The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-06-01

Washington, May 30.-Bussness was
suspended in the national capital to-
day while the thousands OF citizens.
veterans OF three wars and their de-
scendants paid tribute TO the nations
heroic dead.
Washington is encircled by ceme-
teries. each the resting place OF de-
parted soldiers-Glenwood. Oak Hill,
Holy Rood. ST. Elizabeth's. Bright
wood. Soldiers Home. the
sional cemetery with its acres OF sol
diers' graves the Arlington. where
thousands upon thousands have their
resting places marked with imperish-
able granite and where still other
thousands are grouped about the sin
D.. gle imposing monument with its sad
inscription:
ITO THE UNKNOWN DEAD"
In each Of these cemeteries today
memorial services were held and ora
tons delivered by some of the most
able orators, whose duties call them
each session TO the national capital.
Memorial wreath were placed on
the graves and through the chill gray
air the mournful oun of taps fioated
from a score of bugles as the nation
paid its perennial tribute TO the hero
ism of the departed.
AS usual the chief ceremonies We're
at Arlington. The veterans Of the civil
war and the rapidly decreasing con-
tingent of the Mexican war were join
ed this year by the veterans of the war
with Spain. The veterans and members
of the District militia participated in
the procession, which marched through
the heart of Washington, led by the
Marine band.
The march to Arlington was too
long for the old soldiers and electric
cars were used TO n them 10 the
great national cemetery on the old Lee
estate beyond Fort Myer. The pro-
cession reached Arlington promptly at
noon. when the national salute was
fired by a battery on the adjoining
height. The orators and invited guests
assembled in the amphitheatre gen.
orally known as "the Temple of Fame"
while the procession deployed south of
the mansion about h tomb Of the
unknown Here the Marine band
played a dirge while the members of
the various organizations buried the
pedestal of the in wreaths
n chaplets of flowers. The procession
then moved along the main road
through the cemetery and dispersed
long enough to scatter flowers upon
thousands of the marked graves.
The ceremony of decoration finished,
NiS PioSOSSHol ICdSStI1lDlSu dl liz
am%phitheatre, where the bugler sound
ed the assembly and the oratorical
feature of the services began.
Rev. w. G.. Davenport, the depart
ment chaplain, delivered a touching
invocation. after which b. F. Chase,
the assistant adjutant general, read
the orders of the day.
Music by the Marine band followed
and Rev. ]. E. Rankin read a poem.
The Marine band then played a com-
position, Slowly and Sadly written
especially for the occasion by Madame
A. Root deL'Armitage.
The Grafton Of the day was deliver
of Pennsylvania.
Hastily referring to the memory of
Washington, Lincoln and Grant, the
speaker brought his hearers down to
the period of the Spanish war, and
said that we are sensible that We now
have rivals for the love. honor and
gratitude of the, American people. The
men who had Served in the Spanish
war, the martyred men of the Maine
and those who are now serving in the
Philippines are all sharers in the glory
of patriotism and duty. The Spanish
war, in the order of Providence. did
not come without blessings on its
wings. 1t had restored in all sections
the old union of hearts in common
love and devotion to country and flag.
In the present crisis as in those past,
Mr.. BroSiuS said, there are a few who
are not following "Old Glory with
their prayers, but instead are sending
after her their imprecations, unpatri-
otic aspersions n envenomed cpl
thets. He did not, he said, invoke the
wrath of heaven on those he deemed
unpatriotic, but he did believe they
would W. their judgment day and in
the j~udicatory of American history
and American patriotism they would
be judged.
More music followed, and Lincoln's
Gettysburg address was read.
After the benediction the Marine
band, in accordance with the annual
custom, closed the exercises with safe
in the Arms Of Jesus"
Other services Of similar character,
although not so largely attended, were
carried out at the other cemeteries
our Washington and at the battle
ground national cemetery neal Bright
wood, where the handful of troops and
volunteer citizens defended the nation
al capital against the descent of Early's