Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-30

the noble deeds. the heroic services. the
self-sacrifices of our dead heroes: to strew
flowers. fragrant flowers over their graves
and to cause the flag for which they dared
and died to wave over them, and to con-
secrate ourselves anew to the cause for
which they fought.
Our meeting and the purpose that
brings Us together IS an annual reminder
that to make this nation what 1t Is today
to give US the innu.nerable blessings this
highly favored land enjoys. more than half
million Of young men, the flower of our
first born, willingly laid down their lives
They died that the nation might live. and
their precious blood was rich consecra-
ton of the nation they redeemed
1--WE meet on this cor sec-ated ground
amidst waving trees and beautiful flowers
amidst lofty monuments aid these silent
tombs, on this Memorial DAY, to decorate
their graves with flowers to show the low
ing affections we bear the memory of our
fallen comrades. 1t is a beautiful service
one We are glad to perform. We make
beautiful ind fragrant the mounds under
which sleep our cGLntrys defenders. and
In so doing We are reminded of the sacri-
fees they made and the blessings we en-
JOY because OF such sacrifices
1--WE recall our associations with them /;
we recall Row, shoulder to shoulder, we
marched through heat and cold. through
sunshine and storm; we recall how these
comrades marched into the deadly battle
by our sides, how valiantly they fought.
and, alas, how they fell. We recall the
roll call, when the battle was over, when
theil places in the ranks were vacant, their
voices forever silent.
I'VE keep green in our memories and our
affections our departed comrades; we keep
their names enshrined on the tablets Of
our hearts; and the recollection of their
deeds of valor, their bravery, their sacri-
fees. and their fellowship with us rises
inc 70 hall nr,r hoo fS
and homes And in this sacred presence
we renew our loyalty to our country, our
readiness and our willingness to defend
old glory we rededicate our lives, our
fortunes and our sacred honors to the ma
tiCn We love and helped to save"
After the Rev. J. ID. Wilson invoked d.
vine blessing the Farragnt Octet sang the
Parson, D. D., delivered the grafton of the
day.
Rev. DR.. Parsons Address.
Rev. DR.. Parson said: Once more we are
met in our annual decoration festival 1t
is a season of flowers and beautiful me-
MORALS.
Sorrow and rejoicing mingle
We do not want the memory of brave
men to perish.
The valorous deeds they performed on
land and sea worthy of perpetual re-
membrance. Hence. have this one day
in the year. a national holiday. that all the
people may join in honoring the dead heroes.
They sleep on battlefieldS; are scattered in
unknown graves: are buried in trenches
they lie at the bottom Of the sea: their
ashes are scattered to the four winds; they
rest In quiet village graves: In beautiful
city cemeteries like this or in national
cemeteries maintained forever by all the
people.
And today there is an outpouring from
hearts and homes Of flowers. Of sentiment.
of patriotic devotion. Of universal honor to
these
died in vain.
I reckon it among the red-letter days Of
memory-the day when, November 10. 1863
l heard Abraham Line DIN utter those i'm
mortal words at Gettysburg-at the dedi-
cation Of that beautiful national cemetery
the first and finest of its kind in the world
Edward Everett spoke for two hours.
Mr.. Lincoln spoke two minutes At the
conclusion Of the exercises the famous ora
tor said to the President: Mr. Lincoln
you have said more in two minutes than
was able to say In two hours.
The central monument at Gettysburg
has the entire speech Of Mr.. Lincoln en-
sraved upon its base. 1t is so full of mean
ing, and so appropriate to such an occasion
thai feel 1t should always be read or
quoted at the return Of each Decoration
the young need to learn them and the old
have their memories refreshed: -Four
score and seven years ago fathers
brought forth upon this continent new
nation. conceived in liberty and dedicated
to the proposition that all men are created
equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil
war testing whether that nation or any
nation. so conceived and so dedicated, can
long endure.
1--WE are met on a great battlefield Of
that war.
I'VE are met to dedicate a portion of IT
as the final resting place of those who
here gave their lives that that nation might
live 1t Is altogether fitting and proper
that We should do this But. in larger
sense, We cannot dedicate, we cannot con-
secrate. we cannot hallow this ground.
The brave men, living and dead who
struggled here have consecrated it, far
above our power to add or detract
The world will little note nor long re-
member what we say here but 1t can never
forget what they did here 1t is for us.
the living rather to be dedicated here to
the unfinished work that thew have Tins
far so nObly carried on.
1t Is rather for us to be here dedicated
to the great task remaining before us
that from these honored dead we take in
creased devotion to the cause for which
they here gave the last full measure of
deVot1C that we here highly resolve that
the dead shall not have died in vain-that
the nation shall, under God, have a new
tlrth OF freedom, and that government of
the people, by the people, for the people
shall not perish from the earth"
Words Not Born to Die.
There Is one erroneous statement in Nv
vi L,
Llncoln's brief utterance of ten sentences.
He says 1.-The world will little note nor
long remember" what he said that iay. On
the contrary, the world can never forget #
Ihey are among the few immortal words
that were not born to die
He Set the spirit forth in which we must
conduct all dedication and decoration en-
crosses 1t is the consecration of ourselves
70 more patriotic devotion. One of the most
interesting and beautiful annual festivals
or the japanese, among whom | lived for
some years, Is what they call the Feast of
Lanterns. 1t is in effect Japanese Dec
grafton day. For the stone at each grave
IN Japanese cemetery is surmounted
with what looks like open-work carving.
but IS really place in which to set a
light. e'
"A beautiful sight it is to see all the field
Illuminated, and all the stones in front of
temples or in graveyards afame with
lights placed in them by loving hands in
afectionate remembrance of the dead If
IS ike our Decoration day observance: and
IL we could add to our daytime exercises
some such evening custom it would beautf-
1uliy round out the day and make the night
radiant with new symbol of our deyo-
ton as well as Of our hope.
o1er this as a suggestion to the NOM
Ders or the Grand Army having the mat
decoration