The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-06-02
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The ntterances on this day, then,
should be void of passion or prejudice;
inspired with the kindly spirit of Lin
coin when he spoke the words with
malice towards none. with charity to
all, and with the fraternal spirit of
the great Captain when he said E'Let
us have Peace But however kindly
and fraternal, the utterances of this
day ought never to warp the truth of
history.
Ny friends and comrades of Prince
ton we are not here to-day merely to
honor the memory of those of our COM
rades who sleep in yonder cemetery
awaiting Heavens reveille! Our com
rades were not alone those whose
elbow touched ours in the moving
column, nor merely those who shared
our bivouac Or drank from the same
canteen-not alone those who we're
members Of our company or our army
corps: but every soldier and sailor who
from 1861 to 1865 did, or dared or died
in the Union Army he was our COM
rade. And wherever he lies buried,
be it near the home of his boyhood
where loving hands make lovely his
last resting place, or be it in unmarked
grave, far from home and kindred,
beneath a soil made classic by his
patriotism and his valor, we come to-
day to decorate his grave to do honor
to his memory. u. ..
To very many in the land, aye!
within the sound of my voice, the
death of some Union Soldier is still a
personal bereavement, and it is only
natural that we cherish more tenderly
the memory of those whose lives were
then or since inwoven with our own,
whose death snapped some tender
chord of our being which will never
fully knit again. While we call only
those, comrades, who marched and
fought in the Union Army, yet on
Memorial Day we should extend the
limits of this comradeship, recognizing
the fact, that not all the heroes of the
war were in the ranks of the battal-
ions. There was the woman of the
war; woman! in whom we were won't
to see only love, tenderness and all the
gentler graces; she in that great
crisis, caught the spirit of the hour,
showing a courage, self reliance, forth
tude, and patriotism, equal to that of
the best soldier. We can never forget
those noble women, who left the com
forts of home to nurse the sick and
wounded Union Soldier, nor those
others, who less publicly performed
the work at home, left unperformed
by hands that carried musket or a
sabre. The bullet which pierced a
soldiers heart in battle front. too often
broke a woman's heart at home. So
long then, as we meet to decorate a
comrades grave, let US also do honor,
to the memory of the heroic and patri-
Otto women of the war. Had Spartan
women been less heroic, Spartan
courage would be less conspicuous on
the historic page; the patriotism and
heroism of the women of 1861 is repre-
sented by their sons and grandsons in
the ranks of the volunteer army of
1898.
Then there were also the heroic
civilians of the war: men who in the
council chambers of the State and the
nation, from the pulpit, on the ros-
trum, through the press, in the work
shop, and on the farm, stood through
all that desperate struggle, living
wall of patriotism ia our rear, which
made it possible for US to stand at the
front. ''There were giants in those
days. who battled against treason at
home as earnestly and successfully, as
did we, at the front. Withhold not
to-day, the honor due to the patriotic
civilian of the war, whose soul was
sorrowful at news of our defeat, whose
heart was gladdened by our victories.
My comrades, let it never be inferred,
from any act or word OF ours, that we
who thus publicly meet once year to
express our respect for the dead sol
der, and our loyalty to the cause for
which he fought, make any claim,
either that patriotism or heroism was
discovered by the Union Soldier in
1861; or that members of the Grand
Army of the Republic, have any letters
patent for those civic virtues.
We only claim to be. in common
with all loyal Americans, the success
sors in trust Of the men, who, in their
wisdom. and by their sacrifc es, founded
the republic; who baptized its infancy
with their blood, and dying bequeathed
it a rich legacy to succeeding genera
lions.
We know that when reasonable men
for the unholy purpose of fastening the
Institution of African slavery upon the