The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-05-26
MEMORIAL DAY.
Again the sweetly solemn function o.
Memorial nav &c at hand

Memorial Day is at hand.
Again comes the time when we are to for
get for awhile the fret and fever of selfish
gain-getting. the quest of pleasure, the de-
mands of business, the requirements OF
family, and dwell for awhile in loving re-
membrance of these who, under God, gave
their lives to gain for us all that we now
enjoy.
1t is greatly TO our credit that this cere-
moDy is unique with US. No other Nation
has ever set apart day in the year as
memorial of those who died for their country.
Mother land has established such Sabbath
Day of Patriotism, the celebration of which
is an honor to the people who observe 1t,
and an invaluable lesson TO the rising gene
ration, which must bear rich fruits in some
coming day of the Nations trial, when 1t
shall need all the fortitude and unselfish
devotion OF its sons and daughters.
While we are alone in such a celebration
we are also alone in having SO much reason
for one.
Not in recorded history has any country
ever required so much of her sons, ncr is
there in human annals such a record of devo-
ton even unto death of the sons Of any
country. From total of 100000 people.
over 100000 fighting men went forth to
battle four long, bloody years for their
countTy's salvation. That was one stalwart
warrior for every 10 people. As five of this
group Of population were women, it follows
that out of every five males in the loyal
States-including Old men, cripples, decrepit
and infrm, children and boys, and the cow
ardly and selfish able bodied-there went
one good, gallant soldier! What a splendid
exhibition Of the universal manliness of
American men, Such ratio of fighting
men to the population is unprecedented in
history.
Then, how determinedly they fought! The
time between the firing of the first hostile
gun at Fort Sumter and the surrender in
Texas OF the last armed rebel was four years
and 10 days, 500 exciting, anxious, thrill
ing days. In that time those 100000 men
fought The unparalleled number of 2,260
battles and skirmishes, many of them the
most sanguinary engagements in the history
of war. Before those 1906 eventful days
were numbered more than half million of
those patriotic men were dead. Out of
every four who had hurried to the defense
of the country one had persisted at the post
where duty called him. More fighting men
than there were in the whole country at the
time Of the Reyolution-more than formed
the greatest armies the world had seen up
10 that time-had been swept out of exist
ence. Over 100000 had been stricken dead
by shot aud shell upon the 1920 battle
fields; Il 600 had been starved and tortured
20 death in rebel prisons; over 100000 had
died in hospitals, and 225,0oo had been SO
severely hurt as to cause their discharge,
half of them dying at their homes or before
they reached there.
It is these facts which exaIt our Memorial
Day into great National occasion such as
no other country possesses. Where other
peoples have sent forth their sons to battle
by hundreds and thousands ours went forth
by millions; where theirs fought scores of
battles ours fought thousands; where theirs
died By legions, ours fell by myriads; where
theirs too often fought for the spells of con-
quest, or to crafty the ambition Of kings,
ours dared and suffered for the purest love
of country.
Memorial Day is more than National
day. 1t is a Sabbath for Humanity. 1t is a
testimony to the world of the manhood, the
valor. the selfsacrifce of free people, who
fought not for themselves alone, but for the
Acknowledgement of millions of bordsmen,
and that Government of the people, for
the people, and by the people should not
perish from the earth"