Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-06-04
MEMORIAL EXERCISES.
THE NATIONS DEAD EULOCiZED BY
HON. A. 3. MORSE.
Appropriate Memorial Day Exercises Under
the Auspices of Dan =. Root Post
and the w. X. T..

Every inch of space in the Baptist
church at Smyrna was occupied last
Saturday by the people who came to
do honor To the nations dead. The
procession was formed at the house OF
Maj. Frank II. Chase where the Post
and Relief corps met headed by the
Smyrna Cornet Band. The Smyrna
schools under lead of Prof. Clay Tall
man each pupil carrying flag follow
ing the old veterans into the church
and during the exercises fine mill
tary drill with flags used for arms was
given by twelve girls. The choir com
posed of Mr.. and Mrs. ID. 3. Hoppough,
Miss Bertha Moe and Mr.. Homer Cook
furnished music interspersing the eX-
ercises with songs entitled when
Peace Shall Reign Again" Not Dead
but Sleeping Cover Them Over. "
Veteran Jas. II. Kenney sang a song
entitled ''Mother Would Comfort me
If she Were Here written by COM
rade while in Libby prison. Miss
ella Bignell recited on the "Itapa-
hammock" Gertie Ellis, Barbara Frit-
chic and Daisy Moore when Sher-
man Marched to the Sea" a big
dinner was served in the church ban
quet room Rain interfered with the
exercises AT the cemeteries but detail
was dispatched to decorate the graves.
Hon. A. b. Morse was introduced and
made the following excellent speech:
For whether on the scarold high,
Or in the battles van;
The tittest place for man TO dc
Is where he dies for man.
This is the one day in the year dedi-
Gated TO the union dead. A day set
apart to honor and revere the memory
OF the men who died that their country
might live. 1t is not holiday to be
observed with gladness and festivities:
and yet | trust, not one TO be wholly
given up to mourning or To tears.
While we remember in sadness and
sorrow the sutferings and sacrifices Of
our dead heroes, and the misery, and
woe of those dread years, when the
fate of our nation depended upon the
heroism cpd yalor of our people, we
should also remember the blessed re-
suits which peace has brought us in the
long years that have intervened since
the close of the rebellion. This should
be a qualification and JOY. Out of
the sorrows of that war have come the
consultations of peace regained and lib
erty restored to us, and TO our children.
We mourn for our dead. but we re-
joice in nation, saved, regcneratcd
and purified. We are glad that the
foul stain of slavery has been eilaced,
that all the humblest and poorest,
white and black alike, are not only
free but equal in the law. That our
free Institutions have been preserved
and planted on firmer basis, that
this is indeed the land of liberty, tnat
our flags float triumphantly, yet peace
fully over every inch of our great
country, loved and respected by every
citizen as the emblem of our govern
ment, and the hope and promise Of
freedom
This is day TO be given TO patri-
otic lessons, day in which TO renew
our love of country, to teach our chill.
dren that above all earthly things
is the love of freedom as exemplitied
in our government and its institutions.
That to this freedom we owe all the
JOY and comfort and gladness of life
the protection of our property, our lib
erty and our lives: the security of the
household and all the blessings and
delights that cluster aronnd the fire
sides; and that the hope Of their young
manhood and womanhood lies in the
promise that the maintainance of our
free institutions will give TO them the
same right TO earn and hold place in
life, to build and keep home, TO live
in love and peace that their fathers
have enjoyed.
TO teach them also that if the time
shall ever come TO them as il came to
US when duty To country shall be
weighed against the love of home and
kin, il shall be their choice to give
up home and love for duty and country
as did these men whose memory we
cherish and honor this day. For
country : above home and every tie
that binds to home. The man with
out country is without a home-a
wanderer and an outcast upon the face
OF the earth.
One patriotic lesson that would
this day instill into your minds is a
more general and specific expression of
love and loyalty TO our government, at
every public meeting of our citizens |
would have the people at such meet
ings manifest openly and distinctly
their love and reverence for our coun-
try. We can learn something from
Great Britain in this respect There
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