The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-31

such a result is worth something: 1t is worth
a great deal; it is worth all the money and
the lives that II viii cost
SOUTHERN BATTLE FLAGS.
Our Southern brethren were brave foe1
men. They, too, cherish memories of heroic
deeds of men who fell in the lost cause
They, too. have sad and tender recollections
of dear ones whose places never can be
filled. They will honor their dead heroes:
they win erect monuments to them and deck
their graves with sweet flowers. Let them
do So Nay, more; let us not object to re-
storing TO the sons who are now offering
their lives in defense of our flag the old and
tattered flags their fathers carried. The is
sues, the purposes. the aspirations that
these battlefront banners represented in
years gone by are dead; they are. buried
with the lost cause, that all rejoice was
lost. The only living, enduring idea they
now typify, but this they will always typify.
is the valOr of the men who once bore them
through storms of shot and she'll
In all the talk about an 'Anglo-Saxon
alliance, let us not forget that the sons OF
the men who bore these flags are Americans.
that they are our brothers now. and nearer
and dearer to us than all other Anglo
SaXons.
But. comrades and friends, our own dead
heroes must not be forgotten. Whatever
may be the achievements of the heroes in
the present war, whatever honors we may
shower upon Them we must not forget 10
keep fresh the graves we have decorated
to-day ana fresh the memories OF those VINO
fill them. 1t is not likely that they will be
forgotten. In all ages poets will sing, ana
painters will paint, and sculptors will carve
their heroic deeds. What they did is craven
on the everlasting tablets of time
When Judge Howe had finished those who
stood close TO him applauded and shook his
hand An old colored woman had pressed
out of the crowd, and through the address
stood close TO the speaker in the center or
the plat OF graves-the unconscious mark
of many curious eyes and several hippant
tongues. Her face was rapt with interest.
and when the speaker had finished she went
to where several women were standing and
said in a low voice: Il saw battles like he
described durin' the war. Inspect l drank
in his words more than any other woman
here" The pathos of her voice and bearing
had no effect on the women, for they
turned away and began to talk among
themselves. The old colored woman stood
for moment and then walked away.
DECORATING THE GRAVES.
]. A. Cox, officer of the day. stepped for
ward and dropped on the ground small
bunch of flowers in honor of the unknown
dead, Then the ceremony of decorating the
graves began. Little girls in white gowns
passed between the files of gravestones and
laid upon each mound flowers. Boys fol-
lowed with evergrens, and afterward the
Sons of Veterans with flags. which they
thrusted into the ground at the heads of all
the graves. This done the chaplain said:
Comrades, by this service. without dis
pledge to exercise a spirit of fraternity
among ourselves, of charity to the destitute
wards of the Grand Army. and of loyalty
to the authority and union of the United
States Of America and TO our glorious flag,
under whose folds every Union soldier or
sailors grave is an altar of patriotism.
A deep amen came from the square
about the grave plat from the living actors
in the great war. BY this time large part
of the crowd, tired of standing so long.
had struggled toward the street cars. The
commander gave the order to the firing
party. composed both of veterans and MEM
bers of Company c. of the First Regiment
of the Boys Brigade, to salute the dead.
In regular firing order the salute rang out
over the graves of the soldiers. A bugle
sounded taps, the benediction was spoken
and the work was done.
What had been DONE what was the sig
nifcance of it all was understood by the
veterans by those who lived during the
war by those who lost loved ones in the
war not by those who have been born
since The words of an old soldier, This
generation don't know what war is were
Verified but among those who have rela-
tives and friends in the volunteer army OF
to-day the services of yesterday seemed a
foreboding of what is to come after this
war with Spain if the troops get into active
service.