Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-06-06
Memorial Day.

Mexico spoke for one hour on invita-
ton of Hancock Post, O.. A. r. The
following is q synopsis of his speech.
Mr.. Kennan said:
GENTLEMEN OF HANCOCK Posi-,
Mexico, Mott gives me great pleas
ure in response to your polite invita-
ton to address you this Memorial
Day, which is made such by law and
has been hallowed by its sacred OBJ
seryance more than a quarter of a
century in every part of the Union. ]
had firmly made up my mind to OBJ
serve 1t before you invited me to join
you in it's obseryation. ! have the honor
and pleasure of being a member of the
Board of Managers of the ex-Confed-
crate Home Association at Higgins
vile, Missouri, and on the 26th day of
September, 1894, at a meeting of that
Board the following resolution was
unanimously adopted:
''That the Executive Committee of
the Confederate Home Association
recommend that the 30th day of May
each year, that being the day fixed by
law, be observed rs Memorial Day."
shall so long as / live observe this
day as Memorial Day and / shall ask
| my children to sacredly observe it and
on this day each year, when l am
gone, strew flowers on my grave in
connection with the graves OF other
departed soldiers, irrespective of the
army in which they served.
So long as ! was n soldier | did as
best / knew how, and obeyed as pri-
vate and oficer, every command
given, and never asked "the reason
why.'' When the end of the wal
came, with sad and sorrowful heart |
accepted the only alternative-sur-
rendered, laid down my arms and did
as every ex-Confederate soldier, took
the oath of allegiance to support the
| Constitution of the United States and
remain loyal to its standard. had
not then and have not nov the least
bit of animosity in my heart, and the
strewing of flowers this 'Memorial
Day" on the graves of both ex-Con-
federate and Federal soldiers has
given to me a lofty feeling in my
heart, which | never want to obliter-
ate, but rather to cultivate to the end of
my life, for 'the grave buries every err
ror, covers every defect, extinguishes
every resentment" Thirty-four years
ago you and / were the constituent
parts of c%ontending armies. I shall not
discuss the causes of the contention.
Slavery was the prime cause. The
South contended that any state had
under the constitution the right to
secede. The North denied the right.
That right has been fully and finally
settled by the ~arbitrament of the
sword never to be asserted or open
ed again. There ought not to be,
at this distant day, any ill feeling be-
tween those who fought for the South
ern cause and those who fought in the
defense of the Union. Our educations
were entirely different. We, of the
South, had been taught that slavery
was right, while you, of the North,
had been taught that it was wrong-a
sin. l have thought, and believe that
the soldiers who composed the North
ern army and those who were of the
Southern army were but humble in
struments in the hand of a just and
loving God to extinguish the greatest
curse that ever afflicted this country
human slavery. Gradual emanci-
patton was suggested. 1t was reject
ed; nothing but war, bloody war could
accomplish It's mar ocreruction. II
has vanished and at this distant time
from when it existed, l al stand be-
fore you to-day and with my hand
placed on my heart and say with strong
emphasis that / am truly glad of it. ]
rejoice at it. The South is stronger
commercially, morally, in every way
, without slavery. Then l say if there
is the slightest feeling of hatred
lingering in the heart of any ex-sol-
der on either side, it is, at this distant
day, high time he was dispelling that
feeling and allow the opposite to grow
? and flourish in his heart. He will fee
t better by it and will be a better man
j There were born ear and about the
same time and place in Kentucky, two
men who were to bear conspicuous
parts and lead the two contending
= factions-Jefferson Davis and Abra-
: ham Lincoln. They have both been
S the subjects of severe criticisms,
Davis by those of the North and Lin
1 coin by those of the South. This oughi
= not to be. The memory of both o.
those grand and great men ought tt
r be revered by all. Those of the North
r ought to read the history of Davis ane
they would find many things in hi
e life and character that would chal
leng admiration; they would find ht
was a brave and gallant soldier in the
e service of his country, in the Mexican
war, and that at Monterey and Buen'
= Vista he planted the American tial
g high on the battlements of the enem!
and there in defense of that flag shet
o freely his blood; that under severe
: difficulties he managed the affairs o
the Confederacy as the chosen repre-
e sentative of the Southern people tina
: he was a Christian gentleman of tn
highest type, and at a good old ag
/ passed away Gas calmly as to a night
d repose or flowers at set of sum-"
Those of the South should read as
have read, and study carefully the hf
d of the martyredPresident. They woul
be astounded at the simplicity an
greatness of the man. Born of poor an
humble parentage, without any ad
vantages whatever for education, &
Y, the age of "a years he is described g
L being six feet foul inches high, dress
ed in toe linen breeches five inche
too short at the bottom, red shirt, on
"gallus," tan colored brogan shoe
straw hat without a band, a clerk
Ia store at Old Salem, on the Sangs
mon River, where he had on tn
bosom of which a few years befol
u piled a fiat boat. At this time he Wi
reading law and studying surveying
5 At Is years of age he began the pra'
III