Evening star., 1897-05-31
distributed among the throng Of spectators
that had assembled. The band occupied

that had assembled. The band occupied
seats on the lawn in the rear.
There were probably a hundred persons
seated on the stand when, promptly at
noon, the hour set for the commencement
of the exercises, q crunching sound was
heard, and those near the center felt that
they were sinking. A rush was made to-
ward the entrance, but cooler heads pre-
vailed, and the fears of the alarmed ones
were soon qufeted, as the structure, after
sinking about six inches, again became
stationary. The women and children were
assisted to the ground, and thereafter all
moved quietly.
A bugler sounded the assembly, and after
the rendition of an army hymn by the
band, under the direction of Prof. A. Bug
lore, g. E. McCabe, junior vice depart
ment commander, who was in charge of
the exercises, called the assembly to or
der. I'VE are here not to mourn, but to
rejoice over the deeds of the heroic dead, "
said Commander McCabe He then read
the orders of the department commander
covering the Memorial day exercises. The
invocation was next In order.
Rev. T.. OliD Eldridge.
In his remarks at Congressional cemetery
Rev. E. Olin Eldridge took as his keynote
the quotation from Macauley mo people
who fail to take pride in the deeds of their
ancestors will ever do anything in which
their prosperity can take pride" This is
especially, said the speaker, true of our
of human progress, and fought and won
the battles of the ages. Our national his.
tory is a page from Gods own book, and is
full of divine lessons. We need to keep in
memory what our nation stands for. Our
institutions and their preservation cost
time and blood and brain. Our republic is
synonym for scholarship, patriotism.
revolutions, reformations and, above all,
the wise providence of that God who is
the master builder of nations. What great
principles and events are crowded into our
history: To know these and properly
cherish them constitutes our strength, and
guarantees our perpetuity. To be unac-
quainted with them is to see our greatness
go down before widespread national ig-
norance. These are the pillars OF our re-
public, and we must know them and live
in their influence in order to guard them.
Hence hail with delight not only the re-
turn of this annual Memorial day, when
we strew sweet flowers on the graves of
our noble dead, who died for the preserva-
tion of union; but for every other organiZa-
tion that stands for the perpetuation OF
American institutions. What we need to-
day is a revival of intense Americanism.
for this Is the finest flower that In all the
ages has bloomed on the stalk of human
progress. 1t stands for the highest civili-
zation, the broadest humanity, the purest
religion and the largest liberty. Its prod
ucts have been magnificent manhood.
and a holy womanhood. We talk of the
times are always big to earnest nen; If we
times are always big to earnest men If we
are earnest our times will be big to us.
We have problems to solve that can only
be settled by men of like determination to
those who, enlisting in the Union army.
endured the horrors of war, and gave their
life blood rather than allow the right to be
trampled under foot or the nation to be
rent and dishonored.
The Grand Army.
DR.. Eldridge drew a broad picture of
the horrors of war and the misery it
entailed on men and women.
Never was there" he said, "a nobler
body CT men gathered under a flag than
that that fought the battles of the Union.
Like the army of the revolution, they
were mustered directly from the work
shop, the farm, the store, the court room,
the college and the pulpit. They were rail-
lied by magnificent outburst of the moral
sense, which was but echo of the mind
of God. They rushed to the front that
they might stand up for God and freedom
and for the integrity and Wilderness of this
nation. They were not conscripts, but vol
unteers. The fact that they sleep today in
their silent graves is proof of their brav-
cry. Brave amid the rattle of musketry
and the cannon's awful roar. Brave at mid
night hour on the lonely picket duty.
Brave under the surgeons knife. Brave
In their dying message to home. They
were brave everywhere. We can never pay
the garland of unfading glory bn their
brow, while the world stands up to do
them honor"
Greece and Cuba.
The speaker touched on foreign affairs
in vigorous manner He said:
Soldiers of the Grand Army remain
Ing may you ever be worthy of the brave
comrades who have gone before you, and
continue to fight the battles of freedom
We have relation not only to our own
country, but to broad humanity The op-
pressed in all lands are looking toward
America for light, for principles and a
h heiping hand. we have a mission to lead
humanity, because civilly we are ahead of
humanity. Silence is not our duty. We
have a voice in the world. and that voice
should he heard until every chain is
broken and every land is free. Oh. for
Patrick Henry to fire the heart of this
nation until bleeding Armenia and devas-
tated Crete shall be delivered from the
butchering hand and merciless heel of the
Godforsaken Turk. Until patriotic Cuba,
rising like jewel out Of the ocean re-
splendent with the light of liberty, shall
shake hands with America as also the land
OF the free and the home of the brave
The shots fired for freedom during our
civil strife were long-range shots, and
their echo has been heard round the
world"
After the singing of lode to America" by
the Farragut Octet, consisting of James
s. Smith director; John Green, John Pur-
Wis, F. S. Hayes, Harry McElfresh r. 7.
Lowry, A. ]. Bussey and Harry Redfield,
Senator Frank J. Cannon of Utah was in
troduced as one of the orators of the day.
Senator CannOn's Address.
"All over the land millions are gathered
today to do honor to the dead who are
AGsaA