Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY


| veterans OF 81 ana 60, and that pOr-
trayed In the daily life OF every true
American citizen.
Where the Roman soldier fought to
gain personal glory and renown, you.
fought that right might prevail. Where
he fought that he might extend his terri
tory and Increase his wealth, you fought
| that you might extend the rights and
privileges Of your brother man. Which
the nobler cause? Which has met with
success and been the most worthy Of q
| place in history This question needs
hut to be asked to be answered. Rome
was founded, II increased. its wealth and
power. only from a selfish motive and
with II selfish purpose. and as It's NORM
ing star of fame and success rose higher
and higher, the underlying vices Were
anawing at its very vitals. and when II
became so corrupted and contaminated
with evil and vice that 1t could exist no
| longer. II fell. Ii fell because the UNDER
| lying principles which governed II were
| selfish motives.
| They were inspired in their conqucsts
| by the desire for personal fame. their
| motto was self-asgrandlzement and the
| furtherance of their possessions.
1 To me. the contrast is marked. This
nation was founded upon the principles
| of right. justice and equality OF man
kind.
We. as a nation. have adhered to those
| principles in every respect. all that ~
| low and vile and debasing is frowncd
| upon and trodden down. anu 50, when
| the question of slavery arose. the coun-
| Try was awakened 70 the fact that II was
| not In harmony with our nations prin-
| ciples and could not and would not be
| tolerated The Romans leader was hu-
man like themselves and actuhted by tn"
| same principles which inspired them
| Your leader was One who rules and
| knows all things 1t was III. who gave
| You life: Ii was He who kept you on the
| field of battle and In camp. and 1t is with
| Him who gave them life that your fallen
comrades have gone In death
| Almost 1850 years ago there game to this
| world man whose mission IL was Ia
make men better and to give His own
| life that they might live From Him, and
| from His lifc. We draw a lesson OF self.
| denial and self-sacriicc and plainly sec
| the purpose OF His ministry SO. wher
| the news of war was spreao over the land
| there came from the homes and from
/ the workshop. men whose mlssion IL Waa
| To save their country, 20 riii IL of the
| curse Of slavery and to free their brother
| men, even at the cost of human life
The mission Of the Union soldier then Is
as plain as was the ministry of Him
| who came TO earth and lived and died
| that the world might b. better
| Have we not. then. some charge To
keep. some cross to beas. some mission
4 to fuliiIi2 | cannot believe that wert'
| given breath and lie and intellect ana
/ thought and feeling Unless we were la
use those powers for someth hing else than
our own selfish interests and our personal
qualification and advancement
Miserable Is the man who boards III
| his wealth and miscrly counts his mile
lions. yet far more unhappy and far NOR.
| miserable is he. who. possessing irbcr-
liant qualities and powers, which. when
| put 10 proper use would benefit mankind
far more miserable. | sag. Is he when he
| fails to use those powers aud allows
them 10 be idle At the expense OF other
4 men.
| AS we read IN history the life Of some
| great man. as we read OF the Spartan
youth and his loyalty and We read
of mighty armies which by their deels
| of daring overthrow vast empires and
1 aeihrofic powerful rulers. 20 shall the
| Rising generation read the story of 4
great struggle between the North and
South. and rs they learn OF the deeds III
herolsm which you performed. they viii
be inspired Ia new efforts. prompted 10
new resolutions and ted on to noslcr
| work.
Standing upon crag which ovorlooki
| 2 vast stretch of country ais eye catches
sight of a dark speck. as 1t were. upon
the surface OF q STREAM: which flows
quietly. yet with ever increasing yeior
lily as IL nears the point nj which stand
| AS the object draws nearer can see that
IL is the carcass OF some animal. and
| upon closer investigation note that there
Is perchcd and feeding upon ii, large
bird. perhaps an eagle OF "A vulture. 50
intent is the bird upon its work that III
| does not notice the increasing speed of
the current. and almost without warnina
| the carcass of the animal and the birA
upon IL are dashed over the falls ana
ground to pieces on the rocks below
| From this, may We draw a lesson, for
how often in the busy hum of life,s
duties and the enjoyment of worldly
pleasures ire we borne on, upon the ever
| increasing current out and onward
| toward the falls over which we all must
pass. how many of us. I say. are borne
along this course. unneeding the duties
which lie along the way. until at last the
roar Of the falls reaches our ears and w
| turn To look back over the course s"
quickly run. only to fined duties undoue
and missions untitled.
| History records no nEe, no decade
Ixs5h fll off. al,
age which presents so many opporiuni-
| ties. no record of an epoch in which SO
much depended upon every individual az
| related to his brother man. as does the
| in which we live. All around US upon the
great sea of humanity are drifting help
less wrecks. men who. by their own mis-
| conception of their OWE creation have
strayed from the paths of right and are
now calling to all the world 10 extend to
| them helping hand and To rescue them,
| ere ii shall be too late. and So, say.
| this age opens to us new opportunities
| and new duties for dependent upon us
are those who have been claimed from
sin and vice. and upon rests the
responsibility to pilot them along the
pathway of life until their weakened
powers shall enable them to grasp the
| hand and receive the impulse OF that
pilot of pilots, the presefver aud keeper
| of all mankind.
| This age is one which opens to our
minds new avenues of thought and places
/ within our grasp the means whereby "
may establish for ourselves q character
/ and record tnat Snail uutilNt tnt Wplks
| Of history and serve us as a guide anu
pilot into that better HE to come.
| Life has tcen likcned to 4 great school
| in which we work ana study in order
| that we may fit ourselves for the future
| If we throw away the opportunities
| which present themselves and give no
| thought to the morrow, our life work
| must be a failure and what might have
| been z bright and ilustrious career IL
| turned to naught. Not only is it our
| privilege to improve these opportunities
| and live lives that shall be a credit u
| the world. but IL is our duty. The
| thought of individual responsibility here
presents itself In a most forcihle man.
ner. Our duties to humanity to our
brother man, to our Families and our
homes are those which come to every
| man in whatever sphere he is placed,
| so we may say ii is our duty to fit our
selves for whatever task may come IN
| order that we may be able to grasp ita
full Significance and meaning and fultill
its intended mission.
| Had | the most perfect harp that
human hands could construct and could
| play upon that instrument with the
Iacuracy of a skilled musician: while you
might hear the strains OF Home. Sweet
| Home" or Rock of Ages Cleft for Me.
should hear above IL all, the sweet
Iovertones of music and so. We're We TO
become skilled in the art of learning as
only years of work and study can do