Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-06-13
Memorial Address by Senator Weeks. De-
Iivered at lancaster, May 80, '95.


NH president, SOLDIERS OF THE
GRAND ARMI, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Natures program has somewhat in
terfered with your program OF today,
yet ! trust the JOY that you feel in the
interference, win compensate for any
little disappointment you may feel
with regard to your plan or what You
may be expecting from me. In tins
vernal season OF the year, this time OF
bursting buds and opening flowers,
how appropriate-that the general
government-that the state-that the
Grand army OF the Republic, has set
apart day in which to decorate the
graves Of our fallen brave. Through
out the entire north, there is scarcely
hamlet or a village in which repose
not some of these dead heroes. ] am
told that in your cemetery over here
there lie over thirty OF the nations
defenders. Wherever the Grand army
OF the Republic has post, there to-
dav gentle hands and loving hearts
are engaged as you are here, IN the
observance of the duties of the hour.
The living are mindful OF the dead,
and once year at least they meet to
honor their memory. Those who
went down in the battle shock or
have since tainted by the wayside by
reason of hardships endured in the
campaign, NAV be unmindful OF the
kindly act, but the living need the
lesson of the hour History informs
us that the youths Of Rome once q
wear visited the tomb of Numa. one Of
the early rulers OF that empire cele-
brated for his learning and his tri-
unphs in the arts Of peace. There,
through the long day, as we would
celebrate our declaration Of independ-
ence theycelebrated andproclaimed his
virtues and learning and sought IN
all appropriate ways 70 honor the
memoir, III him who had devoted his
life To the best interests OF the Roman |
emtire. And from that tomb, those |
Roman youths returned 10 their homes |
their villages. fired with only the zeal |
to acquire those arts for which Numa
had earned name and to excel IN |
that learning which he had intro
duced from Sparta and OF which he
was the benefactor and patron. Thus
by honoring the virtue and learning
of the dead benefactors, they for
time counteracted the deeaying
Of the age by teaching
their sons, that-yirtuous and learned
they too. should be honored and
loved A wise government will erect
on the spo where heroic
deeds have been ena tied. aud over
the graves of her great that the spirit
which melted to those deeds and
which inspired those great sons may
live on and on in the hearts OF her
sons (Applause.) Why Is 1t SO
many are here today? Why is it you
come from the pressing duties of the
farm, the shop. the store. the office?
Why pause in the busy scenes OF this
active, | might say exacting age?
You do not come as came Mark An
thony either to bury or TO praise. No
you are here as were the Roman
fathers and youth, at the tomb of
Numa, that your hearts may be filled
anew with enthusiasm and love OF
country. You come TO scatter flowers
over the graves Of the heroic dead,
that the spirit which inspired those
lead may live on and on in the future.
You come here to conseerate your
selves and your children anew on the
altar of country and right. Some of
you gave your sons to your country;
and vou countrymen-coun
Dv birth countrymen by adoption
come here to assist you in decorating
the graves of your and the nations
dead. Briefly then, for intend to
make this address brief, the time for
long sermons has gone by, not that
the short sermon may not be poor
one or the long a good one notwith-
its length, but an occasion
Of this kind does not need any very
lengthy address. Briefly then, let us
review the events that led up to this
war. You are all acquainted with
The declaration of independence and
the proceedings that proceeded that
great event. You know that the
spirit Of liberty grew and increased
until it eliminated in that noble
maxim that all men are born free
and equal, entitled TO life, liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness You are
with the history of that
struggle from Lexington to Yorktown,
and know that the contest was long
and doubtful. There it was that the
demonstrated that they
were capable OF making the best
soldiers in the world. And from that
time 10 the present, we have been
proud of the deeds and daring of our
brave boys in blue. Thus our nation
had it's birth, and founded as il was
on the solid ground of equality of all
men and the right of the people TO
govern themselves, together with the
fact that we were SO far removed from |
the warlike nation of the world, we |
had therefore no more need for the |
terrible realities OF war. Freedom |