San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-05-30

| full division or our GranQ Army
has passed away, and today all
over our land the remnant of that
army answers to roll call, lines up
shoulder to shoulder, and with
flowers and tears for the dead,
cheers and smiles for the living,
continues the march down the
westward slope Of time to that
camp where soon the last member
of the Grand Army Of the Republic
shall receive his final muster out.
We come now, with tender men,
cries and reverent hands, to deco
rate the graves Of heroes.
Cover them over with beautiful flowers,
Cover them over these heroes OF ours,
Father, and brother, and husband and
lover,
With tears and with howers-cover them
over"
Bring magnolia, jesssmine and
oleander, if you will, but bring also
pansies for thought, rosemary and
rue for remembrance, and sturdy
oak for the flag we love-the one
and only flag guaranteeing protec-
ton and freedom to our united
Countrywide flag that has been
followed by American soldiers
with more valor and purer patriot
ism than followed the red cross of
Calvary, the lion of st. George, or
the "white plume" Of Navarro.
The flag that for an hundred years
has been the theme for song
and story, from the long night
through which Francis Scott Key,
a prisoner on a British gunboat,
watched the beleagured walls of
Fort McHenry, to see il the "Star
Spangled Banner" in triumph still
waved, down through its thousands
Of victories, until today it droops
at half-mast, in silent sympathy
for the heroes who have died in it's
defence.
1t is the fashion with some to
sheer at the Veterans devotion to
the flag, and call it sentimental.
Be it so-Sentiment sways the
world, and for it humanity has
wrought its greatest achievements.
1t sent you and me to the front
and brings us here today. 1t was
pure sentiment that induced
Adams, Hancock and Jefferson to
conclude the grandest document
ever written by man, with pledge
of "their lives, their fortunes and
their Sacred Honor" And what
is it but sentiment, that causes so
many millions to now reverence at
the sight of two pieces of wood
bound together in the form of a
cross? The one symbolizes the
hopeof world, and the flag, "Old
Glory, the political hope and
national pride Of sixty five mil
lions of people.
The lesson taught us this day, if
| read. it Alright, is not wholly
tribute to the dead soldier. but
lesson to the living as well, OF love
Of country, what it has cost to pre-
serve it; that its constitution guar
antees to all its citizens free speech,
free thought,political and religious,
a free ballot which is the patriots
weapon in time OF peace, that edu-
cation and patriotism go hand in
hand, and that the safety of this
nation lies in having every citizen
protected in his rights.
1t also should teach charity and
brotherly love. The time is not
far distant when this day will be
observed alike by the survivors
and descendants of both armies as
the one sacred day OF the year de-
voted to the honorable dead. For
years the custom has been with
both armies on Memorial Day to
decorate alike the graves Of Fed
eral and Confederate dead; let us
60 further and petition generous
nation to extend it's Soldier homes
so that the MANNED, dependent vet
eran who wore the gray shall have
the same fostering care in his help
less years as he who wore the blue.
This carries with it no apology
for secession, no recognition Of
southern rights. All that was settled
long ago, but it does carry with it a
spirit of brotherly love, alike hon.
orable to victors. and just to van
pushed. Do not misunderstood
me; 1 believe with you that they
were wrong, unalterably, everlast-
ingly wrong, and that they were
Rebels, but, Comrades, they were
our Rebels, "Bone Of our bone, and
flesh of our flesh" DESCENDANTS of
Roundheads and Cavaliers fought
side by side at Bunker Hill and
Yorktown, at Lundy's Lane and
San Jacinto, at Chepultepec and
Vera Cruz, and who doubts that
were we menaced by foreign foe
the Blue and the Gray would be
found standing shoulder to shout
| der in defense Of a comma conn.