The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-05-31

feast or festival to rob of all sttractiveness
and dull to wearying commonplace the once
exercises which swelled the heart
with tender or ennobling sentiments and filled
the mind with generous and quickenng
thought. The modern world flies monotonv
as an intolerable evil and hurries impatiently in
search of new scenes and new sensations. In
every department of human activity this is
true, and neither the authority of religion
nor the claims of patriotism can correct 1t.
Old set customs fall into disuse. The time
honored ceremonial observances OF memora-
BILE anniversaries are year by year less at
tended to because they have lost the charm of
novelty. This is due, no doubt, in part, to
the development of individualism aud the
spread of intelligence. And In this view 1t is
a good and encouraging sign that the beautiful
institution of Memorial Day still finds millions
eager to participate in itsceremonials. The great
heart Of the country still throbs more strongly
and quickly when the deeds of those who
fought out the mighty issues Of 1861 recur to
It. They are still held in undiminished love
and gratitude, and millions of tender hands
continue through the years to gather fresh
flowers and strew them gratefully and lovingly
on the dead heroes graves. After the
long storm the sun shone brightly yesterday
and the cemeteries were thronged with the
comrades, the widows, and the orphans of
those who fought and fell in the great strug-
gle, whose bitterness is now happily forgotten
and only its pathos and grandeur cherished.
Thousands of flags waved over the green
mounds the roses and the violets caught
new glory from the sunlight, eloquent orators
told anew the exploits of the slumbering
heroes, fresh blessings were called down on
the living and the dead, again the solemn
dirge was played, and with hearts overfowing
with tenderness and sorrow, softened by time,
the throngs departed, their annual duty done.
Other customs pass into forgetfC lness and
disuse, but the beautiful ceremonies of Deco
ration Day are still held dear, for the senti-
ments which gave them origin are still a force
in the affairs of American men and women.
-.
At last there is fair prospect that something
will be done to save the seals of our Alaskan
waters from determination. The slaughter
Of these interesting. and valuable animals has
gone on for years against the protests OF
naturalists and other. disinterested citizens,
because men of great wealth and potent po-
litical influence found in it source of fabu-
lous income The Treasury has been en-
riched to a small extent out of the proceeds
of the seal-killing, but the great bulk of the
wealth which flowed from this source has
gone into the Golfers of the corporations
which held from the Government the mo-
nopoly Of the privilege Of taking the seals.
These corporations had little regard for the
future of the seal rookeries, as their contracts
~ I'd 70
terests Of the public demanded the stop
page of the slaughter. Their lookout was
to kill as many seals as possible while the
contracts lasted, and there seems to be little
doubt that they did SO, Notwithstanding the
limitations placed on the annual catch by the
Government. The natural result of this was
that the seal reokeries became almost depop-
ulated, and for the last two years several re-
ports have been made by conscientious Gov
ernment agents and disinterested naturalists,
giving warning that unless the killing of seal 8
was quickly and completely stopped the
species would become extinct in the Behring
Sea islands, where not so long ago they
swarmed by the million during the breeding
season. But the men who now hold the mo-
nopoly of seal-killing opposed the proposition
to stop it with all their influence, which is
great, and for time it was feared they would
carry their point, to the lasting loss of the
country. The dispute with England as to her
| rights in Behring Sea still further complicated
affairs, and made a suppression of seal-kll
| ing very difficult. But the introduction of a
bill In Parliament the past week authorizing
| the Queen to prevent British subjects from
| sealing in Behring Sea without permission
| simplifies the problem and makes it pro bable
that close season will now be proclaimed
and the seals given a chance to multiply for
at least one year. The position of England
has been effectively used by those members OF
our Government who seem to oppose the
stopping of the slaughter. Their opposition
will now have to give way in view of the
| good intentions which the English display.
II close season is proclaimed it will re-
dound to the credit of President Harrison,
and it will not be possible to say truthfully
of him that he sacrificed permanently mine
of wealth which belongs 20 the whole people
to the greed OF few men.
|