conflict and the bitter
rivalry of Caesar and Pompey.
The sun of imperial power rose re-
splendent over the ruins of the republic
and illuminated the world for centuries
with the brilliant displays of military
achievement and imperial pomp. Over
whelmed at last by the fury of internal
discord, the Eternal City fell to rise no
more,
Modern history is filed with the re-
citals of similar events. The wars of
England and France were waged for
conquest. The struggles of continen tai
Europe were for power and political
supremacy.
The strength of human endurance was
we'll nigh exhausted when the star of
hope arose in the western hemisphere.
Here was established a government
based upon the rights of the people.
Here arose race sprung from the loins
of the oppressed and prosecuted.
Profiting by the experience of the past
and upon this virgin soil they knelt
around the altar of common faith and
consecrated this land of freedom. They
founded nation inspired by noble pur-
poses and actuated by the holiest de-
sires. They Infused into it's early organ
ization love of liberty and hatred of
oppression. They built this govern
mental fabric upon the cornerstone of
justice and equal rights. They organ
lied a system of governmental policy
founded upon the consent of the gov
erned and stamped upon its very exist
ence the impress of patriotic virtue.
In the fullness of time the struggle
came, which was to test the perpetuity
VI IlllS eApcIllAcHI VI Hulldu GOVERN
ment. 1t was to be decided whether
free institutions should perish from the
earth, or whether an institution which
had grown with our growth and
strengthened with our strength should
or its antipodes be firmly established on
Columbias fair Shore
Can we forget the terrOrs which en-
vino ha
bitterness of that contest? Can we
ever forget how the patriotism and
valor born of adversity and persecution
nobly vindicated the wisdom of an i'm
mortal ancestry and crushed the last de-
spairing hopes of despotism?
The day we celebrate is hallowed and
sanctifed by its association with these
memorable events. Well is it named
Memorial day; memorial to patriot
ism a memorial to honor; a memorial
to the fidelity of heirs to noble herit-
age bequeathed by patriotic sires; a
memorial to American valor. Today is
the feast of the dead today we rejoice
not in the defeat of our countrymen,
but in the triumph of liberty. On this
Memorial day we place the floral coronet
upon the brow of victory; victory over
tyranny; victory over slavery victory
over error; victory over our own wrongs.
We rejoice in the triumph of free
| speech, free thought and free schools.
We rejoice to know that here upon this
soil where was planted the first tree OF
liberty, that here it still fourishes in
its pristine vigor. No ruthless hand
can destroy it. The spirit which in
spired the genius of our institutions is
consecrated by the blood of heroes.
The spirit which sacrificed 100000 lives
upon the altar of duty, has enshrouded
the temple of liberty with the halo of
immortal glory. On this Memorial day
we can congratulate ourselves that free
dom still lives and wields the genial
sceptre of universal empire.
While garlanding the "passionless
mounds" which contain the ashes of our
heroic dead, we can console ourselves
with the blessed reflection that they
have not died in vain.
We can recognize the fact that
Freedoms battle once begun
Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son."
has maintained and impregnably estab-
lished those immortal principles the
seeds of which were planted in the new
world by the prosecuted of the old. Let
us hope that there may be instilled in
the youthful heart an undying love of
those great political tenets upon which
our very existence depends; that the
atmosphere of freedom may never again
be polluted by the noxious vapors which
arise from the glow of partisan fury
that the restless ambition of aspiring
demagogues may never again be per-
lnitted to disturb the equilibrium OF
American patriotism by sectional con-
tests over false political philosophy.
Americans have learned in the severe
school of adversely the unwelcome truth
that royal sympathy with republican
government is a delusion and snare,
and was fifty portrayed by the hypo-
critical grimace of foreign potentates at
beholding our apparently hopeless con-
dition.
While the Grand Army of the Republic
is passing away, and one by one the boys
are departing, the deeds which they
performed will shine with renewed
ustre as time moves forward. That
while their bodies lay mouldering in the
grave, their souls go marching on.
Future generations will never cease to
admire that brilliant record which
shines resplendent upon the pages OF
history.
The great leader whose memory the
Grand Army of the Republic will re-