Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-31

Iallen heroes. Inc beautiful ana I'M
pressive ceremonies of this day, with
all its sad and glad recollections, re-
awakens within us the genius Of our
better love; today we live anew, in
treasured thought recounting the many
tender and terrible experiences of the
war. We recall to mind the time when,
with mothers blessing, a sisters
prayer, lovers embrace, the youth
and hope of the republic irst went forth
to the tented field. The great drama
OF the war again presents itself to our
minds strikingly familiar in all it's de-
tails, revisiting us with recollections
of the times when, after the
long and weary march, foot
sore. hungry and exhausted we
together shared the cold earth's well
come bivouac; again the shrill blast of
the bugle or the alarm of the long roll
calls us to hurriedly form into line to
repel the expected charge; once more
we storm the cloudmasked batteries
that from the lofty mountain side hurl
forth their whirlng messengers of
death; again we contest inch by inch
the possession OF disputed ground, red
with gore and covered with the dead and
dying, as through blaze of powder and
curling smoke: and clash Of arms, and
glitter of bayonets, and fash OF swords
breast barred to breast, alike defiant
and fearless, brave men as ever the
bright orb of heaven shone upon. strug.
! Cling on and on in that fearful combat
of destruction until gracious night
catches up and suspends her mantle of
\ darkness over the awful scene and SO
on in imagination are we led through
the battles and repulses, assaults and
victories to the final surrender. When
the trumpet of the union arms vouch-
safed us an undivided country and es-
tablshed the principle that, under the
constitution, the national government
is and must be supreme.
And yet while today we are happy in
the enjoyment of peace and prosperity
throughout the whole country, although
we rejoice in the re-establshment of
free government, and the preservation
and glory Of the stars and stripes, and
while we are glad that the scenes of that
fearful struggle are growing more dim
with the fieeting years, and hope time
may heal all the wounds and eradicate
all the bitterness of that fraternal con-
tiict; still we must not forget that it is
our holy duty as well as our rightful
pride as surviving companions of that
! patriotic brotherhood, as a people who
| believe in and cherish the principles for
which they died, to forever seek to per-
petuate their memories, preserve and
protect their histories, and guard with
jealous care their honored names.
On such day as this, engaged in
such ministry to the memory of our
dead, our hearts should lose none OF
their firmness and devotion to principle
and duty, but the softening influences
of mortality at its last estate should
have its effect in widening our charities
and lessening our hates there should
be exercised greater care and protection
for our dependent ones, and greater
charity practiced by us toward one an
other as we struggle through the varied
circumstances of life; there should not
be one beautiful bud nor a single
fragrant flower the less cast upon our
soldiers graves, but there should be
quicker and more substantial response
to the necessities of the living.
The ceremonies of today, like all
funeral ceremonies, are for the teaching
of the living as we'll as marks of respect
and honor for the dead, and the central
thought that runs through all exercises
andsorations of this day should be the
teaching of the beauty and fitness OF
individual sacrifice for the preservation
of the nations unity and progress.
The custom of annually decorating
with flowers and immortelles the green
heaps where rest our sacred dead, is
most appropriate and beautiful in its OBJ
servance; and in common with all mem
bers of our order, wherever loyalty and
patriotism prevail, we have this day
performed the loving duty OF laying
sweet flowers on the graves of cur com
rades who have gone before us, and have
again renewed our pledge of protection
to the widows and orphans left to our
care; no grave, where known, is 80 lone
ly or obscure that some kind hand does
not scatter over it today at least hand
ful of "heaven's variegated messengers
OF peace" most fitting of the faith that
lives given in the nations defense are
and honored by all loyal hearts as they
cover them with wreaths and pillow
them in fragrance and in beauty.
"My friends. there is broad sense in
which it is we'll for this nation that one
day in the year be devoted to these
offerings, for the underlying impulse
means the recognition of the worth and
fitness of patriotism, without wide
spread faith and practice OF which, our
republic, like those of other times, must
play over again the old historic tragedy
of rise, progress and decline, and once
more disappoint the hopes OF humanity;
therefore, the greatest service, my COM
rades, that we can now render our
country is to stimulate and encourage
the proper observance of this day, by
decorating the graves of those who
were willing to take their lives in
their hands and make of their
breasts living ramparts for the
defense of liberty, justice and
national unity. You add your testi-
monial and symbolic your devotion to
those principles upon which alone rests
the hope of the peipetuity of this re-
public. In view of these facts, [ repeat
that the nation has done well to set
apart one day in the year as Memorial
day; and those who participate in it's
observance not only honor the dead but
aid in strengthening in The public heart
and conscience that fundamental prin-
ciple upon which rests American patri-
otism. And now, my comrades of the
Grand Army, or this day, upon this oc-
casion, at this fitting time, let us, with
one thought and heart, renew our vow
of fealty to the memory of our dead
that we will remember, 1--WE will be vig-
liant, we will be loyal to our country, to
the right, to the truth, to God, and to
our flag"