Evening star., 1897-05-31


DO go back In memory to the dark days.
when. as young men. we stood side by side
with these comrades who are here sleeping
their last sleep.
How wildly do we recall their bright
young faces, their gallant bearing, their
matchless herosmi We remember them
as they followed the flag through the
fierce storm of battle, and they went
down under the merciless fire. We remem-
Der them as they lay on the battlefield.
with their white. upturned faces: in the
hospital. and. saddest of all. in the prison
pen, where they starved and died. and
were buried in nameleSs graves We set
apart this day as one sacred to their men,
Ory, to the memory of those who so bravely
died that the nation might live. We are
old Tow and life Is rot worth much to us,
but these gave up their young lives in the
first blush of early manhood and with all
Hfe's possibilities before them. 1t was a
great sacrifice, but it makes every star
and every stripe upon that flag SO much
the dearer. for that which costs much is
worth much.
THE magnitude of the sacrifice made by
those who gloriously died, and by those
who fortunately survived. will never be
fully known to others than the soldiers
themselves 1t will not be found written
In books: monuments to their memory will
not reveal the story; the records of the
Grand Army of the Republic will not show
It: the immortal pages of history upon
which Will be engraved their names will
but family reflect 1t. The full knowledge
OF what they suffered for flag and country
Is locked in the heart of the soldier him
$n. and it will die with him, for he could
10 reveal 1t IL he would.
And in our respect for the dead we
1ould not forget the living, with their
heavy burden of wounds, infirmities and
advancing years. 1t has been said that
ofttirnes 1t requires a higher courage to
live than to die. How true is this of many.
o nd ia
comrades.
yet the most OF us have much to be
grateful for We rejoice in the memory
of our dead heroes; that they died not in
vain; that We have one country and one
mag: that so many of US have survived :
that. though your bodies are SCARED and
crippled and there are deep lines of suffer-
ing written in your faces. your mental
powers are unimDaired and you are as
Vel able now. II not better than ever he
Ore, to discharge with credit to yourselves
sna WIN honor to your country the
IN an official capacity your state or the
general government We also rejoice that
one OF our comrades. who in the early days
Bhoulder. is now chief magistrate of This
great nation. and sits here today with us
aide by side with the humbles. comrade.
Ihe beautiful month of May, with its
Dirds and flowers and soft sunshine. will
rome and go. but We. the survivors of tha,
great struggle. will soon Join our comrades
pm the other shore. and we shall be founf
no more In these hallowed grounds, wherf
We nave SO OFTEN come to do homage to thf
memory OF our beloved dead
we are nVing, and We shall die In tb.
nappy oeiief that the obsu..nce of thi.
nay Will be perpetuated by y patriotic snI
grateful people. and that the Iessons ~
patr io1ism. which We here seek 10 er
phasize in the presence OF the living am
the dead, may continue to be taught a
these graves by the rising generations.
And we are confirmed in this belief tn
day by the presence with us and the 20
operation OF 50 many patriotic mon an,
women who are younger than We"
At the conclusion of Commander Hon
kins address, which was followed viii,
close attention, the Marine Band rendere,
Rossinis sacred chorus, CHARITY" Tn
exquisite strains had hardly died ava,
when the voice Of Rev. w. H. Black. chan
lain of the Department of the Potomac
arose in a solemn invocation. The seen
was most impressive. the uncovered head
OF the multitude within tn, amphitheate
each heart seemed responsive to the word
OF the prayer.
ChapIafn's Prayer.
Department Chaplain W. H. Black in tn
prayer at Arlington said:
20 Lord. our God, Thou art very grea,
Thou art clothed with honor and majest,
We are the workmanship Of Thy hands
fearfully and wonderfully hast Thou mad
us. Nevertheless. by an abuse of man
moral agency, we are all sinners. w
come to Thee on this Memorial day, ami
these monuments Of the dead, with tn
stars and stripes floating over US, to re
pent OF our sins. and. In tho name Of Jesu