Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1897-06-04
Briggs Courier.
Import Of Memorial Day.

Dy Prof. J. II. Sinclair.
We meet today to do honor to the
memory of those who fought SO nobly
and 90 grandly for the perpetuity of
this union. It is proper that the hero
ic dead should not be forgotten. May
their graves be ever green with the
blossoms of loving remembrance!
The tribute which we pay here is but
slight compared with the work tfat
they performed for US. To the thought-
full this is q day Of stern and solemn
sadness, fraught with great response
bilities, appealing alike to.our sympar
thies and patriotic pride. A day on
which we should look upward and for
ward, on which we should fever highly
resolve' that the sacred trust handed
down by the immortal Lincoln and his
compeers shall remain inviolate as
long as we have the power of exercis-
ing an intelligent suffrage.
And while it is recent Institution
and an outgrowth of the great civil
war, it should not be confined to an
honoring of the heroes of that fright
full conflict alone, but should extend
to all who have contributed to the
vast heritage which is the birthright
of every American citizen. Today.
probably more than at any other time,
the thoughtful citizen realizes the
grave responsibilities of citizenship
and views with fitting solemnity the
stern realities which that citizenship
implies. The standard of patriotism
has been raised to the highest pinnacle
of test by preceding generations-that
of giving their lives for their country
if needs be-and it is most solemn
duty we assume on entering the por-
tails of citizenship. May the genera
tion OF the future be always found as
true to their trust as those of the past!
About one month ago the world
witnessed the grand spectacle of dedi-
eating the tomb of Gen. Grant, the
great military hero of the war. All
civilized nations were represented in
that grand display and We'd with each
other in doing honor to our dead hero.
But the most hopeful sign of all that
magnificent pageant was the interest
manifested in the exercises by the
boys of this country. The public
school parade was the finest ever seen
and astonished the spectators with the
precision and excellence ofthe military
bearing of it's members. Every parent
along that line must have felt a thrill
of pride to see the kind of boys their
sons are growing up amongst. Let US
hope that everywhere throughout this
broad union the parents will see to it
that their sons and daughters are
brought to realize the true worth of
such characters as Lincoln, Grant
anl numerous others who stand ex-
alted in our country's history. There
certainly are many, qualities in the
character of Gen. Grant that command
the respect and admiration of all man
kind of whatever nationality. Fore
most among the sterling qualities that
mark his career and challenge admir-
alton was his indomitable American
ism-in other words his patriotism.
Under all circumstances and condi-
tions he was a typical American. He
stood for all that is best and highest
in American life. He was not a man
born in the midst of affiuence or pam
pered luxury, but was the product of
that sturdy type of pioneers who open
ed the way for civilization west of the
Alleghanies during the first quarter of
the century. Like Lincoln, he was dis
tinctively a product of the west. At
an early age he showed that pluck and
perseverance (and what some have
termed obstinacy) that afterwards
made successful all his military un-
dertakings. A mau strong and true,
answering in the right as he saw it,
fearless of the consequences, withal
q perfect example of the highest type
of the American citizen, deserving of
the emulation of every American boy.
The chief significance of Memorial
day, aside from reverent memorium
to the dead, should be to impress the
future citizen with the great response
bility of his duties as such, impress
him with the idea that national unity
is absolutely essential to his civil lib
critics, and that an intelligent know
ledge of the herosim and sacrifice at
tendant upon the establishment of our
institutions would. forever wipe out
the possibilities of the nations disso-
luton.
The idea of unity is the first thing
necessary to the complete success Of
our institutions. Washington in his
farewell address gave warning in SOL
emn words to preserve and defend that
government which made us one people.
For this have stood all the patriot
fathers, and for it plead the eloquent