The Irish standard., 1895-06-08
REL. HENRY McGOLRIe!kll'

tEY. f1Enfl IlCllULhi6eh 81
HE Pays An Eloqu Tribute e
/ the Savi0urs Of Our Coun try
HE PAYS AN Ell oQUENT TRIBUTE
TosTHE sAVIOURs OF OUR CoUN--
| TRY. i5.5.
! The exercises at st. Mary's Catholic
Cemetery On Memorial Day were simple
and impressive. s,A detachment OF the
G. "a. r, from the various posts of the
city went to- the beautiful "City OF the
Dead on Chicago avenue and united
| with the Hihernian Rifles and the boys
of the Catholic Orphan Asyl ums In decor
ating the graves Of the fallen heroes OF
| the war, The Hibernian Rifles fired sa-
lutes and the orphan boys sang patriotic
songs. After offering a feryent prayer
for the repose Of the souls Of the dead
heroes, Rev. Henry McGolrick, brother
Of the Bishop Of Duluth, spoke as fol-
lows .5
ct Isl duty Of charity that we renlen-
Der those who have gone before us and
| rest In the sleep Of; peace. This duty
arises from our relation to one another,
we being children OF the one Merciful
Father. But today we assemble by the
graves Of the departed soldiers Of the re-
public, and not only In charity but filled
with gratitude welpause alittle to think
of the great work these men have done.
For. a mere personal good, men, It is
found, will risk much. They will put
even their lives atstake; but for the com
| munity, to save society from some I'M
pending evil, to shield liberty from her
| enemies,.-th is the more disintsrested
| task, the labor Of love assigned the sol
dier patriot by Him who has u: implanted p
! the love of freedom in the human 4! heart t.
When; meditatiug on the life Of the
Savior Of the world we 5desiresto. consid-
er every particular of that dread pas
| SION and sorrowful death, because by
these things is the greatness OF Christ's
love for you and me brought IN some
measure home to our souls, and SO to-
day that, we may approach anything
liket q true estimate of what we owe
these saviors of freedom we must THINK !.
Of the pains, sufferings from neat ahe
cold, suffertngs from hunger and tnlrst,
the wearisome marching and watching
which they endured, the struggling
through countless difficulties to win for
us the blessings of liberty and peace.
Charity is the fulfillment Of Gods law,
and truly they showed it in their lives
when leaving home and friends, fathers
and mothers dear, they took their way
to the conflict from which many OF them
should never return. But they fulfilled
their glorious destiny, for what more
noble death than that Of the martyrs IN
lust cause who willingly: gavesal they
possessed, even their very lives, TO pre-
serve for their brethren that without
which life would not be worth the living.
Their bodies have crumbled into DUST on
many a. Southern battle feld, but their
souls are, we hope, in happiness with
God. and the spirit that animated them
will live while time endures to preserve
untarnished. the glorious good they dled
to save Blessed, says the Psalmlst,
ARE the ,feats of those who bring good
things Everywhere that nag was
borne came good tidings to hundreds OF
thousands. 1t meant the dawning OF the
long prayed for day Of freedom. NO
more within the limits of our land should
hateful slavery dwell, nor the fierce IN
humanity OF man to man make countess
thousands mourn. Blessed, truly bless
ed. are they who were the instrument IN
Gods hands in the working out OF these
great labors.. God is all perfect needing
nothing from us, yet desiring our happl-
ness and loving us with an affection IN
comparison with which all earthly loves
are but insignificant. And by dlstnter-
estee: love does man become most IKE
TO Cod. So these men not satisfied to
possess freedom themselves, whilst 9TH
ers sat In the shadow of darkness, went
forth to light for others and taught the
world the wholesome lesson that the peo-
ple are the true guardians and defenders
Of liberty The ancients pointed with
Dardonable pride to the great struggles
against tyranny which iilunline the
pages of history; though often alas! end
inc in disaster: yet freedom s. battle IS
ever won. and blood shed in her behalf
is never. shed in vain. The European
soldier we read Of was often mere mer-
cenary. as ready to take one side as the
other. making war his business and
anxious only to profit from it as much: as
nossible: but In the men we honor today
wa have a totally different type--the
citizen soldier forced in to war by the
peryersity Of others and when war was
over calmly laying by the rifle fort pen
or the plowhandle. Only to preserve
The blessings of peace cid he go to war,
when victory crowned his struggle ne
demanded fro1a the conquered no de-
grading conditions. With Joy he stretch
ed forth the hand of friendship to MS
Berring. brother and received him Dack
into the fold. Here was exempllhed the
1--we of enemies which the Lord gives us
as one Of the first Of Christian cut1es
The patriot would have no mere bonds
nf coercion to bind in one nation an I'M
willing people. Such bonds. ne knew,
however, skillfully kIlotted, and arrang-
ed are eyer weak to hold together what
only love can unite. But one by one The
heroes of o,1rr civil strife are passing
away and soon like the. heroes OF the
revolution. they shall have all departed.
RI is good that we should keep their
memories green In our souls; that we
should have a day at least once year IN
which to pay a little tribute OF honor
anf, love and gratitude at their graves.
Thei~. example will never be forgotten.
WIS tever Of fame and influence, great
wealth or great diplomacy may win
marian such things are but transient.
5The,y ara HE night and day, like ebb
and faoy, Of tide. now here, now there.
The citizen soldier is above all such
t}ings. He is like the strong man mem
vu