Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-06-22


Mr.. Commander, Members of the Grand
Army, Ladies Of the Relief Corps, La
dies and Gentlemen:
Another year has rolled away, and again
Americas sons are standing with bowed,
uncovered heads beside the graves OF
their honored dead. Many grassy
mounds have been added since we last
stood there; many loyal soldiers have
\ been mustered into the grand army of
y heaven.
On this day, so fraught with recollec-
Il tions, we stand as it were on a broad
threshold where we pause, and though we
look forward with many bright hopes and
anticipations, the picture that this
day brings to US is too full of interest to
be passed tightly by.
In the book Of books we read that there
was a time when the Hebrew nation kept
solemn feast, when a lamb was slain,
the blood sprinkled on the door posts,
and the fathers with their sandals on and
stats in their hands ate as il in haste OF
the lamb sacrificed, and when the young
men and maidens standing by asked :"Wh by
do ye this, why keep this day as memo
rial throughout all our generations?' they
made ans wer: There was time in our
history y hen God stretched out His hand
over the land OF Egypt and slew the first
born of him who sat on the throne, and
him who lay in the dungeon, but W hen he
saw She blood on our door posts He passed
over and We aud our loved ones were
safe. '
WHAT rHF DAY MEANS.
SO to-day ~ We stand by the grassy
mounds. "a gathe in this hall, and t he
young men and maidens, the boys and
girls standing 10y ask: why do you
this Why keep this day from year to
year, holding II in precious memorial
throughout all our generations" And
We make them this answer: There WAS
4. q time IN the history Of our nation when
the mgtteFing- OF treason were heard on
every side, and every breeze from the
South brought to Us threatenings deep
and dark that eliminated upon April II,
1851, ia a da-tsrdly attack upon Fort
Sumter, hich was forced to surrender,
and our fiag-the stars and stripes-that
had never known stain or dishonor, no
longer fiosted in the breeze, but was
trailed in the dust, A. though II was not
the flag under which our forefathers
fought, that flag that was seen
''In the morn'- early light, that 30 proudly we
hailed At the twilight last cleaning,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through
81 the Perilous night, from the rampant we
~ watched were 80 calamity streaming.
I. and the rockets rei glare, aud bombs bursting
w in air,
4 Gave proof through the night that our flag was
still there"
ncrving the hearts and hands OF every
soldier and sailor on to greater effort.
But now, Oh, how changed! And as we
peered through the gathering gloom as
Nthe night OF 81 closed around US, the nag
Nyas not there, and the awful cry ito
arms, to arms, rang through our startled
country, and there was seen the
.Gleam Of steel the futter OF flags
AM the tramp of marching men"
There were desolate fires ides, aching
carts and long dreary days and nights OF
wa itching by wives and mothers and
daughtor-, while the battle ragged on hill
and in valley oh, the pity of it-between
brother and brother, who ought instead
to have been standing side by side and
shoulder to shoulder, lighting in one
common cause And when the awful four