The Globe-republican., 1896-06-04

Of one homogeneous nation, but you nave
given q new meaning to the Declaration
Of Independence and. incorporated
amendments in the organic law OF the
land, provisions abolishing and forever
prohibiting slavery or involuntary ser
vitude except for the punishment OF
crime and have clothed the negro with
citizenship and the ballot. Following
your example serfdom has been abol-
tshed in Mexico. Brazil and some Of the
old countries Of the east.
What of the dead who freely gave
their lives that the country might live.
When we look down the vista OF time
view the spectral spirit Of those who
died in the most gigantic war history
records, amid the clash of arms and
the roar Of battle their lives went out
on the altar Of human rights.
1T is to those men who went down
to death without even a consolation of
knowing that they had not died in
vain and their comrades who were
called later" to the final muster out
that we this day with loving hands and
loyal hearts bring our tribute of fiow-
ers with which to deck their graves.
The battles they won Donaldson. Shiloh
Pea Ridge. Vicksburg. Franklin. Nash
vile. Chattanooga, Atlanta. The Will
derness, Gettysburgh, Petersburg and
a hundred others and the banners they
made glorious and the lives they gave
up voluntarily were a triumph and a
consolation.
Can stored urn, or animated bust
Back to its mansion call the fleeting
breath
Can honor's voice provoke the silent
dust.
Or fiattery soothe the dull cold ear Of
death.
The boast Of heraldry, the pomp Of
power
And all that beauty. all that wealth
ere gave
Await alike the inevitable hour
The path of glory leads but to the
grave"
We can add nothing TO the splendid
fame of these heroic dead who's, graves
we signalize through these ceremonies
which are both homage and nsriration
There is more in it than oratory can
accomplish. The tattered flags they
loved and followed at the bugles call
are more eloquent than the tongue Of
man. It is q sweetly solemn and i'm
pressive task that 10000, 900 of Ameri-
cans perform today. These floral Of
ferings which are fair symbols Of ma
lures resurrection In their sweet sense
and silent beauty speak to the heart
in language that cannot be paraphrased
And it is because they soon fade and
die that they are representative OF hui
man life and human hope. The ranks
of those of US who survive are growing
thinner year by year. Soon the graves
we visit and decorate will be more
numerous that the old veterans who
come with flowers. Grant, Sherman.
Sheridan, Mcclellan. Meade, Hancock.
Logan. Blair, Lyon. Thomas and
million more braves have crossed the
dark river but have sent no captain to
tell us Of the shoals. We are not far
from the brink. What shall we do?
If a man dies shall he live again? II
death were an eternal sleep and hopes
were buried in the tomb. If when life
goes out we could hear no rustic Of a
wing and see no glimmer or sun or
star this beautiful rite would be
mOckery and jest. eW ere taught to
hope and to believe that death is tho
key which opens the door of the palace
Of the universe. If this be so then We
should SO live that when our summons
comes to join the innumerable caravan
which moves to that mysterious realm
where each shall take his chamber in
hol1 rs Of oo =,
the quarry slave at night scourged to
his dungeon but sustained and soothed
by an unfaltering trust approach the
grave like one who wraps the drapery
Of his couch about him and lies down to
pleasant dreams.
In this day Of ritual Of flowers which
comes in the high tide of earth's beau
ty and bloom. we cannot forget the pat
riotism. the devotion and the sacrifices
Of our noble woman. The heart Of VIC.
man has always throbbed in sympa-
thy with the right and yearns for the
relief and comfort Of the distressed and
dying. She was last to leave the
cross and the first to visit and weep II
the sepulcher and in fields, hospitals.
tent and home or wherever sick. woua-
watched and nursed them with tender
ness and love. She sang to them the
hallowed songs of home and smoothed
the wrinkles from the pillow Of death
and the nation whose cradles are rock
ed by such mothers and that honors
and cherishes the memory of its dead
defenders by annual oblatiOnS OF flow
ers and benediction will never perish
from the earth.
Hope is believing that some stranger
will saw your wood while you sit in
the shade.