The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-06-07
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS.
Delivered by Rev. A. w. Wright, of Mime
apolis, in the Presence of Over 1000
e People in Princeton May 3Oth.

MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS.
Delivered by Rev. A. w. Wright, of Minne-
apolis. in the Presence of over 1000
People in Princeton May 3Oth.
We are obliged to omit some portions
Of the address delivered by Rev. A. w.
Wright at this place on Memorial Day,
but he spoke substantially as follows:
MIR. COMMANDER, COMRADES AND Eel
LOW-CITIZENS:
This day is our annual festival for
the dead. It should be sacred Sab
bath to us. It seems that,
''Betwcen the living and the dead
We stard to-day, but not with tears;
For time the heaIing oil has poured,
And memory's sanctfed by years.
Yet misty eyes and throbbing hearts ."
Are ours, as back we glances cast;
And through the present glory read
The story Of the past.'' ..
Memorial Day. is not day for
pleasure seeking but a day which re-
minds us of experiences of the past
of times that ''tried mems souls.'' The
first we learn of this custom was in the
town of Waterloo, in northern New
York, in 1866, when Gen. Murray took
the veterans of his post out to the Gem
etery and strewed flowers upon the
graves of their comrades. In 1867 one
of the posts in Cincinnati did likewise,
but in 1868, when Gen. John A. Logan
was commander in chief of the G.. A.
R. he issued an order to all the posts
to observe the a0th day of May of that
year as Decoration Day." with the
hope that it should be continued from
year to year.
Memorial days are not of recent ORR
gin, In the days of Jacob, the patri-
arch, he erected a pillar;-Moses in
structed the elders in Israel to explain
the memorial service of the passover,
and incorporated it in the law: This
day shall be unto you for a memorial. -
So it was a happy thought that came
to our lamented Logan, when in the
senate, to SECURE a legislative enact
ment setting apart the 30th day of May
as a day of remembrance. But to
properly appreciate the occasion we
must consider the events which led to
it. Let us take some steps in this d.
rectiOn.
We dwell in a wonderful country;
wonderful, not merely because of it's
vast extent of territory, stretching
from ocean to ocean and from Canada
to- Mexico; not because of its variety OF
soil and climate; its bountiful harvests
of fruit and grain, its rich mines of ore
and precious metals; not merely for its
developments in arts and sciences; but
wonderful in it's system of government,
and the freedom of its religious and
civil institutions. Such people ought
to be a magnanimous people; and at
times we have shown that quality to an
admirable degree; but again the ele.
ment of supreme selfshness crops out
to the obliterating of those better
virtues and principles.
1t was because of the destruction oil
this principle of national life that our
country was precipitated into the most
terrible civil war ever recorded upon
the pages of history; a war in which
half a million lives were sacrificed fol
the perpetuation of our free institu
tions. The same lamentable condition
occasions the want of honor and re
spect on the part of some which should
be shown to-day to the heroes wht
| saved our country in the time of it,
greatest peril. I need not recite tt
you to-day the history of the past, tt
stir your hearts with the spirit O
patriotism; although I regard tina
quality as vital element, but I woult
point simply to a few facts in our ma
tional experience, from which we ma,
draw some practical lessons.
When the CALLING yoke of British
oppression could no longer be endured
patriots with united strength and Co
on their side, freed themselves from it
and the name of Washington, tn
christian leader, was immortalized a
the father of his country. We still de
$ light to do honor to his memory, an
this is as it should be. But hundre
years of the history of this country wa
not written until the foul hand c
treason raised aloft the standard {
civil war. The blacklist and darkes
of all clouds lowered over US and pres
emily breaking with all it's fury upo
us, scattered death and destruction o
every hand. The principles which a.
had held sacred hitherto, we're readil
abandoned by many, and with spiri
born of hell went forth to the destrue
ton of the government. There was n
way but to meet force with force
armed rebellion would not be concil
ated. The south demanded recognitio
of their rights to secede and establis
an independent government with sla,