The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-06-02

the day. After the speech, which was
patriotic and inspiring in an unusual
degree and model of brevity for oc-
casions like this, where it is hard to
hear any speaker, the Y. M. G. A..
chorus sang again, the City Band played
medley of national airs, and Rev. c..
V. Northrop closed the program with a
benediction. The audience then dis
persed, large number following the
military bodies to the cemetery where
with fitting services flowers were placed
on the graves of the soldier dead A
summary of the address by Mr.. Hanks
follows:
We meet today under the auspices of
the Grand Army of the Republic to pay
our tribute of love and respect to the
memory of those now dead who per.
formed an honorable part in the war of
the rebellion, and to unite our sympa-
thies with friends who still bear the
burden of the sacrifice they made, and
which they must feel until they too
sleep the last long sleep. We would
also honor the memory of those brave
boys who in our recent war with Spain
gave themselves for an oppressed and
down trodden people. In the old days
when a convocation was called the
question was asked. "What mean We by
these services?" The question is un-
necessary today, Our memorial serv-
ice is a recognition of personal heroism
and devotion in defense of equal rights,
of equal laws, and our national honor,
and for influence such service may have
in holding us steadfast to that great
principle that liberty is worth all it
cost, and that our Union is legacy
handed down to us to be kept intact.
On this May day you are living over
again the scenes of the past. You are
in the home reading the call to arms.
The father or son resolves to enlist.
You are drilling, marching. You are
on the picket post, the skirmish line,
and the front line of battle. Now you
are IN the hospital, now in the prison
pens. Now you are holding the head
of dying comrade. You hear the
shout of victory and hear that peace
has been declared. You clasp the hand
of your comrade. The camp hres go
out. The war is over Somehow you
loved the life, and yet you were anxious
to get back to the avocations of civil
life and gladly you returned to your
homes.
But what of the "unreturning brave"
and those who have since died? OF
them all, we say, dead on the field of
honor"
They sleep. sweetly sleep, in the earths kind
ly bosom,
bloom once more.
The roar of battle no more can disturb them
For they rest from their labors, the con-
fict is o'er''
1t is in their name that we gather in
this delightful place today, and it is in
their name that we are helping supply
that great need of our time, a more
thoughtful citizenship and truer spirit
of devotion to duty. You little know the
extent of the influence. In Connecticut
in a lonely church yard there has long
lain single, solitary soldier, the only
son of a widowed mother. The mother
had heard of the custom of decorating
the graves of the soldier dead on Memoir
ial Day and she went to the grave alone
and placed the flowers on the grave.
But her actions were noticed. The next
year there were barefoot boys and girls
and gray haired men and women who
met with her and with her paid tribute
to the heroic dead. Today there are
two graves in that lonely church yard.
The mother rests beside the son, and
yet ! know that today those country
people are there decorating two graves.
The simple act of that one day made
more thoughtful, better citizens, more
attentive to duty.
The dearest price any man can pay,
highest service any man can render,
and the truest test of any mans fidelity
is the offering up of his life in any
cause, for any person or for any princi-
pie. These men have paid the price,
they have given this testimony of their
devotion to country and flag. And in
the preservation of the Union and in
equal laws and exact justice for all we
find their true memorial.
By these observances and sweet
memories we are helped in gaining a
more thoughtful and active citizenship.
We are quickened with a true con.
ception of what it is to love ones nation
and, If need be, to die for ones coun-
try, and that our life's true memorial
is to be found in what we have done.
Yonder marble shaft is not your true
memorial-only what you have done
is your true memorial. On the battle
field of Antietam a young soldier was
mortally wounded, but the noble hero
ism with which he shouted words of
oheer and iusniration to his comrades