St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-06-06
nEr1ORIAL DAY.
A Fitting Observance of the Nations
Holiday.


and everybody took day off and
thoroughly enjoyed the first holiday of
The sumner. The afternoon was we'll
taken up with observances of the day by
Chamberlin Post, No. 1, G. A. R., and
the program as outlined in these columns
two weeks ago was carried out.
The parade was one of the finest in re-
cent years and the army veterans and
the soldier boys of the Spanish war were
cbeered all along the line of march. The
procession formed as follows:
Marshall, Lieut. Col. c. NJ. Bonett.
st. Johnsbury Police.
st. Tohnsbury Band, Mr.. Orcutt, Drum
Major, Geo. Felch, Leader.
Aide, Charles H. Horton.
Co. D. 1st VT. Volunteers. Capt. II. w. Ellis.
40 members.
Palestine Commandery. No. 8, K. T., Geo. F.
Cheney, E. c., 80 members.
Canton Crescent, l. o. o. F., Capt. J. A.
Beck, "a members.
Followed by the Woodsville Canton of "a
members.
Uniform Rank, X. P, Lieut. S. ]. somerville,
SO members.
Sixty School Children. Geo r. Crosby, COM
manding.
AIDE, RauneY.
Chamberlin Post, No. 1, G. A. R., c. H. Wood
bury. Commander, 81 in line.
The President and Orator of the Day.
Citizens in carriages Disabled Veterans.
The column marched up Main street to
the cemetry where the graves Of the
soldiers were decorated by the school
children. The little folks performed their
mart we'll both in the march and at the
cemetery and heartily entered into the
spirit of the occasion. The solemn Grand
Army service was given at the Grand
Army lot, after which the procession re-
formed and marched to Music Hall.
The hall was we'll filled before the
soldiers were all seated and after music
by the band, prayer was offered by Rev.
G. c. Waterman. Judge Walter P.
Smith, the president of the day, read
Lincolns Gettysburg address and briefly
introduced the orator of the day, Rev.
DR.. George H. Ide, of Milwaukee.
DR.. Ide gave fine address and we are
sure our readers will be glad to see it
He began with many interesting reminis-
cences Of lie with the boys in the old
18th Vermont regiment introducing in
bis address incidents that were familiar
to the Grand Army and which were
greatly enjoyed. After the personal allu-
sions he struck out into the theme Of his
,ll.oee ., .,1 ,,,a f,;ua +1,;c a., fall
There is heroic element in our ma
tonal life which is valuable and impor.
tant. Indeed, it is so vital and essential
that it needs to be kept alive and famed
into a flame. Man does not live by
bread alone, neither do nations. Hero.
isms register the high water-mark of ma
tional life. Every step in the progress Of
the history of our nation has been blazed
by acts OF heroic devotion. What is
heroism? Emerson tells us that heroism
is deep seated, immovablv conferred, and
therefore cannot be manufactured to or
der, or created by simple change OF
outward conditions. 1t is quality OF
soul, a spirit, a passion. a sentiment,
love, which impals us to do and to suffer,
out of the spontaneous liberties of right
feeling, what the state, even, cannot find
means to compel. 1t does not measure
itself by what the Constitution or the
laws prescribe. 1t does not ask, does the
law require this 1t does not hide behind
the letter of the Constitution, and satisfy
itself by keeping to it. You might as
well attempt to bound and measure
mothers love by legal enactments, as to
crib, cabin and confine heroism within
the technical phrase of Constitution
Where is there an article in the constitu-
ton that enioins us to volunteer body
and lite for the country? Where is there
an article that enj oins us to stand fast
when leaders are incompetent and armies
reel away in panic Where is there an
article that enjoins us to wrestle night
and day in prayer, as Christian souls
did, in the DAYS OF our civil war, bearing ,
the nation as their secret burden? And |
yet this is heroism; it is its natural and
spontaneous expression. Itmoves in the |
higher ranges Of moral feeling and senti'
ment. 1t is subject to law, but it S the
law of conscience, the law of right. the
law OF God.
Then, again, heroism connects itself |
with great cause. 1t can be found no |
where else. Magnificent heroisms belong |
to great movements in history.
What right have we to talk about the
heroism of '61?' What propriety in
decking the graves with flowers where |
sleeps the dust OF the men who persisted |
in the war? Why thus honor them : Be
cause these men were representatives OF
great cause. Their sacrifice meant |
something. They stood where great |
issues were at stake; aud the result |
rested with them. Look at some OF the
questions that required blood to settle.
Shall this nation be split in twain3 This |
was the first question that confronted us
In '61.' Shall the old flag wave as the
emblem of an undivided nation from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the
Gulf OF Mexico to the Great Lakes? Or
shall the stars and stripes be taken down
over half our land, and another flag sub
stltuted in its place, which shallrepresent
antagonism, and not common interest |
and concern? This was the starting |
point for the rally round the flag. But |
how soon the issue widens out. We
would not say anything about slavery |
as an issue at first. We would limit our
selves to the one question of the 1ntee.
rlty of the Union. The Union must and
shall be preserved. But shall the Union
be preserved with slavery still intact
AT last how universal the feeling that the |
nation cannot exist half free and halt
slave! And thus another cause is added |
Which only blood can settle.