The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-06-01
Memorial Day.
Address Delivered by Judge BENZ. n.
Heckert of Paw Paw at Union City
on the 3Oth ult.

Heckert of Paw Paw at Union City
on the 3Oth uit.
Once year the Nation stands, in
memory, in the awful presence of its
dead. The American Congress has set
apart the Both of May as a solemn ma
tiOnal holiday. All civilized countries
have their holidays; some are observed
for one purpose, others for another
The 25th day of December is cOmmem-
Grated by the common consent of the
christian world as the anniversary Of
the coming of the Savior of mankind,
whose simple, loving precepts have
emancipated the race and who, by the
gentleness of His example, has softened
that asperity and tierceness, born of
centuries of warfare and sharp conflict,
and started the world along the high
way OF civilization and brotherly love.
The 4th day of July is observed and
celebrated because it proclaims the cul-
mination OF a long and vehement clamor
by our revolutionary sires for relief
from British oppression and tyranny.
On that memorable day the ultimatum
of long suffering and liberty loving
people was reached and the civilized
world notified that the colonies "are
and of right ought to be free and indie
pendent states"
The 22d of February marks the ami
versGry of the birth of that great soldier
and exalted statesman whose devotion
to the cause of human freedom made
him the most colossal figure of his time;
whose patriotism and valor placed him
at the head of the colonial armies;
whose zeal and enterprise as a military
leader achieved for the cause of the
colonies the most brilliant victories and
finally crowned their arms with last
ing triumph; whose wisdom and pru-
dence laid broad and deep the founda-
tions of the Republic; whose unflagging
adhesion to the principles of a repre-
sentative democracy enabled him TO
brush aside the alluring temptation of
a glittering crown; whose great services
were but inadequately rewarded in his
elevation to the first magistracy of the
nation he had been so largely instru-
mental in founding and whose place he
did so much toward fixing i'm the fore
front of the family of the great powers
of the earth.
1t will therefore be seen that every
holiday points to an era or an epoch,
and is constant reminder of the oc-
currence of some extraordinary event,
either in the worlds history or in the
more limited history of the people
among whom and for whose benefit the
event took place.
The people of the United States were
not the first to designate Memorial
day. Over 400 years before the Chris
tian era the Greeks inaugurated these
ceremonies and obServances. 1t was
after the great battle on the plains of
Marathon, in which, under the leader
ship of Miltiedese, an army of only H.
900 defeated and drove from Greek soil
10000 Persians. Fighting against such
odds, the loss among the Greeks was
necessarily appalling but the threaten
ed danger was so great and the victory
so complete that the government in the
exuberance of its JOY gathered the bones
of its sacred dead together and buried
them in beautiful spot near the city of
Athens, and once year the people met
about these graves and held Memorial
service, and were usually addressed by
some one of their most noted orators
Perocles himself having performed this
pleasing duty on several occasions. At
that time the city of Athens was a de-
mocracy, and it is curious fact that in
all the annals of the world no instance
is recorded of such an observance at the
tomb of the common soldier IN des-
potic country.
The American people had a purpose
70 subserve in setting apart this day for
observance. 1t was not merely to do
honor to the brave, patriotic, self-sacri-
ficing citizen sodiery who fell in the
holiest cause i'm which sword was ever
drawn, but they had the further object
of annually directing the attention of
the present and all future generations
to the sacredness of that cause and TO
the valor and love of country of those
men whose bones lie mouldering in
every state and territory within the do
main of this nation and at the bottom
of every sea on whose bosom the Amer
lean navy rode during those perilous
times. Why was that cause so dear, let
me ask? What was the issue submitted
to the stern arbitrament of arms-the
tribunal of last resort open to free and
independent people? To answer these
questions requires brief review of the
history of our country.
The projectors of the war of the re-
bellion had their patriotism dried up by
too long and too closely hugging to
their bosoms an institution which had
long been a dark blot on our civiliZa-
ton. Conscious of growing abhor
renee for it, and of their waning power
in the government in consequence;
blinded by sordid and selfish motives;
desiring To erect on the ruins of glori
Gus union an oligarchy whose founda-
ton should rest on human serfdOm and
which should reflect the sentiments of
that old European dogma that the few
should govern the many, and that the
many should serve the few, they came
to look upon the masses, the bone and
sinew of a great and prosperous nation,
as the mud-sills of an aristocratic socie
ty, as greasy mechanics and small fisted
farmers. They had lost all pride in an
illustrious ancestry. They viewed the
blazing pages of refulgent history,
written in the blood of that ancestry, as
an idle tale of the past which had lost
its attractiveness by reason of its hav-
ing been often told. They yearned for
the overthrow of the principles of
government 'of the people by the peo-
pie for the people" They were willing
to stamp out the hopes of the oppressed