West Virginia daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1894-1902, 1899-05-29


own existence, made for all who
have come upon the stage of action
since then and for all future gener-
atoms. The pain has passed away
now, and silently has rolled down
the depths of the pasts leaving you
near the golden future where awaits
your reward.
But when we recall the fact that
the essential idea Of Decoration is
not to keep alive feeling of VEN
gesnce and hatred, not to revive
strife or discord; but to commem-
crate the self-sacri6cing deeds of
brave and heroic men, to cover the
graves Of both the blue and the
gray with the emblems' of forgive
ness and love, we see in it a
grander light. Sad shall be that
day, and sure token of a decaying
national life, when thought about
and honor for those who died to
save the nation shall grow dim and
cease.
These heroes compass us about
as great cloud of witnesses; yet
we may not think of them as only
gazing on US, as witnesses in that
meaning. We ought to think of
them, even as those heroes of the
faith were to be thought of, as wit
nesses In higher significance, as
witnesses for truth and deed, as
teachers of great lessons of life,
We ought to learn from our dead
heroes the value of principle. So
precious was country and all that
the country stood for, that no sacri,
fee, however costly, even tho it
should be the sacrifice of life itself,
was in these heroes sight any more
than the dust of the balance. This
is the lesson our dead heroes teach
US; this the truth they witness,
for as the shadowy clouds of them
surround us-that a high, true
principle is the most precious
thing under Gods stars; and to
maintain it even transcendent sac
rifice IS not too costly. And surely
from our dead heroes comes the
admonition to care for the survivors
of the great struggle, companions
with them in risk and sacrifice.
AS combining our consideration
to the soldiers, we 60 back to the
days of the sixties. We find our
selves weighing the. worth, of not
only such men as Grant, Sherman,
Sheridan and many others as lead
ers, not only thinking of those who
were "big as we'll as brave" but
we also gladly look back over the
dusty ranks in which many brave
boy trudged, whose only fame was
the short line in the newspaper an
nouncing to grief-bowed friends the
cheerful laying down of his life for
his country. I call these e1oic
boys, for 1t was the flower of Our
youth that was plucked from the
mothers breast and sweetheart's
arms by the ruthless red hand of
war.
I can not eulogize this grand
army too much. Who can weigh
patriotism? Who can measure the
depth and capacity Of loyal hearts
which would have US know no
north, no south, no east, no west,
but common America, that bound
by the golden cords of interest and
the softer suken ties of love that
we may move proudly upward and
receive from the hand of the future
the priceless boon Of everlasting
permanency? We are cemented by
the blood of brave men in the union
never to be broken, we trust, by
pen of diplomacy or by a bullet of
war. That for which they fought
and that for which they died, is
that for which we can afford to
live. Liberty and Union, one and
inseparable, now and forever.
We are doubly blessed today with
the honored men and the honored
"Women's Auxiliary to the Grand
Army of the Republic" Who has
a better right than the mothers,
wives, daughters and the sisters of
the men who fought in the army
men who fell? Our noble women
had as much to do In saving the
as the men. The pen of
history and of poetry, gallant
though it has been, has not Justly
recorded their devotion or en-
balmed their heroism. The addi-
tional burdens entailed upon the
women in caring for the family in
the absence of their protectors was