Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-26
OUR SOLDIER DEAD
A Tribute to the Men Who Have
Died for Their Country
UNDER The BLUE AND TEE GRAY
Gen. Wheeler Writes of the Mean
ing Of Memorial Day.
LESSONS OF PATRIOTS NJ


Devotion tG The memory Oh the dedu IL
not the birthriGht Of any one people, OF
tribe. or nation. does it find its origin
in any given period or history. IL Is
81 ntiment as ancient as creation. ana as
widespread as humanity. The first death
recorded in sacred history left a broken
hearted Eve to hand down her legacy of
tears to Borrowing mortals, and from 'ht'
time there have ever been bleeding hearts
which find solace in bringing flowers ana
sweet spices and precious gifts to lavish
upon the lifeless clay, once the casket VI
precious, immortal soul
Among the rudest and most savage peo-
ple we find sparks of this sentiment. The
old heathen held their most beautiful and
attractive festivals in honor of the dead
ard selected their most famous orators 10
chant the praises of the departed The
older nations of the east allowed this deVo-
ton to degenerate into ancestor worship.
our aboriginal Indians have thousands 81
quaint rites. varying with the npnncrt7s
tribes in,o which they are divided tor the
uurpOse of nmcIIforati ting the deitd am
kc,-il!e alive i'll the hearts of the young
he. m. mory of the brave and glorious deeds
of their departed clief;ains and the beauty
and virtues of thoir mothers
Its Roots Lie Deep.
\ sentiment 50 universally exhibited must
h, deeply rooted il the human heart: 1t
has its source. indeed. i'll the eternal youth
of the soul which finds its counterpart i'll
he ever renewed sf'rinstine of mother
earth The heart may bc crashed ana
frozen by the sor'iid cares of life when
Iin,i il down with the nunf'nc$S OF scores
uf winters and Nct. The glad awakening
,.,,.;t tIiacs ur its free arms to embrace th''
ey,.-r;.lrv,i.R youth and neTheSS o. tnt
s,r:rg-t.,le. Hope springs eternal ana INC
soul bowed down by grief and care aad
..y.u The weight 0f years lifts Itself UP N
III. .sI.d;p,@s of rr;wakened life to catch
llt. i0vs of the newborn spring. Tie faint
roi;r!nLr of the bursting bod and blossom
tho .;urSlii = music Of the brook. me dronc
of insects and the meio,i;oUs voices of ma
t1lres f,athcr,d chor' sters all Join 10 soothe
Ii.e sI,r.; ;end SeHd quicNrh'a P1is'
throughout the weary frame
We look ab7nt for The dear ones wont to
si,"r' iif,s joys with us. TheE are iiol
Vr-iDi. 10 mortal eyes. nor do they fesp"l''
L.. our ycarIlin: call: but 10 the keencr
senses Of I'VE and memory they stand re-
N,slled near that we can almost 'otch
tlicir garments: chanSclc5s. Immortal. thcE
tread stIa-tr, and u1i Xpicred sphC"ss- heck
oIilts Us ever upward and onward TO higher
ard hoIi"r lives And We can but keep tier
memory green v" can but save the
N-HiI|!S IN the sal hearts of those VINO sur
Wv, them. by cnsErinng in sweetest flow
or the graves Of all our loved ones gone
before: even more ardently and intensely
does he heart Yc5.Tn to express itself To-
1.faG ,tur suIdi dad, and the E"arning
~, lF.,,f.. ,-e,l,r bae v-,n for
them q cnUHtry.s love and gratitude
Origin of Memorial Day.
Tho American, c11s,or,, Of decorating The
graves If tho soldier dad originated with
fb.. FIJI. v-,r,.,, of the southern states If
7 ,7,;e.al,. rrt Alabama was the first to
i.,..-.r,-r,- The annual custom Of observing
n d.,. as sacred TO that burmese
-. -, H. 49, ar,.,-aree,r,- of
a., 't.il'--5 - .,, sI,,,ca1a het,..r,i Tho
litt VI ~. 1i,s, .,,t- -,,,,fh ia
i'Il "a an 80, 49, ,.ore,ia have
nN 'l4''H' ~ - ''''ii - .b ,n,,,rri,e,
it hi fli' p "a. ~, i,.a1 h-ooe ~,
s!ItHS, IN 4+'.l'.I " .ii ' III, ~
ttli III 'it tlHli VI lie
ny iA'tS s+!lihi tltit "a Va -, -. a1-
Jim - 49,, - q ~, ,a.d ,,rine, ,ba
hiai' 'lit hi'iitoi ; W ~ 80; - I o"d
1l,lIth 49, 'i, 10, s,ci,,. frcec
Si"i' Slti',,i 10 W. T., ,,n ,,I,f
~ 'i"t,, Gnu - a,,,b 49,
states M%m.ral Gay cons itlshti
~. - ~ -. ~ ~, " 1scs ~
SCI ''sl"t i"i " ~ W, ''' -, - - a
an N!'''r 10 w. vi ''tIi az - ~ y.
by ten J'hn - i-sah. tii',n comma ~ .r,
OF ti, ':',i -ai.tE -. 'ne
genera pu"il' tg' par III 'he oe' @
thus lnausura'en' anu me cIS,"iil ~ 20
pleasing l" the people at iaIse mat Ml,iiiii d
it" years most OIL 'he h"rthSrh S'a',s 'hi
jI 3;,,r on .ip9a f,. tbe ereciaI Oh
scrvaEce Of memorial services In honor Of
the dead soldiers.
Bitter Feelings Wiped Out.
There was at first inevitable bitterness
and sectional rancor but these sentiments
were little felt between the veterans them
selves who survived the war. They CRAP
uled with one another and recognizing IN
ira,-a eptooo,,5s,s foernen worthy of their
-, -, - ;al