Omaha daily bee., 1896-05-31
candles the watching stars Calm and rest
full. holy and beautiful Is Memorial day.

The sOft green grass u Sio"'Hb
Ger meadow and Ger dale;
The silvery f5unts are flowing,
Upon the verdant vale:
The pale n w-d ,op is spin ne
To greet the g.owing sun;
The primrose sweet is hingtng
Perfume the fields among;
The trees are in the blossom,
The birds are In their song,
Is spring upon the bosom
OF natures borne along
FROM MORE THAN GRATITUDE.
I'VE are here, and our comrades are in
all our sacred places, as her votaries. Gath
ering branch and bough, leaf and twig. bios
som of bush and tree, bud and full-blown
flower, we press them with willing, well
filed HANDS to loving, appreciative hearts,
that their sweetest fragrance may exude
and heap them high upon our beloved dead.
Net alone In token of our loving re-
membrance of their trials and sufferings,
net simply in grateful recognition of their
great service, but emphatic Of the faith that
they have not gone from US %foreve-, that
being dead, yet shall they live Fain
would 1 recall that wonderful uprising in
1861, that springing Of an indignant nation
to combat to avenge the insult to the flag
and save the republic from dismemberment.
To those of us who remember the call to
arms; the signal sound Of civil strife. car.
ried upon the sweet air of that gentle April
morning thirty-fve years ago, 1t is as
though it was but yesterday. The sudden
and unexpected change from the arts OF
peace to the quick acquiring of grim visaged
war, was a mystery most Profound; but
the God OF Nations was the guiding force,
leading us through the valley and shadow
of death to the high plane Of true freedom
and fair equality.
Emerson, far-seeing philosopher, well ex-
pressed it when he said prophetically, our
success Is sure; its roots are in our poverty,
our Calvinism, our schools, our thrifty
habitual industry; in our snow and east wind
and farm life.' Yes! here lies the keynote
of achievement, not only as to the nation,
but as to individuals as we'll. The sue
cess Of the great soldier we honor today is
convincing proof of the fact.
ulysses s. Grants life had been one
of grinding poverty, adverse fate and UNI
requited endeavor. The snow OF misfortune
had covered him and the east wind of fall
ure had swept down upon him with chilling
effect. 1t was the school in which he was
taught patience, with which to endure, de-
termination, with which to continue effort,
pertinacity until the end was reached and
with 1t all forbearance to those unfortunate,
generosity to those conquered by the fates.
Aye! more. There came to him from this
forging upon lies anvil a self-reliance that
had In 1t nothing obtrusive, for it was
Joined to a modesty most rare and a sim
plicity of character so exceptional as to
cause at times doubt Of his great capacity.
WAS THE ONE GREAT LEADER.
but our friends, the enemy, never
OOuDleU. i was pleHSeu 10 Tedu lue IeIldThs
made but a few days ago by the last re-
naming great confederate soldier, Lieuten-
ant General Longstreet. He said: OF all
the union commanders, he was the great
leader, who accurately surveyed the field OF
war, the elements Of strength and points of
error and considered the vast means neces'
sary to solve the problem
Never to be forgotten-the days of 1851
1865 brought events compared with which all
after happenings are fiat, stale and un-
profitable We, who survive, would not
exchange the recollections of those four
years Of dangers shared. sufferings endured,
sacrifices made, courage displayed, victories
won, success achieved, for all else in life.
The heart OF a grateful nation swells with
gratitude to those who fought, who suffered
and who fell. How vast the number! Nearly
2,5C0. 900. during those troublous years Of
dreadful war, left freside and home, family
and friends, to do battle on sea and on land
that the republic might live and the gov
ernmeht Of the people be maintained.
Nearly 500, 900 never returned to mother,
loss. By instant killing and from grievous
wounds; with blighting disease and
from criminal neglect; upon the
field of honor. under the hospital
tent in the pest camp. within the prison
pen, they persisted. Beneath the blood
stained grass, under the shaded slopes OF the
land. beneath the restless waves, under the
bounding pillows OF the sea, their poor bodies
found annihilation. Some to return to dust
where they fell, others to find resting place
near the hearth-stone Of the home and thou
sands to be placed tenderly In the great
tombs of the unknown dead. All put under
the grassy coverlet of God that spreads
equal green above their ashes pale;' but these
last torn and shattered beyond recognition.
"Saddest Of all the sad fates incident to
the soldiers life.
Unknown! Unknown!
NOT UNKNOWN IN HEAVEN.
And yet methinks the leaves OF the
mighty trees that shade their graves whisper
their honored names, the gentle winds OF
heaven delight to carry the whispered eylla-
bles to remotest space, and the dumb can
non, marking the sacred spots where they
lie. would fain thunder forth the story of
their v~alorous deeds to remotest time.
They have fought their last fight!
They have won their last battle
Neither nelghing steed or martial drum,
clanking saber or shrill fife; not the bugle's
blast or the long roll. the rattle OF musketry
or the reyerberation OF the deep-mouthed
cannon. shall call them again to duty. Your
',pir t., like the great principles for which ye
fought and fell are immortal and cannot die.
Let Springs choicest offerings bedeck costly
tomb ana humble grave alike upon this
Memoria day.
Let perfumed flower ard waving banner,
the swell OF music and the burst OF cong.
bear appropriate tribute TO the patriotic yalor,
the loyal devotion that. at immeasurab,e
sacrifice. decreed, in the language Of the
chief martyr OF our nation, dead-ADraham
Lincoln; This nation, under God, shall have
a new birth Of freedom and that government
of the people. by the people and for the PEG
pie. shall not perish from the earth
las the passing years give growth AMI
strength to this mighty republic. a grateful
posterity Will realize more and more the
magnitude of the results obtained and fee
a more intense recognition Of the sacrifices
made and the suffering endured by those
who followed the country's nag, preserving
II untarnished and in honor during the dark
days Of the rebellion. How magnificent their
~servicei How superb their achievements!
FROM SUMTER TO APPoMATToX.
Their bayonets reflected dazzling light ae
they followed the lead OF Mcclellan. Burn
side, Meade, Logan. Hooker, Howard and
Hancock. Flashed all Their sabers bare as
they rode to victory under Fitzpatrick, Gus
ter. Merritt. Wilson and Gregg. They never
gave up the ship when upon the quarterback
stood Ammen, Foote. Dupont. Rodgers and
Porter. With RSsecrans they fought III
cSr!nth and st0lS River, stood thsy srspnd