The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1891-05-13
FLAG PRESERVATION
BY Gen. Lewis Council O. u. ma
Large Turnout.

BY Gen. Lewis Council O. U. A. MA
Large Turnout.
Asannounced in the REGISTER, the
flag presentation to the public
schools of this place by Gen. Lewis
Council o. u. A. NJ, took place
last Thursday. The program was
in immediate charge of this patriotic
order, and was followed out as fol-
lows:
The line was formed on Main
street between 9th and 9th, in the
order below:
First, Hartford City band; second,
school children; third, Board of Ed
ucation; fourth, Point Pleasant
Lodge No. 80, 1. o. o. F. in full
regalia; fifth, citizens; seventh, Gen.
Lewis Council, o. U. A. NJ. The
line of march was up Main to 18th,
down Main to 9th, across 9th to
Wand, down Wand to school house.
Here a halt was made, and the
children formed in line, and in a
beautiful manner sang America"
AT the close of the singing Prof.
Kenny introduced W. e. Beller,
Esq, who in the following words
presented the flag to the public
schools on behalf of the order, of
which he is a member:
MR.. BELLER's SPEECH.
Ladies and Gentlemen and EelLog
Citizens: Our first general duty is
to our Creator, and the next is to
our country. What we are about
to do to-day is to express our 10y
atty to our country in way that
no one can doubt or surcharge. 1t
is by erecting the beautiful banner
of this, our beloved country, on this
public institution of this city, the
banner of this beautiful, beloved and
extensive country, stretching from
blue Atlantic to broad Pacific, and
from the lakes to the Gulf, the
land of the free and the home of the
brave. All the scenes of all that is
grand and good upon which our
eyes might rest, call up before our
minds with vivid power, the ex-
allied days of the infancy of our
country. The hopeful days of the
Revolution, and the fearful and
heart rending days of the civil war.
toward the past! Look along down
the tieeting years of little more
than four centuries. You will see
and hear bold and adventurous
Columbus saying, '.is the world fiat
or round? What kind of verge
or precipice is drawn around the
cloudy rim of nature? What vision
or peril, or wonder might arise on
the mariners sight? Beyond the
extreme sea walls, and between the
remote sea gates, If a man go, could
he return again2' Following Col
umbus, we see the Pilgrims fleeing
from oppression and seeking home
where they might be free. Coming
on we see the heroes Of the Revolu-
ton battling for this, our beloved
home, and forfeiting all that was
near and dear to them, In order that
they might establish a freeman's
home. Coming on down to the late
civil war, we see sons leaving faith
ers, mothers, brothers and sisters
and for aught they knew, never to
meet again on earth: leaving all the
pleasures of life, all that was dear
to them, for the purpose of defend
ing and preserving the grand old
banner that she might still continue
TO wave and float over this, the
land of the free American citizen.
Gentlemen and fellow citizens,
viewing this as we should, cannot
we all say in one voice.. and one
accord:
''Then join hand in hand
Americans all,
BY uniting we stand,
by dividing we fall
Let our every act, and our every
deed be TO the praise of this, our
ever cherished home.
The Importance Of the present
epoch in the history of our country
is. however, simply, the Importance
which attaches to the condition and
probable destiny of that universal
hero of all earthly dramas-man
himself We represent INN to-day
in one of his present and most i'm
portant relations to the age in
which we live-to God and to the
human race. We represent him
AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. WE ARE
AMERICAN CITIZENS.
1t is an indisputable fact that
everywhere beneath the sun-on
the high seas and in the midst of
the desert, wherever the insatiate
thirst for knowledge or gain has
lured the children of civilization.
the magic power of the American
name is never invoked in vain. 1t
is that wherever the human heart.
CALLED by tyranny, feels the faintest
aspiration for freedom, there the
image of our laws and our civil pol
icy appears like a heavenly visitant.
We, as an association. teach no
doubtful lessons on the subject of
our devotion to the Constitution
and our loyalty to the Union. The
spirit of American liberty is planted
deep in our preccpts. Upon this