The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-06-08

country. They constitute the link oe-
tween the past and the present; be-
tween the thousands who fell on the
field of battle, and theliving posterity
who glory in commemoraling their
heroism. With sorrow we see their
ranks thinned from day to day, from
wear to year. There are but few to-
day who were with Scott and Taylor
at Chaputtepec and at Buena Vista;
fewer still who were with Andrew
Jackson at New Orleans when he van
quished the flower of the British army
invading our shores. Even the heroes
of the civil war-a war in which
brother was pitted against brother
father against son. all at
the call of duty, real
or mistaken, are passing
from our midst. But heroes in truth
they were. God never gave prince
or cOnquerer such an army as He has
given me-" said the martyred presi-
dent in 1868, when the two great Sec
tions of this beautiful and prosperous
country were at war one with the
other, when the destinies of this land
were enveloped in the clouds of ad-
stood shoulder to shoulder against a
common enemy and in the harmoni-
Gus advancement of the young ma.
tion's welfare, were crimsoning the
land with the patriotic blood OF
IL 900, 600 of patriots. That was such
war as we hope will never again be
Witnessed in our country, but it was a
war also which demonstrated be-
yond question that the winged word Z,
"L'berty and Union, now and forever,
one and inseparable," was more than
the empty pathos of the rostrum, 1t
was q war which heralded to all the
winds of heaven and made it rever-
berate against every sect of political
power, that "the American Union
must and shall be preserved "
America is grand in extent, grand
in its enterprises and grand, superbly
grand, in it's patriotism. "There 60
miIlions!" said a bystander, as Charles
Carroll of CarrolIton laid down his pen
after signing the Declaration of In
dependence-a remark which be-
trayed the forlorn condition of
the hopes of the early patriots.
But they thought not of the fortdues
and as little of the lives that they
risked in signing that document
which is now so dear to every Ameri-
can heart. For them it was in the
words of Patrick Henry, liberty or
death. They have left US legacy
that is worthy of preservation-a
country that is worthy of iove-insti-
tutons that command the respect of
the civilized world. When the Grand
Army of the Republic assembled at
Denver some ten or twelve years ago,
one of its members from the east who
had for the first time crossed the
Mississippi Valley to the back bone of
the continent, a journey of 1000 miles
or more, was asked what he thought
of the country-was he not struck
with its magnitude? "Ah, yes," he
said, sit is indeed grand coun-
try, country worthy of fighting for"
1t is, indeed, worth fighting for, but
the patriotism of it's sons has made it
what it is. Memorial Day reminds
us of the gratitude we owe co the
builders and defenders of our national
autonomy, and as we strew the
graves with flowers the memory o.
heroes, surrounds us like halo of
glory; it asCends as ince ense whose
Odor carries with it our souls to higher
phases of thought, Of feeling, of action;
it is memory which must ever en-
rapture the sons OF freedom
with music as sweet as the music which
seems
Breathed softly and family in the ear of our
dreams"
This memory will impress all COM
ing times and minds, will fix itself
deep in the hearts of p0sterity, will
become q spur to nobler actions
and to valorous deeds in extremity,
will inspire magnaminity towards
those who happen to be at variance
with US, towards the vanquished in
the hour of victory. The patriots
whose glorious deeds are emblazoned
on the pages of our history may in
truth be said to "have lived in deeds,
not in years; in thoughts, not in
breaths; in feelings, not in figures on
a dial" In the days that tried the
souls of meu they were found true to
and towards who shirked their duty
in the Revolutionary war; there were
towards also who shirked their duty
in the great civil war.
THERE ARE MORAL CowARDS
today who shirk their duty towards
God, towards their fellow men, and
toward themselves. They can not be
the righttul offspring of those
heroic men who promptly answered
their country's call-who left
home and friends for the field of bat.
tie; who shed their hearts, blood at
the call o. duty, or who returned to
their homes MANNED and crippled,
equally with the others martyrs to
duty, 10 patriotism. Those heroes
who nov lie beneath the green sod of
God's providence sleep the sleep of
peace. They have done their duty as
they knew it; they have gone to their
reward. Their example will be aguide
and a beacon light to posterity. The
early Christians went joyfully to exc
cution in the assurance that the blood
OF martrys was the seed of Christi
anity; may it ever be found equal true
that the blood of our patriots is
prolific and most vital seed of patri-
otism. Indeed, nation stands always
in need of patriotic sons. The glorl.
GUS spring and summer of national