The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-05-23


| la lonely swamps. beneath the waves.
orr fathers God In thy right hand
| Hold thou our dear, our native land,
/ 40 safe shall VIC lie down 20 sleep
| If thou our Nations watch shrt keep.
S. II. WbitmOn, CarrOllton, NO.
MAY WE NEVER FORGET.
May we never forget the boys who wore the
| blue, through whose patriotism and valor we
| still have a free and undivided country. Bring
your choicest flowers, and with reverent hands
place them with the flag above and where he
Toes rest
Jane C. Harvey, Little Valley, MINI.
THANKFUL FOR THE PRIVILEGE.
How thankful we are for the privilege, the
/ honor of bcstowing natures choicest gems
together with the kindliest thoughts our hearts
possess, upon those who fought and died for our
| Nations life. Genevieve NJ. Brace.
| BLESS THE DEFENDERS.
Youth Of Columbia. gifted and fair,
| Cherish your blessings most noble and rare;
Idberty's rights ever equal and true,
/ Bless the defenders who saved them for you.
Selected by Alice l.. Putnam.
THE NATIONAL SABBATH.
This National Sabbath was gratefully set
| apart by patriotic American people for the
sole purpose Of keeping green in their minds
the memory of the glorious achievements and
heroic sacrifices of the volunteer soldiers, both
4 living ana UeaG Win song. aHo HOW
ers. 1t was designed 10 be Union Defenders
! Day, and not a mere decoration day for the
people in general.
IT was to be day on which alone the sacred
| mounds of the heroic dead should first and
above all be decked with beautiful garlands of
sweetest fragrance and rarest hue.
With righteous jealousy proud and CRATE
ful Nation said with reverent acclaim that no
other grave shall be decorated until each vet
GRAMS silent tent of green. from the snow
capped SUBMITS of the region of the Rockies to
the Floridan gardens of perennial flowers,
shall have been decked with bounteous streams
OF beautiful blossoms.
How often in the North, where flowers are
usually scarce on Memorial Day, have patriot
ism and a true devotion TO National heroes
| been substituted by puerile sentimcntalism
which consists in -persstently decorating the
graves of some selfish, misery uncle, aunt,
cousin. or other next Of kin who never made
one trifing sacrifice for country's veal,
whereby myriads of soldiers graves through
out the country have been shamefully stinted
| OF garlands due them.
There is no necessity whatever in decorating
| the graves of friends and next of kin on Union
Defenders Day long as they readily be
cared for week or two later. On the other hand
let grateful patriotism be revealed that
day in willing hands Of all citizens culling the
choicest flowers from our bowers and weaving
them into beautiful garlauds. while loyal bands
| of young and old, especially the sons and
] daughters OF veterans, strew them with reyeren-
tiai service and uncovered head upon the lowly
mounds where sleep the Nations heroic dead.
Let no grave be forgotten, particularly the
grave OF the unknown dead, for there is no
flower too beautiful, no song too sweet, no words
too eloquent TO be offered at the cross erected
to those who sleep in unknown graves
May the little flag that marks the grave OF
the honorcd dead impress upon the people OF
every community deep reverence for the
memory of departed heroes, and renew their
allegiance TO that Government for which they
sacrificed their lives.
Let their graves be the affairs Of our patriot
ism; the recollcciions of their deeds inspire us
! with new courage new zeal and love of
country. May we thus be spurred on to greater
| efforts; have engcndered within us a moro
fervent love of liberty, a more noble citizen
| ship. and always be actuated by the sentiment
OF 'cheers for the living and tears for the
dead"
Julius w. Gogarn, Ann Arbor, Mich.
BRING FAIREsr FLOWERS.
Bring iairest flowers from woods aud bowers
To lay soldiers graves
Let garlands bloom every tomb
Where slumber our fallen braves.
Bring vioc,s here for a soldiers bier
A. blue our native skies:
Anc roses red as the blood they shed,
Shall symbol their sacrifice.
Bring lllies willie as the snow-drif light
For the honor they kept pure;
Green laurels Irvine with the evergreen pine,
For their lame that shall aye endure.
Eva q. Iambcrtson.
MEMORIAL FoRGEr-ME-sor.
They nre sleeping,
Nhc we are weeping.
Our soldiers brave, gallant and true.
While they sleeping,
While we are weeping,
Forget them not, Our Boys Ia Blue"
Matte L. Gammons. North Foster, L. L
TO-DAY AND TOMORROW.
Let Us stand fast by the graves Of the soldiers,
repair the cramblng headstones aud cover
every tombstone with our richest flowers
Let TINS day be sacredy observed as long as
the sun in heaven shall lead the Spring and the
flowers through the circling zones OF EARTH
Let as mike this annual journey to the Mecca
OF patriotism, wave the flags above the t0mbs
open our minds and hearts to all that memory
can tell or nope inspire. and consecrate ourselves
anew TO the labors Of life.
You, old soldiers OF the war. you alone can
comprehend and feel all that this occasion i'm
parts; you alone can understand that from the
silent graves OF earth there comes i'm pulses that
nerve the living on TO duty.
You alone can understand that true patriot
ISM Is based upon generous sacrifices, and that
every fallen hero OF the past, every grave aud
battlefield has voice full OF warning full of
love, which, above all the din and clamor of
ensuing days. shall be heard aud obeyed
May God grant you a long increase of happy
Gays, and when tue evening shall come OH and
the march is done, when darkening twilight
grows apace, may the memories of your rounded
LIE be as pleasant as your past deeds were brave
your memory VIII be preserved, your deeds
will live. aye. and your tombs too, will be
dccked with the myrtle aud the rose
For the children OF tomorrow, taking the
places OF all who are here assembled. will sing
the songs of united land aud embalm the
memory Of every hero with the flowers of every
Spring.
You changed the channels Of history: YOU de-
termincd the destiny OF race. The feet of
oncoming generations will stand above your
sacred dust. and there amid tho fragrance of
flowers, there in the golden light OF a more
perfect civilization, your praise will be sung
with increasing veneration aud love.
ID. ID. Darby, Northboro, Iowa.
GODS FLOWERS.
Have You ever Gods flower gardens2
Let ne tell yon a true story Of one Memorial
| Day, aud how, as j Travelled by rail to my SOL
dier fatber's grave, was taught lesson by
/ The Wild flowers which saw as we whirled by