Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-29
MEMORIAL DAY AT ATHENS
Not the First, but the First of Which We
Have Particulars.

Not the First, but the FlrsL OF Wnicn we
Have Particulars.
OF course it cannot be known when civ
ilizcd nations first began to fix certain days
for the annual commcmOration OF tho acts
of their dead heroes, but SO natural is the
custom that it must have arisen among the
oldest nations. BY rare combination of
circumstances, however, vo have YER
batim report Cf ono Memorial day address,
delivered 2,G23 years ago by the greatest
man of his ;.gc
We know, moreover, that, unlike many
so called orations reported in ancient his
tory, this one was delivered very nearly as
rerorted, for it was n written address, ard
tho report comes to us by Thucydides, an
enemy of the orator. The great war OF
Sparta and her allies against Athens and
her allies had been in progress year when
the Greeks " no had fallen in the first bat
ties were honored with ma gnihcent funer-
nl. and Periclcs, then ruler of Athens,
made the srroch
1t is really vordcrful to note how much
OF it could EC adopted word for word in
Memorial day address Of today He began
by a culogy of their ancestors who had
founded Athens, ard Of their Successors
who had defended her against Persia and
made her free. He then told why these
brave young mon had died-to preserve
that glorious liberty-and thus continue d:
"For we enjoy form of government
which does not copy the laws OF our neigh
bors, but We i.G ourselves rather pate rn
to Others than imitators of them. In name,
from its not Icing administrated for the
benefit of the few, but of the many, 1t is
called democracy, but with regard to its
laws oil enjoy equality as concerns private
10 wi nd
each man, according as he has reputation
for anything, is preferred for public honors,
not SO much from consideration of party as
of merit. Nor, again, on the ground OF
poverty, If he be able to do the state any
service, is he prevented by the obscurity OF
his position
This was not sarcasm. He really meant
it. We are at liberty, however, to surmise
that Pericles meant to set forth what the
object of their government was rather than
what it really accomplished, for he goes on
to relate how carefully they observe the
laws. because they are of their own ohoos
ing, how recreations are provided for all
classes of men and equally in their enjoy
ment, how the freedom Of Athens is the
envy of mankind, and is so highly regard
ed by Athenians that every one would
rather die fighting than lose it, Indeed
if he spoke exact truth, 1t is much to b'
feared that no modern state is equal to IL
His closing paragraph might appropriate
ly be recited TO any American audience oI
this Memorial day of 1897. 1t ran thus:
Wherefore to the parents of these deaC
will not offer coincidence so much as con
ISOLATION, for they know that they Hvet
subject to misfortunes, but that happy i
their lot who have gained the most glori
GUS death as these have, and theirs who's
sorrow is as yours; their life so measured
that it ended in honor, and even so you
sorrow. Difficult indeed know 1t Is d
persuade you of this, as you must be re
minded of your loss by the good fortune o
others, and sorrow is most keenly felt, no
for the loss of that of which one Is with
out much experience, but OF that whicl
one loses after being accustomed to II
But bear up in hope Of your other chill
dren, who have them, and you who are oil
consider that the long period before was s.
much clear gain, that your time Of grie
is but short while the fame of your los
ones Is long, for the love of honor is tn
only feeling that never grows old, and a
age advances 1t is not the gain OF treasure
as some assert, that can cheer the heart
but only the enjoyment of honor"
Such were the golden words of this tn
oldest Memorial day address recorded
But 1t is a pain 10 complete the story
Soon after the city was crowded by fugl
tiyes, the dreadful plague came, and Peri
cles and all his family died OF It. DepriVe'
Of his clear leadership, the Athenian
wasted their resources, and at the END OF
Iona war ware thononGhlv rhinaata'd an