Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-06-05

the mightier throngs of heaven who mingle
in this service which we render to God and
our country while we twist the two garlands.
Hail spirits multitudinousl Hail spirits
best. Hail martyred ones come down from
from the Kings palacesl How glad are we
that you have come back again! Take this
kiss OF welcome and these garlands Of remin-
iscence, We who lauguishei in hospitals or
went down under the thunders and the
lightning of Fredericksburg and Cold Har-
Dor and Murfreesboro and C0rinth AMI
YORKTOWN AMI above the clouds on Lookout
Mountain.
Among the thousands OF gatherings at
the north and at the south for Decoration
DAYS am conscious that this service is
unique, and that it is only one in which there
has been twisted two garlands, one for the
grave of the northern dead and the other for
the grave Of the southern dead OLord God
Of the American Union, is it time that We
bury forever our old grudgess My! N.Y. Can
we not be at peace on earth when this mo-
ment in heaven dwell, in perfect love.
Ulysses s. Grant and Robert K. Lee, VIII
lam T. Sherman and Stonewall Jackson.
and tens Of thousands Of northern aud
southern men who. though they once looked
Gskance at each other from the opposite
banks Of the Potomac and the Chckahominy
and the James and the Tennessee, now are
on the same side of the river, keeping jubi-
lee with some OF those old angels who near
nineteen centuries ago came down one
Christmas night TO chant over Bethlehem,
"Glory to God in the highest: on earth
peace, good will TO men"
! have been waiting for some years for
some one else to twist the two garlands
that to-day TWIST but no one doing il, in
the love of God and my country put now
hand IN fhn work and ppxf Cnripn
about this time, il am living aud well. |
VIII twist two more garianns for northern
and southern graves, and every springtime
until some man or woman whom | may
have cbeered little in the struggle OF this
life shall come out and put pansy o. two
on my owh grave. But if the time should
ever come when this land shall be given
over to sectional rancor and denagogism,
and north and south, OF cast and west shall
forget what the good God built this nation
for. and it shall halt on its high career of
Righteousness and liberty aud peace, and be-
come the agent Of tyranny and wrong and
oppression, then let some young man whom
/ have baptized in infancy at these affairs 90
out to Greenwood and scoop up my dust and
scatter it TO the four winds of heaven, for |
do not want to sleep. and | will not sleep in
a land accused with sectionalism or oppres-
sion.
And now hand over the two garlands,
both of which ar5 wet with many tears
tears Of widowhood and orphanage and
childessness, tears of suffering and tears of
gratitude: and as the ceremony must be
performed in symbol, there not being enough
flowers to cover all the graves, take the one
garland to the tomb of some northern
soldier who may yesterday have been
omitted in the distribution Of the sacra-
ment of flowers, and the other garland to
the tomb of some southern soldier who may
n month ago have been omitted in the distri..
button of the sacrament of the flowers, and
put both the wreaths gently down over the
hearts that have ceased TO beat. God bless
the two garlands Col save the Unitef
States Of America