Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-01
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS.
His Memorial Day Speech to the Veteran,
mt Philadelphia

President Harrison delivered the following
address at the memorial day ceremonies a,
Laurel Hill cemetery near Philadelphia on Sat.
urday:
Commander, comrades Of the Grand Army
of the Republic, and fellow citizens-I have
neither the strength nor the voice adequate to
any extended speech today. i come to you as
a eomrade, to take part in the interesting exer-
eises OF this memorial day. 1t gives me special
pleasure to combine with that tribute, which 1
nave usually been able to pay since this day
was instituted, to the dead of all our armies. q
special mark Of respect. and to that great sol
dler who won Gettysburg. 1t is impossible to
separate some Impressions of sorrow from these
exercises, for they bring to memory comrades
VINO have gone from us. How wildly there
comes 10 my memory many battle scenes! Not
the Impetuous rush of conflict. but the hour of
sadness that followed victory. Then it was our
sad duty to gather from the field the bodies of
those who had given the last pledge of loyalty.
There Is open to my vision more than one
yawning trench in which we laid our dead of
the old brigade. We laid them elbow touch
ing elbow in the order in which they had
stood in the line of battle. We left them in
the hasty sepulcher and marched on. Now we
rejoice that a grateful government has gath
cred together the scattered dust of all these
comrades and placed them in beautiful and
sale ploces OF nOnOr anu repOee. i cannot
but feel that if they could speak to us today
they would say, Put the flag at the top of the
mast / have recently returned from an ex-
tended tour of the states and nothing SO i'm
pressed and refreshed me as the universal dis
play Of this banner Of beauty and glory. 1t
waved over every school house; it WAS in the
hands of the school children. As we sped
across the sandy wastes at some solitary house
a man, woman. a child would come to the
door and wave it in loyal greeting. Two years
ago saw a sight that has ever been present in
my memory. As we we're going out of the
harbor of Newport about midnight on a dark
night some of the officers of the torpedo station
had prepared for us a beautiful surprise. The
flag at the top of the station unseen in the
darkness of the night, when suddenly electric
search lights were turned on it, bathing it in a
Hood of light.
.Ail below the flag was hidden, and it seemed
to have no touch with earth, but to hang from
the battlements of heaven. 1t was as if heaven
was approving the human liberty and human
equality typited by that flag. Let us take, on
this occasion. a new draught of courage make
new VOWS OF consecration; for. my country
men, 1t was not because it was inconvenient
that the rebel states should go. not that il
spoiled the autonomy of the country. but be-
cause ii was unlawful that all this sacrifice has
to be made and to bring them back to their
allegiance. Let us not forget that as good citi-
zens and good patriots it is our duty always to
obey and to give 1t our loyal support. and in
slst that every one else shall do There is no
more mischievous suggestion made than that
the soldiers of the Union army desire to lay
any yoke on those who fought against us other
than the yoke of the law. We cannot ask less
than that in all relations they shall obey the
law. and that they shall yield to every other
man his full rights under the law. thank you
for the pleasure of participating in these exer-
elSes win you today, and give you a comrades
best wishes and comrades goodbye"
After luncheon and a reception at the Union
League the President and Secretary Tracy
were driven to the baltimore and Ohio station
and at 100 pm. left for Washington, arriving
here at lO:45. Secretary Proctor went on to
Vermont and Postmaster General Wanamaker
went to his country place near Philadelphia
Private Secretary Halford returned to Wash
lngton on later train.