Evening star., 1897-05-31

l. Col. Brigha-n
dom.'- We understand very well that moth
ing we can say or do at this time can In
| any way effect our departed comrades.
Their battles have all been fought Earth
has no more victories or defeats for them.
''rhe chief purpose of these annual cere-
monies is to insrill into the minds of the
young and rising generation the great
price that was paid for the liberty and the
| izen sovereigns Of the grandest nation in
| all the world. 1t has been truly said that
| eternal vigilance is the price Of liberty
| TIE true patriot must ever be en- the alert
| and ever prepared to do battle for the
right. No one has better right to lead
or a greater duty to perform in the mat
| ter of educating the young in patriotism
| and fidelity than the old soldier of the re-
| public. They should be taught to avoid
| the mistakes that were made in the past,
which were followed by such a harvest Of
sorrows dealt. Neglect or violation Of
plain duty always results in disaster. The
| causes which contributed to bring about
the late war are very well understood by
| those of us who lived in that trying period.
but 1t is necessary that this knowledge
| shall be impaired to those who came after.
'One of the principal causes was an in
| tense partisan spirit which actuated and
controlled many Of our people. Party or
| but they should be controlled by patriotic
| men. and the interests of the country
| should always be held above those of any
political party. 1t is the plain duty of
| surviving comrades to do all in their pow
| er to hold within proper bounds partisan
| spirit. Had our people been as closely
| united by lines of communication and as
thoroughly informed of conditions in all
parts of our country as they today il
would hardly have been possible to have
| involved them in a war with it's attendant
| horrors
| Doines Its Work.
Perhaps no other agency has done more
| than tire Grand Army of the Republic to
| instill patriotism and love of country into
the minds and hearts of our people. This
! organization, being national in its char
scter, has an influence as wide as the ma
| tion itself, and each member of this grand
| organization, no matter how humble po-
| stion he may hold therein, if true to his
| obligations and the principles of the Or
| der, Is doing jast as patriotic work today
as he ever did upon the battlefields of the
past.
Sometimes, in the struggle for a liveli-
hood, the old soldier may feel that he is not
appreciated and that republics are un-
grateful, but he may rest securely on the
record OF the past. His heroic deeds will
never be forgotten, but in the future, near
and far, the generations to come will
proudly trace their lineage back to those
who wore the blue, and glory in their deeds
of heroism.
I'VE cannot, however, afford to rest upon
our laurels. The battles have not all been
fought, nor all the victories won. There
has always been struggle between right
and wrong in this world of ours. and there
has always been and always will be work
for brave and patriotic men. We should
always feel that 1t is our duty to watch
every interest of our country and try in
every possible way to defend its honor and
add to its glory and renown.
Other Heroes.
1--WE must not forget In these annual
gatherings, when we meet to fight our bat
ties o'er again, that the boys who wore the
blue were not the only heroes of the late
war. The father who sent his son to fight
his battles, whilst he remained at home
was as patriotic and true to the demands
of the country as the boy who shouldered
the musket. Many instances of sublime
heroism on the part of the fathers and
mothers come up fresh to minds as we
remember the stirring time of '61-'65 Many
a father and mother sent their only son;
many wife bade farewell to her husband ;
sisters and brothers to those they loved
and whilst their eyes were blinded with
tears, their hearts beat high with love for
country and their country's flag. No one
suffered more during the great struggle
than those who sent their loved ones into
the very jaws of death itself. Day by day
they watched with palpitating hearts and
blanched cheeks the reports of the dead
and wounded on the battlefields. All honor
u
times that tried mems souls
In every patriotic work the old soldiers
should lead, as they led when shot and
shell filled the air. 1t requires more cour-
cumstances than it did to face the horrors
of war. If we do our whole duty, We may
reasonably hope that our fair land will
never again resound to the tread of hostile
armies, but that peace and harmony will
everywhere prevail and that our nation
will stand without a peer among the ma
tions of the earth.
Honor for the Dead.
1T is very appropriate that we should
meet thus for the purpose of honoring our
heroic dead. In all ages and in all coun-
tries patriotic people have delighted to hon.
or the defenders of their country, and
whilst nothing that we can do can in any
way affect the condition of those who have
gone before. 1t must delight the hearts of
those who yet mourn for loved ones to see
their memory thus cherished and revered
by their grateful countrymen.
Let us, then, while we live, continue to
gather at the graves Of our sleeping heroes
and share in these ceremonies so long as a
single one OF us is spared. and when the
last soldier Of the republic has tottered into
the grave. we can safely leave to the sons
of these heroic sires the work of cherishine
the memory of the nations dead and The
protection Of the interests Of our common
Mr.. Brigham's address was warmly an
plauded, and then. after Miss Bessie Beadie
had splendidly rendered the song Gone to
Their Rest Mr.. Charles A. Davis of the
Sons Of Veterans addressed the gathering
In an eloquent manner.
Mr. Charles A. Davis.
Mr.. Chas. A. Davis was the first orator
at the morning services. In his address he
said:
To-day we are assembled to commemor-
ate the services and sacrifices of the Union
soldiers In the terrific strife which laid
waste cur land for four long and bloody
years. We come here on this Memorial day
more particularly to pay homage to the
heroes who have heard taps and now sieep
till the 'reveille, OF eternity shall sound.
Whatever their individual shortcomings
might have been, It's well that we meet
once year to do their ashes reverence
They gain NO benefit from our words or
deeds. but to us comes the stirring re-
minder Of their patriotic - -.tnces, and ex-