The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-31

upon Droad principles Oh equity ana 1ustlce
BASED upon high moral plane. My comrades.
. summer breeze, go fitting through
the brain as we pay grateful homage
to our honored dead. In manhood's
morn when the trembling news flashed over
the land that our flag was insrlted and liberty
In peril, you were there. When home, farm,
shop and stora were deserted to swell the ranks
of valiant heroes; when the parting kiss was
given and the sad farewells OF mother, wife and
sister were breathed In broken sobs. and the
''God bless you. my boy" fell from the lips of
silver haired sire, You were there. When the
company, 10 the stirring music of fife and drum,
marched through its native village, amid the
ptaudits of ueighbors and friends aud lovers
signs, to glory and undying fame, you were
there When on weary march, in dreuching
rain and swelterIng sun, legions of freemsn
tramped treason's soil; when the hospitals were
filled with the sick, dying aud wounded, and the
prisons glutted with ghostlike forms bearing the
image OF men, you were there. When the
earth tremb!ed and reeed like unto volcanic
shock and the sulphur smoke OF battle rose in
ghoulfsh glee; when shot and she'll leaped with
fiery tongue and tore shreds of human flesh
from manly forms, anu the piercing cry OF agony
rose to God: and when the cry Of victory filled
the air, and liberty. baptized In blood, In halo
OF peace, ilumined our land with her heavenly
smile, you were there. When a grateful nation
with cheers and tears welcomed the return OF
her bero-saviors In grand review at her capitol,
you were there. Aud when the final grand re-
view OF the Grand Army of the Republic shall
be hold In the "Blue Pacific OF Iufiuty," you
will also be there As an eminent orator on
similar occasion has said: "We can, with tho
old fire and fervor, sweep with Sherman In his
march to the sea: stand by the grand Thomas
while he 10 holding the enemy at bay; be
with the chivalric Mcpherson a. he falls
nj fs1hf IN, ho NJ a.
mountain with gallant Joe Hooker; follow that
wonderful ride down the valley to Winchester,
when the heroic Sheri dan on foaming steed re-
formed his flying squadrons and plucked vic
tory from defeat; sit with Farragut in the
shrouds OF bis flagship at Mobile bay, and look
at that noblest OF historical groupings when
Lee surrendered his sword to Grant, You have
by your patriotism and valor given a new birth
to freedom and imperiled your lives IN the cause
OF Liberty and American unity. Poetry and
song will watt your praises and you Will receive
the gratitude and homage of future generations.
Ny comrades, as we drop the tear Of memory on
the graves OF our former companions I'm arms,
SAD, sad indeed. would be this occasion If IL were
not for the pleasing hope OF immortality and
the assurance that the spirits Of the heroic dead
are lowering over this scene, as our tribute Of
praise rises like perfumed incense in honor OF
their valiant deeds. Poor, poor indeed would
be our earthly existence If hanging on princes
favors, the proud mans contumeIy, the groan-
ing and sweating under a heavy load, misfor.
tune and sorrow, violated promises, the ingrati-
tude OF a cold and cherries world and a death
like the beast Of the field, were all of Life.
Can It be?
Matter immortal, and shall spirit die2
Above the nobler. shall less noble lie?
Sn ra. man aione ior whom a. else revivss'
Imperial man, be sown in barren ground
Less privileged than the grain on which he
1t cannot be.
This 10 indeed '1and OF memories" I can.
not forbear on this occasion quoting the words
OF one OF Americas most eminent divines and
greatest poets in which be said: "a land with
out ruins IL a land without memories; q land
without memories is q land without liberty. A
land that wears . laurel crown may be fair to
see, but twine a few cypress leaves about the
brow OF any land and be that land beautiless
and bleak 1t becomes lovely In its consecrated
coronet OF sorrow ana 1t wins the sympathy of
the heart and history. Crowns Of roses fade:
crowns Of thorns endure. Calvaries and cruel
fixes take deepest hold Of humanity: the tri.
umphs OF might are transient they pass away
and are forgotten; the suffcrings of right are
craven deepest on the chronicles OF nations
Yes. give me land where the ruins are spread
And the living tread light on the hearts Of the
dead;
Yes, give me land that is blest by the dust
And bright with the deeds OF the down-trodden
Yes, give mo land that has legend and lays
Enshrining the memories ofiong-vanished days;
Yes, give me land that has story and song
To tell OF the strife OF the right with the wrong;
Yes, give me the land with grave in each spot
And names in the graves that shall not be for
Yes. give me the land OF the wreck and the
There's a grandeur In graves-there's glory in
For out of the gloom future brightness is born,
As after the night looms the sunrise of morn,
And the graves OF the dead, with the grass over.
grown,
May yet form the footstool OF Mbertys throne,
And each single wreck in the war-path of Might
Shall yet be Q rock in the Temple OF Right.
My friends, let Love build floral monument
to our fallen heroes, its sweet fragrance reach
ing to the skies and resting on tho grateful
hearts OF loyal people Around its base weave
garlands OF forget-me-nots of loveliest blue. in
memory OF those veterans who fell on the altar
OF their country. Above them let the lilies, in
their whitened purity, fresh-plucked from Ma
lures bosom, picture the lineaments of Grant,
Sherman, Sheridan and others who led our
mighty hosts and on its eminence pencil, rs II
by Divinity itself, the sanity features of the
immortal Lincoln crowned with immorteles,
and encirce him with wreath OF everlastings
upon which shall be inscribed the memorable
words: "With malice toward none, with
charity for all" had vision.
beheld puissant nation born in
the cradle Of human liberty and washed in the
blood of Revolutionary sires; the admiration of
the world and an object of jealousy to the mon
srchs OF the East. Its fair name was furnished
and its dignity put to shame by the curse Of
human bondage. Liberty was imprisoned and
slavery held the key. With upturned eyes the
giant republic looked to God for help, and
wrestled like samson with the binding cords
which were fast destroying It's young life. The
accused sin had its advocates who were strong
and mighty; freedom had her disciples who
were earnest and true. Words, song and story
led to agitation, and agitation begat strife, and
strife begat passion, and the wave of tenn
pestuous passion rolled over this beautiful land
like q maddened sea, aud the clouds of war
hung heavy over its people At last these
discordant elements met with the shock Of q
mighty earthquake, and the curse was washed
away with the blood OF freemep and liberty was
again supreme.
had another vision. Where once tramped
mighty hosts; where surged the battle Ike q
restless sea- where once the fields were bathed
in the warm blood of the dying soldier; where
devastated towns and cities stood like the ruins
OF oiden time, there gentle peace reigns in all
her splendor and glory; fields are rich with the
ripened grain; palaces of wealth are reared: the
school house and church, with spire to heaven,
are erected over patriot graves; and the music
of industry IL heard in every hamlet and dell.
Methinks l see lowering over this beautiful
scene the spirits Of Lincoln, Grant and Lee aud
all who with them were in wars rude alarms,
holding a mighty concavs and mingling in
heavenly love; and with a radiant smile, Lee,
in language to spirits only known, and in ac-
cents mild, brsathes this expression to our mar
tyred Lincoln: "Your cause was just; God
knoweth best, ne doeth all things well"
Go crown with flowers the patriot dead,