Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-05-18

Floral Decorations and a Splendid
Address.
True to her spirit of honor aud
eyerant and grateful remembrance
of the Confederate Dead, Goldsboro
observed Memorial Day yesterday
with becoming ostentatlon.
The Goldsboro Rifles, Thos. Ruff
fin Camp of Confederate Veterans,
the Fire Department and hundreds
of citizens formed in procession at
the court house and marched to the
cemetery, where the Ladies Memo
rial Association awaited their ar
rival, and where many hundreds more
had gathered in advance of the
p~ageantry.
The scene was one of beautiful
floral decorations in fragrant ALBUMS
dance, meet for the occasion of hal
lowed memories-too sacred for the
touch of a word.
The exercises at the Confederate
square were opened with prayer, fers
vent, eloquent, touching and soothing,
by Rev. B. r. Hall; after which the
orator of the day, Rev. G. L. Hoff-
mann, chaplain of the Goldsboro
Rifles, was introduced by the chief
marshal, Mr.. Jos. E. Robinson.
Mr.. Hoffman, spoke as follows:
HoNoRED Sons OF THE SOUTHERN Coz
FEDERACY; LADIES OF H MEMORIAL
ASSOCIATION; BROTHERS OF THE COLDS
BoRo RIFLES; LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Since the bloody war-demon breathed
his whitening breath over this sunny
Southern land of more than a quar-
ter of a century hes elapsed, 1 see before
me faces Of men and women who have nc
recollection of that period, with it's tremen-
dous e and vital questions to be set
tied. But, I see also men upon whose
brows the frosts of years have gathered
fast, the furrowed lines of whose faces
deepened by tt ines relentless flight, speak
eloquently of hat day and hour when, or
bloody field and prolonged march, those
burrows were begun. These are the line
of patriotic courage and determination
that linger and grow deeper, more cour
: ageous and determined as age affixes it
!" irreversible seal upon hair and cheek an,
3 form. But, in this vast %concourse of faces
with their difference of age and station,
read one common, undivided sentiment
: that Of fond and loving memory of heroi
2 deeds.
i AS we stand here to-day upon this spo
made sacred by the bleaching bones c
: our immortal dead, what recollections arts
: of heated and too long continued contro
versy, and ofthe excited days which burs
y forth in the commons roar at Fort Sumter
The very atmosphere was full of war.
q Southern rights had been invaded, an
southern manhood resented it.
From every hill and valley the choices
! sons of our land came forth with cage
enthusiasm, fastening to the conflict.
The bought Of defeat and disaster neye
once entered our brains. Tt was all fC
= CONFEDERATE GLORY n SOUTHERN II
DEPENDENCE.
- Ahundred thousand soldiers,our father
= and brothers, torn by bayonet, shot an
= shell, dead and buried, tell more elt
d quently Than mortal tongue how terribl
mistaken, how sadly disappointed W
were.
= Many long, bitter years of national su
fering and political bondage, when tt
y cowardly tyrant was abroad in the Ian
- the tedious process of fading hope an
emancipation, together with these low
graves of our immortal dead, filed to tt
u very brim our..cup of sorrow, which "
{ quaffed to the very dregs.
But we have nc words of bitterness NJ
le sectional hate to utter to-day! Than
God, these have long since died! II
l. blessed sun of peace is shining on 8
e alike from Atlantic to Pacific, from Can
da to the Gulf!
le The calling sPackles of a despotic 7
construction, long worn by our Sum
South, have rusted and fallen away fc
ever, and from under the lowering clou
of oppression and wrong, and sup frc
20 her baptism of blood" and death an ema
cipated land comes forth clad in the shi
ing robes of liberty, exposed and well nj
lost on a hundred battle fields!
AND WE ARE FREE!
.es We stand beside the men of the nor
no who wore the blue, to-day and say
al are as free as they.
ne We brin to-day fresh honors to
heaped upon the graves of our heroes, a
e to thank God that they once lived a
:, by their example taught the world how
l . battle, suffer and die for what they C,
lel ceived to be right.
And they were right! Who dares {
pute it after 80 years?
l.. Yes, we thank heaven that they 0
nc lived as Confederate soldiers.
ne The cause is dead and buried; but
"" flag of the "Stars and Bars" will live t
ever in history.
Their r esting place is surrounded
halo of Unreasonable tenderness.
W We are proud of the ''stars and strip
Not one of the noble soldiers who fou
for the South under the "stars and ba
VI but would to-day as detern inedly fight
the the fae Of onr p1orious Union.