Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-21

pie Of ths human heart, than that of
patriotism.
IL IL the very life and mother Of No.
srty; for without u, freedom and per.
sonal rights would never have been
born.
Love Of ones eountry, and loyal
devotion to its interests, carries With u
an equal devotion 10 the welfare OF
humanity, and the same willing desire
10 save his fellow men.
While all war IL denounced by the
iinentslist as barbsroussed wicked,
the statesman and the philosopher well
understands IL is only the necessity
VI war that should be condemned.
When that unavoidable necessity has
arisen in every age and 10 every land,
the gallant soldier who has attested |
his patriotism with his life, has rightly
teen crowned with lsurels and an
apotheosIs Of glory and honor.
There is q strange and subtle power
10 the willing sacrifice of the man who
dies for his country, or bis fellow men.
We Justly honor and venerste bis
memory, which we express 10 marble
shafts or sculptured monuments, or In
the sweet perfume more typical Of bis
grateful deeds Of fresh and beautiful
flowers upon bis grave.
Not to do 80 would be ~ ungrateful
and discreditable to those he served, as
bis sacrificial offering was honorable to
himself.
Nothing can warm the natural sffec-
tions and touch the human heart as to
know and say, as you kneel at anothers
grave, "this man died for my country
and for me-"
And 1 envy not that people or that
man, whose heart responds to no such
emotions Of gratitude.
How sad, yet true the terrible fact,
that the conntry's sin of legalizing the
crime Of slavery for 24O years, fell at
last upon our noble soldiery, for they
bore tho nations sin, and thousands
died for the nations crime.
| And this, American citizens, is the
philosophy and the reason why we
honor. and should forever honor and
revere the memories Of our country's
brave defenders and saviors, whether
living or dead.
Not that any died for their country's
wrong, for In that there was neither
virtue nor benefit, but because they
loved their country unto death, and
tried to save It, Notwithstanding its
wicked wrong Of legalizing oppression.
For this worthy and noble end, let
not this Memorial Day pass unobserved
until the anniversary and day Of our
national birth shall have been forgotten
forever.
But while we are offering the sweet
incense of flowers to the memory Of our
fallen patriot soldiery, aud upon their
graves, we should never forget their
equally patriotic, and perhaps more Of.
ficient but surviving comrades.
They are, and Of right ought to be,
the Nations most honored wards.
| Wards, did say? I had far better
say, the Nations most honored guests.
For as the brave and gallant Logan has
aptly said, 1.-THE pension list of our
brave soldiers IL roll OF honor"
| 1t should not extend, however, to
that inconsiderate degree, which tran
scends the bounds OF a generous and
grateful recognition Of honest services,
nor which prostitutes to mereenary
greed the generous Offering of re-
deemed nstion's gratitude.
But It IL Thousand times better to
err on the side Of a grateful generosity
than upon the side Of. parsimonious
ipgrstitude.
We can honor the brave Confederate
soldier, who honestly fought for his
people and country with patriotic zeal,
for they are now true and devoted Am.
erican citizens. But we regard with
losthing aud contempt, the mercenary
Hessisn. or the political or ecclesiasti.
cal Torey, whose heart can only vomit
forth abuse Of those noble patriots, who
though sometimes vanquished In battle
were always victorious In war.
but the uupatrlotlc citizen will
say; "Why should the nation contin-
ne Its substantial aid either to the sol
dier or his widow ?-or why longer
make Its usual offering Of flowers, or Of
memorial service to the memory Of the
long departed dead P'--I reply, that
the reasons for their continuance are
beyond all compu tation or estimate,
while cold indifference and heart
leas sslfishness are the only reasons for
their dis continuance.
] might sAy In the frat place. that
this Memorial day, In Its educational
and patriotic effects upon the people,
d mighty power In creating bulwark
Of ever ready defense. far less burden
some yet more impregnabls than forts
and batteries, or the stan ding armies Of
sk..as,