The herald., 1895-05-31

Amy of the Republic We are assem-.
bled today to commemorate the death OF
our fallen comrades, to scatter earth
fairest flowers upon their graves, TO pay
one more tribute OF respect to their mem
ory, to call halt in the active march OF
life and for one brief day to lay aside its
cares and duties and to assem- BILE our
selves together that we may call to mind
the history OF the past, and that we may
teach our children the lessons we have
learned
We sta.d today, dear comrades and
friends, beside 400, 0J0 graves-400, 600 pat
riotic dead, lying under the sad and
mourntul hemlock or under the weeping
willow. buried in the trenches dug by
loving comrades. laid away to est under
the sod OF the sunny south, they sleep
today, careless alike of sun or pain.
Their blood has baptized the soil that
received their bodies in its cold embrace.
They are our dead, our brothers, our
comrades: your boys. your brothers. your
husbands. your lovers. Their eyes are
closed i'll death, and we shall not look on
their faces again in this world. There
they rest until the end OF time shall
come and they shall be called forth to
their reward. There let them rest on
the fields of their fame and glory. Four
hundred thousand men are gone: the
light OF their life gone out; their faces
and forms to be seen by us no more.
Yet they are not dead, for their MEM
ories shill live in the hearts of grateful
people. From yeai TO year. as we pluck
the flowers and strew them on their
grave their memories will continue to
grow brighter, and we will teach our
children to remember their valor, their
deeds and their death.
This beautiful custom of decorating the
graves was formally established in 1869 by
the grandest of the volunteer soldiers,
John A. Logan. From that grand hero.
twenty-six years ago, has grown the
beautiful custom. and the 30th day of
May seems to be the only day not given
over to pleasure and money making.
And so we are gathered today, com.
rades and friends, to strcw the graves
of our dead with these beautiful flowers,
and with you today to stand with bar,d
heads IN grateful remembrance to the
women who first conceived this beautiful
custom. Iii this, as in many other things
in life, we are indebted TO women for her
thoughtfuness. And as we gather today
in these memorial observances let us not
forget that wuman's s hands first placed
sweet flowers upon the soldiers graves
and let us remember that our lamented
Logan took this jewel of patriotic,
tender thought and fixed it into memo
rial setting.
The people who now live must not be
permitted to forget these noble patriots,
While we live. dear old comrades and
friends. and while we are able to pluck
the flowers and march to the graves OF
ott.' dead. let us 20 with uncovered heads
and bowed hearts 10 these shrines. Not
going in the spi.it of levity or merry
making. nor turning the day into one OF
gain, but 20 with our children and teach
them the lessons Of loyalty and patriot
ism. ever re mem bcring that men learn
little in this world from precept hut
much from example. The best teachers
are the lives OF great men. aud III TACT the
history Of the world is but the history OF
men who have lived and the story OF
their lives.
For 800 years after the battle of Their
mopyc every child in the schools OF
Greece was made to recite the names of
the immortal 300 who had defended the
pass. And it would he a GROWING tri-
umph if every schooboy in the United
States were taught the names OF Lincoln.
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and Logan.
and taught to remember the valor of all
our patriots.
Comrade Dalzell uttered solemn
thought when he said: The flowers we
are gathering, comrades, for the solemn
service OF Decoration day will hardly
have withered or lost their fragrance
above the holy shrine where our heroic
comrades sleep until we shall lie down
beside them. The time is drawing near.
ready loaded in the guns soon to be fired
above our insensate clay. Passing away.
5000, 30, 600 Of MS annually and in an
accelerated ratio as the years roll on. we
cannot tarry much longer. Bid the
hungry and avaricious Offices seeker ana
miser be patient; we shall soon be out of
their way. Soon we shall be mustered
under the sod. 1t cannot be long. They
say we want the earth-the earth wants
us. and it cannot wait much longer to
receive us. Graves yawn at our feet. This
is the last Decoration day %, 000 of us
shall ever see Before another anniversary
day we shall rest under the grass and
flowers in our green tents of peace and
rest. Soiemn, then. and universal be the
service of fiowers. Bring your garlands
here, old comrades, and from your sad
eyes once more, and perhaps for the last
sime, shed your tears above these holy
graves: but even above the blooming
blossoms OF spring. above the quietude OF
death. let the flags iloat, the sweetest OF
all the flowers in the world"