Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-05-28
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= A Preacher =
= Among the People. r
MEMORIAL DAY THOUGHTS.

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dier dead is at hand In the general
order that has just been issued, "all
who love their country" are invited TO
join the veterans in the services that
characterize Memorial Day. This in
vltation should not be passed by un-
Needed There is danger In our earn
est devotion TO business on one hand,
and to pleasure on the other that the
real significance and value of our holi-
days and memorials may be forgotten.
Whenever people for any reason
neglect to commemorate the lives and
deeds of their noble dead by the erec-
tlon of fibting monuments and memoir
bal services, patriotism will soon begin
to wane At such times business eX-
pediency or personal qualification con-
stitute the prevailing incentives to ac-
tivity. and the nations own selfish in
difference becomes its greatest peril.
One fthe ablest writer's of modern
times has told us" that there has
been no great people without process
sions. Them an who thinks himself
too wise to be moved by them to any
thing but contempt, is like the puddle
that was proud of standing alone
while the river rushed by. Without
| these smybols many would become
conscious of nothing beyond their own
petty wants of back and stomach. and
never rise to a sense of community in
religion and law"
Believing that there is much wisdom
in those forcible words, it is a matter
of much regret to me that the "popu-
lar predujice against blocking the
wheels of commerce" and devotion to
pleasure have obscured in scme meas
ure the real intent of our national
holidays.
Following their deliverance from
bondage in Egypt, the Jews were in
struc,ed to establish various feasts and
holidays, one of the chief objects of
which was to commemorate the great
events and heroic lives that made their
national independence possible. Moses
and Marian, Joshua and Caleb, who
counted their lives as naught for Is
rael's Sake, were not to be forgotten
And that these occasions might be
made doubly valuable provision was
made for including the children to
whom their meaning was made clear.
Just as long as the people were faith
full to the duties and privileges con
ferred upon them, regarding these
feasts and holidays, Israel had many
valorus men and virtuous women up
on whom she could rely with assur-
ance in the hour of need But by and
by it began to be sal. these celebrl-
tions are a weariness' and they fell in
to sad neglect or We're observed in such
a perfunctory mechanical sort CT way
that their original meaning and value
were lost Then Israel began to de-
generate and her glory waned Life
sank to a gross material level and the
people lost their former power
In the worlds history there are
many startling illustrations of the
fact that whenever a people forget the
of themselves together
for the purpose of cultivating memory
of nobleness and virtue as embodied in
the lives of those who either laid or
maintained the foundations of their
national life, day of serious reck-
oning is not far away. 1t is then that
the unselfsh devotion of Moses and
Miriam is forgotten and supplanted by
the selfshness of Ahab and Jezebel
and the subjection of once mighty
p ople is made easy for an invading
foe. If love of honor and respect for
virtue IN the heart Of a nation fall to
such allow ebb that they do not occas-
ionally break out in spontaneous
bursts of enthusiasm that nation can
begin to prepare to hang itsharps upon
e willows beside the rivers of some
abylon where its neck will be sub
iected to the yoke of a slave History
must be rewritten and changed before
this proposition can be proven untrue.
he VINO pOnders upon these things
viii come to realize that there IS mean
ing in the general order for Memorial
Day that is much farther reaching
than many suppose. The meaning Is
not simply that few flowers are to be
dropped upon the graves of those who
died to create or preserve our great
nation, and that their courage and
at Lexington, Concord.
Bunker Hill and Yorktown, Bull Run,
Gettysburg, Chickamauga and The
are to be related again.
In addition to these things, the
meaning of that order is that the self
same sentiments that underlay their
life and death are to take possession of
Us our children and our children's
children, that government of lne peo-
pie, by the people, and for the people,
shall not perish from the earth"
In these sentiemnts alone is safety
to be found When they are gone, any
appeal to an ally will be made in vain
and trust placed lin chariots because
they are many, and in horsemen be-
cause they are very strong" will come
to naught