New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1895-06-05
te; and good loyal soldier is one of

In 1861, nearly million loyal men stood
abreast, ready to sacrifice their lives
without the hope of fee or expectation
of reward to themselves, in order that the
generations to come might enjoy the
benefits of free institutions. .-....
The death knel1 to human slavery was
sounded. Opinions have changed on the
issues of that memorable struggle to
which Decoration Day is due, and to-
day in many places the blue and the
gray unite in offering tribute to depart
ed valor and on common ground decor
ate the graves of those who have brave
ly and honestly contended.
Let us therefore keep green the men,
ory of those who went down in battle
and wasted away in hospitals and pri-
son pens. Think reverently of those
who sleep in distant and unknown graves
and may their deeds and sacrifices re-
main bright and shining example,
worthy of limitation by every Amer1-
can youth at his country's call.
| Veterans, the day we commemorate IS
sacred to the memory of your fallen COM
rades and the glory of their achievements
stands inherited by the nation. IN which
you all have a just share to be handed
down to your posterity. The glory of
American valer infused with spirit Of
heroism is chron1cled in the gallant deeds
of her warriors from the formation of
our government to the present day and
its radiant beams will forever illume the
stream of time. We can point with
| pride to the fact that American arms
subdued the victorious bayonets of the
veterans who once crushed the throne Of
Napoleon, and silenced the arrogance of
the occupants of the palaces of the Mon
tezumas. What an instructive lesson to
an American child studying its history.
The efforts of the G. R. in commem-
Grating the deeds of their fallen COM
rades and keeping green their last rest
| ing place after the sound of the final
taps, tends to fan the fire of enthusiasm
for loyal and patriotic spirit among
| the whole nation. No matter how OBJ
scure or unknown the spot may be-,
| where union soldiers are laid to rest,
| tribute to them is tribute to the mighty
host Of heroes who sacrificed their livei
on the altar Of our country during the
dark days of the rebellion, that the na-
ton might be preserved under one flag,
under one constitution with equality for
mankind, be he white or be he black.
At this season of the year, when ma
ture smiles in all her glory, when new
life is infused into all animate creation,
when the chords of sympathy omit their
sounds blended in full harmony, it is but
right and proper that we should set
apart one day for the observance Of this
time honored custom of paying tribute
| at the nations shrine to the memory of
| those who fell in it's defense.
This day belongs to you, veterans of
the Grand Army of the Republic, and
may you all be spared for it's observance
for many, many years to come. Origi-
nally it was only at the fresides and on
| lY in the hearts of relatives and friends
of those who never returned from this
mighty conflict, that tender thoughts for
your fallen comrades were cherished.
Later on, you assembled in squads and
larger organizations to fttingly, COM
| memorate the deeds aud stfferings of
those with whom you touched elbows on
the march, in the deadly charge, on the
battle fields and in prison pens.
Still later, your great and 1llustrious
citizen, General John A. Logan, when he
was commander of the Grand Army of
of the Republic, by his order designated
May 3oth, 1868, as the day on which the
graves of your fallen comrades should be
s:rewn with flowers aud otherwise dec
grated and requesting that this custom
be observed from year to year, until the
last survivor of the war shall have an
swered the final roll call and passed to
the grand army beyond.
| And finally, the various States which
furnished defenders for the Union have
sanctifed this custom and by law set
apart May 5oth of each year, as Memoir
ial Day, and the nation itself, for which
its soldiers fought, bled and died, made
this day legal holiday by act of con-
gress in 1874.
There are now over 5000 posts of the
Grand Army of the Republic dotted over
this broad land of ours, in which about
$50 900 survivors of the struggle for
freedom to mankind and the perpetua-
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