The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-05-25

piefc ing|
the gloom, bitterness and woe
that lie At the roots of resurrected
nation, bring up into the air and sum
light the fruition Of It's sorrow,
The poignancy of our grief for the
dead has passed and Memory, be-
loved guest, stands to-day by the grave
which hides their mortal part. Their
better, nobler presence has risen above
death. 1t broRthes in every anthem Of
liberty, and is voiced in the gratitude
of people redeemed from bondage.
Year by year the past is hallowed by
more sacred ties. New mounds in the
churchyard are added to the number
that mark the resting place Of our
heroic dead, and fewer blue-coated
veterans march to the sound Of solemn
music, to lay the tribute of laurel and
myrtle, symbols of glory and inmor-
tality, on the graves of those who have
passed beyond, earthly roll-call. A few
more years, and not one will be left OF
all that host that marched beneath
the southern. sun, camping, fighting,
Watching and suffering for thci- coun-
try. Yet this day will be forever ccie-
brated, the holiest Of our holy days.
Our nation Epcsl When It's foes who
sat In the splendors Of kingly courts,
and under the shadows of thrones,
viewed it, as 1t lay prostrnte, they
were glad, that "self government had
proved a failure" and eyes grown
weary with watching for the unrisen
sun of liberty, in that older world
across the blue Atlantic, wept for what
seemed our dissolution. Then mira
Gle was done, mighty and solemn. Sol
diers poured into the veins Of the dy-
ing nation their own life-blood, and
revivificd It. Scared and wounded 1t
arose, gathering new strength from
every sacrifice of Its brave sons, new
dignity from the sorrow Of its no less
brave daughters.
We come to-day, one people, united
by the hot blows of the stern workman,
War, as the smith YIELDS on his anvil
sundered bits Of metal into one homo
geneous whole. We cover the scars with
the beauty Of the spring time, beauty
born of storm and stress and winter
days The hands of little children, the
future nation-makers, bear the fra
grant tokens, the trembling hands Of
gray-haired nation-savers, that once
grasped sword and musket on bloody
and hard-fought fields lay them ovel
the sacred dust, decoration before
which the jeweled trophies on tht
breasts OF monarcns pale.
Above the fitting altar of freedom
the soldiers grave, the coming and thu
passing generation look into each 9th
ers eyes Remember Gettysburg, An
tietam, Shiloh, the Wilderness! Re
member the camp and the field, tn
shot and saber strolze," says the veter
an. Remember the flag for which w
fought the principles for which W
contendedl'' Forever" goes up
shout which echoes from ocean t
ocean. Remember, too, the heroes {
whom Liberty turned not the face tina
she wore to US. They fought for thei
country and for it they fell. Patriotisr
led them not in the paths which W
trod, yet as Americans we can loo
back upon their splendid courage, an
be proud that we had focmen worthy {
our steel"
Sometimes, when volcanic fires hav
burned themselves out, nature cover
the ynwning craters with snow, an
from it the sunlight strikes such bea,
ty that men forget the desolation ths
once reigned there. 1t is thus with OF
past. The craters are healed wit
snow, the wounds are covered wit
flowers, and the souls of the slain mui
rejoice, in the realm of eternal peac
that they did net die in vain, and thos
who offered their all in the cause I
Freedom, and lived to see the glorioi
issue, may rest assured that the lesso
of their courage has not been lost.
There is past that is the "def
past" for in it is no seed Of truth ar
beauty. Our past is living, for
struggles made our strength, its des
, lation our fullness, its dissension o.
unity. Our wars have not been +
material things, for territory. wealt
possessions, but the ideal of repu
lie has ever been our guiding sta
/, When the proud civilization Of Il
. strongest kingdom of the world pour
! its might of arms upon us our infa
nation, like young David, girt wi
. the power of righteousness, the repu
: hc defeated and humbled it. VIII
: again our ancient foe would ha
i crushed us we ''smote and spared moi
+ and the ages paused astounded to W
ness it; but world-old traditions we
. set at naught, when we vanquish
y our dearest foe-the enemy nourish
at the breast of the same moth'
: warmed at the hearth-fire of the Sal
: household goddess-and then clasp
? hands in friendship.
!, Like brothers and sisters made N
: tually dearer by mistakes and diff
= ences, the north and south are all t
more closely bound in the ties Of ia
. lily love. We do not say forgive a
forget" The atoncmeDt has be
made in the blood of our bravest .
;. best. We would not forget II
A. could, we could not If we would.
Lou v. CuAPIN