Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-06-01
large crouds Gather at the Cemeteries and
Decorate the Graves Of The Dead.
THOUSANDS CAME FROM ATLANTIC Cry SPECIAL
Trans AND ON B1cYcLEs-SUNDAY SCHOOLS AND
MILITARY COMPANIES MAKE FINE DIsPLAy-ExER-
cIsEs AT BAPTIST CHURCH

of patriotism and that the sons of the
veterans, and citizens generally, wert
Just as loyal as their fathers and the
citizens of preceding generations. He
was pleased to see the churches and
other organizations join in observing the
solemn ceremonies of the day that meant
so much to the old soldier. The day was
first instituted April 6, 1866, by Gen. B.
F. Stevenson, of Illinois, and the Memor-
ial Service by Gen. John A. Logan. The
G. A. r. numbers at the present time
between eight and nine hundred thousand
members-all of whom are governed by
laws enacted by themselves and peculiar
to their own order. The method OF
electing officers and the qualifications
for membership were explained in detail
and then Mr.. Lake brought out the inter
esting historical fact that a Memorial
Service is nothing new and not at all
original with the G. A. r. or any other
organization that ever existed in this
country. He cited Ancient Greek His
tory, and quoted from speech of Peri
cles, who lived more than four hundred
years before Christ, to prove thatservices
nearly similar to ours were performed
over the dead bodies of the Greek soldiers
whose form of government in many re-
spects resembled our own. He believed
that the country would be found equal
to every emergency and that the sons
were as patriotic as their fathers, Ii his
own were not he would disown them.
Rev. James Luffbarry, pastor of the st.
Johns M. p. Church, who is himself q
veteran soldier, and member of the G.
A. R. said he was glad to live to see
another Memorial Day, although every
recurrence of the anniversary only served
to remind him how rapidly his old COM
rades were passing away. They are
dying at the rate of twenty thousand q
year, and seven of his immediate COM
rades had died since Memorial Day last
year. This day does not recall to the
veteran soldiers q time of feasting and
pleasure, but rather of hardship. hunger
and fatigue, of tedious marches with the
muddy ground for a bed and the sky for
a covering. When a charge was made
upon the enemy no one inquired OF
another if he belonged to certain regi-
ment, but all stood shoulder to shoulder
in common cause and each man did his
best to win. This Day means more to
the old soldier than it does to anybody
else for it recalls the stirring scenes OF
battle. Some feared to 60 to war for
to be shot. Almost every soldier will
tell you that is about the last thing be
thinks of in battle. The excitement
banishes fear and the shouts upon
the battlefield are more like a
lot of boys at play. He wished
that the church could be as loyal, as
united, and as enthusiastic in the cause
of Christ as the soldiers were in the
cause of their country. If they were
the strongholds of sin would soon sur
render.
After selection by the Choir, Mr.. G..
Fl. Jenness, editor OF The Press, spoke
briefly upon war, past and present. 1t
seems strange that any good can come
from war when we take into considera-
ton its horrors, it's destruction of
property, aud its terrible sacrifice OF
human life. Yet many of the greatest
reforms of the world have come through
va n all ages. This is notably so in
the history of England, France, and our
own country. Our Revolutionary was
the one that gave us Freedom and
Independence. The War of 1872 COM
PEELED England to abandon the right OF
search, aud our great civil war abolish
ed slavery and made us free republic.
Again we are at war but we scarcely
realize it as we eagerly scan the daily
newspapers to see whether disaster and
defeat or victory and joy awaits us.
We must not be too sanguine. Some
great naval disaster may yet humi-
late us. Spain and her colonies
number as many people as the
United States had at the commencement
of our civil war, and we never had a
single ship at that time as good as
many that Spain has now. She is q
cruel, treacherous, inhuman nation
whose record for q thousand years has
been stained with blood. She is the
mother of the IDquisition which for
three or four hundred years made the
world shudder at it's horrors. 1t is the
same nation that we are now at war
with-that burns hospitals and kills the
nurses of sick and wounded soldiers; that
Outrages women and shoots helpless
children; that blots out half million
people by herding them together in
cities and starving them to death, or
murders them outright if they attempt
to escape. believe that our war against
such country, and in defence of human
ity is just one, and that the same
great over-ruling Providence that has
safely guided us through past dangers
will still be with US and give US victory
at last, and that
freedoms battle once begun,
Bequeathed from bleeding sire to son
Tho baffied oft, is ever won."
Comrade George F. Williams of the
G.. A.. r. then related his personal
experiences, gave a vivid description
of the Andersonville Prison, and paid
a glowing tribute to the memory oi
the women who, since the war, raised
tOmbstones to the memory OF those
who died within the prison. He also
spoke pleasingly of the humorous
side of army life and related several
amusing anecdotes.
Rev. Mr.. Craig, pastor of the Mt
Pleasant Church, occupied a few
minutes and spoke forcibly of tht
present war with Spain and the issues
leading up to it.
Rev. r. u. JeWett, pastor OF the
Salem M. F.. Church, was introduced
as "the son Of a soldier" and spoke
eloquently upon national affairs. thu
action OF President Mckinley in re
sisting any threatened interference o
foreign nations, or Of the Pope o
Rome, and said that we were acting
the part of The Good Samar
itan. We are helping a natior
Of different race, q different
religion, and differing in almost every
thing with ourselves. We are wagipl