The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-27
AMERICAS TREASURE.
Never Such Coin as Patriotism
Of Her People.
SiiYered Heads Nodded Approval
OfPreacher's Words.

! civil war. Now and then, among the
heads of gray was one upon which
| time had left no mark But the grays
were in great majority It was an inn
pressive feature. and a sad one Time
/ was accomplishing what battle did not.
/ Gray hairs We're cOnquering where gray
coats could not. The boys OF 81, with
| ever thinning ranks. are surrendering
! to that force which has never yet been
/ conquered by man; to the only force
1 which could conquer those heroes who
/ fought for freedom and union forty
| years ago. Ten years more and almost
every. veteran of the war will have lived
| his three score years and ten.
Stars and stripes constituted the dec
Grafton of the hall. From the railing
! of the balcony big banners We're sus-
/ pended. Around the stage was a row
/ of little flags. Stands of colors were
placed at appropriate places on the
stage and about the balcony. At the
right of the organ was the choir; at
old soldiers of the county We're seated.
Judge John Guthrie, the presiding Off
Ger, with those who took part in the
programme, were at the center of the
stage.
There was one noticeable thing about
the audience that was the number of
colored people who were present. About
fifty cOlored veterans were seated in
a body near the front of the hall.
A choir led the singing. and also sang
two anthems. Those who composed the
c1OIf were MISS GdI0eFIne Graves, MISS
Elsie Graves Miss Edith Terrence, Miss
Grace Beard. Miss Walker, Miss Mil
dred Hazelrigg. Clarence Pendleton.
Chauncey Brown and C. w. Campbell
The pianist and organist was Louis
I.ffsauthal
The Invocation was by Chaplain J. w.
Siaweil; the Rev. j. f. cKirahan gave
a. scripture reading. and the Rev. A.
nj. Reynolds pronounced the benedic-
ton
F. w. Emerson. who delivered the
sermon. is pastor of the First Christian
church of Topeka Although compare
lively a young man, his sermon was
greatly appreciated by the audience in
general and the old soldiers in par
livery of the sermon Mr. Emerson was
interrupted by applause The old vet
Grams could not restrain their patriotic
emotions.
brews, ia. HE being dead, yet speak
eth" Mr.. Emerson said:
THE revolving period of times on
ward march brings US again to this
occasion when in solemn convocation,
regardless of party lines. political or
religious, we come together to listen
to the voices of our dead heroes rising
out of the n ernOrieS of the past and
calling US to patriotism and duty.
byron in his song of the Greek poets
presents a picture of the spirits of pa
triots calling to the living to arise and
listen to them:
4. IT'S but the living who are dumb.
The voices of the dead
Sound like distant torrents fall
1.-THE spirits of our patriots call upon
us now to arise and listen to them
speak. They teach US a great lesson
The fallen braves and the comrades
who survived them possessed an affec-
ton and devotion for their native land
to a marked degree. The eloquence of
no Cicero was necessary to arouse them,
the zeal of no Peter the Hermit to inn
pei them. They heard the cry of their
country in her peril, and marched to
the rescue
America never had such coin in her
treasury as til patriotism of her peo-
pie The blue sea. has no pearl SO beau
- costl o u tb ieels of foyalfv fbat
glittered in the hearts of those who gave
their lives for their country.
THE men who returned after the con-
fiict made the same sacrifice in spirit
the dead for not one Of them was certain
that he would return alive We owe the
never fuzzy repay. We are glad the gov
eminent is So generous with its pensions.
Our opportunities to do the right. the
generous thing. will soon be gone. for
mere fragment only of one of the most
magnificent armies that ever marched
across the fields of time fingers with us.
The silver is on their heads. their gait is
slow and weak. their eyes are becoming
dim and the gates Of gold that open in
are waiting TO receive them
by Americans on the battle field from
the times of Lexington and Concord to
the present dav. He said that every war
upon which this country had ever entered
was a just war, and was fought to estab-
ifsh our country. Speaking Of the sacri-
flee made by the people Of this country
during the civil war, he said.
t.Iivy informs that by some cOnvul-
sion of nature a piece Of ground IN the
middle of the forum sank suddenly to an
immense depth The Oracles We're con-
suited, and the response came back that
the Roman commonwealth could not en-
dure unless the most valuable thing in
the state be cast into the opening. Mar
Gus Curtius. considering that arms and
bravery were the most valuable things in
the country. dressed himself in military
costume and, mounting spirited
citizens who had assembled to witness
him. plunged into the chasm- yalerius
Maxfmus says that at reception of him.
"A mighty convalsion shook this coun-
try and broke it apart From the shrine
Of liberty came this response. The COM
less the richest treasure in the nation be
thrown into the openingt Then these men,
at the magic touch Of their virtue, it
closed. and we became one, and the union
was perDetuated
gaIlantry of those who. in that fierce
struggle, wore the gray They fought as
only people VINO loved liberty and pos /
sessed conviction could fight And as
the years have passed. and the blood I
Of million warriors has cemented to-
sether indisSOlubly these United States. !
We remember no longer the eznnity of the /
past. we forget and forgive as we rejoice
Let us all remember that Memorial /
day ought TO mean more to us than
merely to perpetuate the memories of
the -aSt- Let rs look forward to the /
Grand Memorial dav Of the Lords sec |
ond coming. when the vict0rs in LIES
Of eternal life Twill be nothing to us
even though our graves were regularly |