Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-02-10
DUTY IAIPERATIyE.

DUTY IMPERATIVE.
Inc one is subjunctive. the other Is
indlcative. Nay, duty is in the inper-
atlve and unconditional mood
When, In the name of mankind, and
that peace might be real. we undertook
IN 1898 to cleanse the seas, we affirmed
a principle and made a precedent that
l, LOT one, hold to have written the
most honorable leaf in all our history.
But oil that has been since was cor
rotary TO that. No special pleading OF
professional indictments with whom
wisdom VIII not die. no a priori alb
straction can unsay what this dead
soldiers zeal said for America. Rather
does such death enjoin such ends as
shail vindicate US from cowardly In
oliierentism and evasion In the face of
Whatever duty and however unexpect-
ed Or complex enjoin us to regard and
10 teach liberty's authority.
In some good day, not far away,
please God. when those islands, found
iings no longer. shall have been rem
dered as majestic deed to civil
iization, to regulate freedom, and to
the God of these, there in fair Luzon,
right where he fell, front to his duty.
let the valiant frame of this true lib
orator rise in immutable bronze, and
while, understanding us at last. our
brown brothers, gazing upon that
Statue; statue, stature. statute. all in
one, shall say Tie was Americas, but
he Is ours, too-Lawton.' He was slain
by us ignorantly in unbelief, but he
has forgiven"
TO THE GRAVE
The casl5et, lightened of part of its
burden of flowers. was lifted to the
shulders of troopers, and borne down
the aisle to the street, past the great
crowd outside, where it was raised to
the caisson waiting at the door.
Troop after troop and platoon after
platoon wheeled into line. Then, with
q rumbling Of wheels and clash of
trace-chains, field and siege batteries
Joined the procession, and the hero of
three wars moved on his last march to
his final resting place. on the Virginia
hillside. beyond the Potomac
1t was u dreary wait on the cold,
wind-swept slopes of Arlington for the
hundreds who had made the pilgrimage
early in the day. But close on sunset
the boom of the Sylph's guns on the
Potomac was answered by the crash of
minute guns from Fort Myer, and then
the solcm nnotes of the dirgc were borne
down the wind as the procession moved
through the winding avenues of the
great city of the dead
AT THE GRAVE.
The grave was in the open space Just
south OF the ampitheatre and in sight
of the Mansion House. General Mer-
rift and his mounted staff deployed on
the south road. while solid ranks of
dismounted troopers held back the
crowd on every side. Nimble cavalry
men swarmcd over the caisson, casting
loose the lashings and bore the coffin
to the open grave, while the President
and the Cabinet and the gray-haired
generals stool silent and bareheaded as
the chaplain pronounced the words of
committal that consigned forever the
honored dust to the dust whence it
came.
Then. In answer to n low command.
the firing squad wheeled into line. The,
swapping volleys of the carbincs
scarcely echoed among the bare trees.
but the wall of the bugle as it sounded
taps fingered long and sadly in the
gray of the winter twilight and echoed
family from the distant hills. AS It
died away the coffin sank from x;a.,.
General Lawton's homecoming was
Accomplished