The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-31
HONORTOTHEDEAD.
Continued From second Page.

lessness; and II ever In my life I had
Y desire to rise above my station In life,
i It As at this solemn moment. Standing
us I am in this sacred camping ground
Of the dead among these lowly mounds
x OF earth, that you have tenderly and
reverently covered with the tokens Of
your love and affection, long for the
gift OF oratory. long for power 10
command a wealth OF words In which to
pay fitting tribute to the memory OF
those who cemented with their lIfe's
blood and made secure the foundation
OF the best government the world has
. ever known.
AS look Into the faces OF these aged
and bnttle-scarred veterans, many OF
them familiar 10 me from my childhood,
in fancy am carried back TO my boy
i hood days. and, as flood OF memory
comes rushing over me- ! recall the
dark days Of 81 and the succeeding
years to 60. Well do i remember Win
what wonder and admiration ! looked
upon the sturdy young men OF my
neighborhood, who. answering the call
for volunteers went forth to battle for
the honor OF the Flag. How proud
they looked In their suits Of army blue
every man hero. Well do I remem-
Der the dilemma OF my young mind.
when witnessed the parting Of mother
and son. could not reconcile the Joy
and glory of the soldier with the sad
ness Of the mother. Why these tears?
Tho Sadness oft.
Why these hcar.-broken sobs? Why
press him to her heart again md again?
Why cling 10 HIN with love and tender
ness and ask Gods blessing to rest up
on HING And then, when the last kiss
had been given. and the last goodbye
spoken, why return to the home that
had been robbed OF Its brightness and
sunshine, there to spend the nights and
days In waiting and watching and
praying? I could not understand these
conflicting emotions: but a little later,
as my young mind developed. began
+ TO understand what war meant. not
alone to the heroic wives and mothers
al, home. but to the nation when a
newsboy upon our streets heralded the
tldings from the front. ] recall the
early battles Of the war when gloom
and darkness covered the north. as Vic
tory seemed to perch upon the banners
of the south, and We were brought 70
: realization that foeman worthy of
our steel had been found; and when the
wounded and dying, ay! and the dead
came back to us. and I listened to the
nuiIled drum. and looked with awe and
reverence upon the funeral of the gal
liant Colonel Thoburn. who with thou
sands of others had been slain In bat
tie, began to realize what was
meant by the horrors OF war. And since
manhood has come to me. and history
and the survivors tell OF the hundreds
of thousands that were slain. the hard
ships andiprivations they endured with
herolsm that called out the admiration
of the world, the mighty questions they
settled forever, with frlghtful cost, by
+ the grim arbitranent OF war; feel that
while time shall endure. this nation
should never be found wanting. In re-
spect and love, for the memory OF the
dead; and with profound gratitude
make the last days OF the surviving
remnant OF this army or glorious
achievements, who in the midst OF in
creasing intirmitles of age are still
contendfng with the difficulties and
hardshtps OF life. days OF pleasautnes3
and their pathways paths OF peace.
It Is not my purpose or intention to-
day to revive the bitter memories and
recollect!1HS Of the war for the Union;
God forbid! The fraternity and char
ity and loyalty OF this magnificent or
Gauization-the G. A. Rand the brave
soldiers of the Confederacy-have bur-
led these memories beneath the clasped
hands that span the chasm which sep
arated the north from the south; and
again we are one people marching to a
glorious destiny under one flag.
What They Died For.
But, We can on this memorial day, ask
ourselves the question: For what have
these men died, and for what great
principle we're these heroic sacrifices
made? Was It In the brutal eHdeavor
to crafty the selfish ambition of one
section of our country against the 9TH
er? No! not that. Was Il the vain
glorious desire of the Yankees OF the
north to test the military strength and
proves of their brethren OF the south?
No! not that. for well they knew that
when Greek met Greek" their would
come 4 tug OF war the Ike OF which the
world had never known? Was 1t SIM
pie strife for the mastery between the
states? No! not that But II was to
determine FOR all time whether this
grand ucion OF states, this government
of the people and by the people"
would go down In the darkness and
gloom of a never-cnding night. only 10
be remembered among the failures OF
men. or whether II sh6Hld live. and be
remembered In beneGctlons, by sencr-
atoms yet unborn.
In the crucibie OF civil war the test
was made, and into that he'll bubbling
cauldron was poured four years ~ sor-
row and woe and desolation and the
blood OF half n million men; but when
The Grand Commander qnenched the
flrpS NJ r.ha1itn1 al NJ Nc-
arose q people Phoenix-likc from the
ashes, that said to the world: Urtii
the end of time this land offers liberty,
an eternal abiding place. and freedom n
home.
And now soldiers OF the republic. you
who so nobly and heroIcally performed
your duty TO this nation during the
dark days that tried mems souls, and
who In the Intervening years through
the medium OF the G.. a: II. taught the
lessons and kept alive magnificent
spirit or patriotism. not alone among
the men and women, but the children
o! our land, and who. by the practice
OF true fraternity and charity with
yourselves and the world. q fraternity
that was hut Dnoiher name for love. a
charity SO God Ike In It's character that
II reached out from earth to heaven
and linked the human ana divine. and
grasping the hand of your brother OF
the south with the warm clasp OF
brother 10 brother. brought Joy and
happiness not only to the people OF cv..
cry section Of our land. hut even the
very angels OF heaven stopped the mn
sic OF their harps to listen to the word:
Let there be peace between us forever
more.
Tho Old Soldiers Duo.
Grandly have you performed your
dirty IN God and your cnuptrr U'ha .