Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1895-06-13

that he had to die away from home
and loved ones. What the post has
said:-
Whether on the scaffold high
or in the battles van
The htteSt place for man to die
Is where he dies for man.
But such men can never die. To
live in hearts we leave behind is not
to die. These boys merited our re-
membrance. And how appropriate
it is that we, at least once year.
should decorate their graves with the
beautiful flowers. Let u then. as
often as this day shall come. select
Gods fairest flowers and them into
wreaths in memory of the brave he
roes; let us plant the laurel, the ivey,
the sweet for-get-me-not upon their
graves. 1t may not recall them TO
life, they NAV be insensible to the
thoughtful act; but it will teach the
living world over to honor the patri-
otism and revere the memory of him
who died for his country; and while
we scatter flowers over the graves of
those who sleep in yonder cemetery,
let us not forget those whose resting
places are unknown. They are sleep
ing somewhere BY the rivers and in
the groves OF the South. They went
down in the battle shock surrounded
by the paraphematic of clashing
swords and tossing plumes. They
went to sleep on the field made red
with the blood of carnage to the music
of numbering cannon. And vet they
sleep well. Although we cannot deco
rate their graves, they shall have a
requiem for today,
Through the lone groves the breezes Sigh.
And oaks III deeper means reply,
And rivers teach their rushing waves
To numerous dirgeS round their graves
Far be it from me to stir up the
animosities of the past To err is
human; to forgive, divine. judging
by this standard then, were the peo-
pie indeed divine? Was there ever a
nation since the world began that has
forgiven more than we? Those who
sought the nations life have received
the nations clemency and are equals
before the law. And today in the
city of Chicago. in lakewood cemetery.
the confederate soldiers arc unveiliug
a monument to the confederate dead.
| will not reprove or condemn, but is
there any nation on the face of the
globe-that was not the most forgiv-
ing-where such things could be-?
We can, we have forgiven; but we
cannot, nor will not forget the $780,,
900 graves of our loved ones. We
cannot we will not-forget our 250,-
600 manned and'crippled pensioners f
tli hundreds of thousands of widows
and orphans left to their own resource
es and the generosity and justice of
the nation for a livelihood: nor can we
be taught to think that the bows in
blue were on the wrong side. No,
they are the sayiours of a country es-
tablished by the blood of patriots, and
we will at least once a year set apart
a day to teach the rising generation
to honor the living and respect the
memory of the dead. who died that
the nation might live. We will meet
as YOU are met here, to make public
recognition of the virtues and worth
of the fallen brave. Many of us can
remember with what reverence we
looked up to revolutionary soldier
while we had him with us. More Of
US can remember how we felt like tax
ing off our hat to a soldier OF the war
of 1912 and so in the future a soldier
shall be honored and loved wherever
the flag floats and its folds protect
him and his. Now the lesson Of this
occasion viii be lost unless we shall
pay portion Of it to ourselves. And
have thought perhaps that the
younger portion of our community
the young ladies and the young
gentlemen-do not appreciate what
they have fallen heirs to Do you
know that it has been customary
now 10 speak disparingly of our coun-
try These old men tell us about the
good old times when they were boys.
and about the times when men were
honest and women, Industrious; but
| take it that this country of ours, all
things considered, is the best country
on the face of the globe today. And
we owe it to the valor Of these brave
soldiers which made it possible for
us to have a country and flag at all.
do not blame these older people for
talking about the good old times.
Why, | recollect OF readingathat 2300
b. c., the Ionions-now known as
Persians-had a legend Of the olden
time when there was a perfectly hap
Ply country ruled by a happy king
called Yima; when there was no
crime and no prisons, when men were
large and beautiful and the women
were lovely, but unfortunately the
history of that time tells us that the
countrv-that the world-was engag-
ed in war and prosecution and every
thing of that kind, but that existed
only in legend 230O b. c. You come
down to the time of Lord Pope, who
rendered decision in certain case,
which involved the question Of fraud,
and Lord Pope said in giving that de-
cision ..Since corruption and crime
| do more abound in these times than