The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-05-22
Memorial Day.

Memorial Day.
Under the auspices of the Ladies'
Memorial Association, Memorial Day
was duly observed on Friday after
noon. At p, M. large audience as
sembled in the auditorium Of the Court
House which was called to order by
Col Il. w. Ball, who introduced the
Rev. Robert Adams, who delivered a
most eloquent and appropriate invOca
| ton. The large room was packed, con-
Sisting of the teachers and children of
the graded schools, the ladies Of the
city and sprinkling of old and bat
tered Veterans. The Rev w. Is. Dun
can, Of the Methodist church, the
chosen orator delivered most co
qucnt, beautiful and patriotic address,
replctc with historic reference, happy
illustration, argument, pathos and an
ecdotc, charming his audience and do
ing justice to the devotion, patriotism,
uncXampled herOism and endurance
of the wearer of the grey and the JUS
tice of the cause for which he stood.
| We regret that we haven't space for
| this polished Grafton. From the Court
Room, a procession, headed by PrOfes-
sOr Watkins, Of the Graded Schools,
moved to the city cemetery, the old
battered battle-torn banner Of the Bird
$ v, being born by two handsome
young girls, Miss Laura Barksdale and
Miss Ferguson.
At the cemetery the large assembly
formed around the Pavilion and lis
tened with bowed heads TO the reading
of the Roll of Honor Of the brave boys
who sleep their last sleep i'm this con-
Secratcd bivOuaC. Flowers, beautiful.
fragrant and fresh, like the memory of
these heroes, were tenderly laid on
their mounds, the grave of an un-
known Federal soldier not forgotten,
and this sacred annual ceremony was
ended.
We regret for lack of space we must
scription Of the tendency and force Of
the speakers address. There was a
happy digression in its course, where
; the speaker read the original roll of
the local company OF this city, (then
village, of Co. "a" (the State Guard)
of the Bird S. G. ", which composed
largely the splendid young boys of the
town from the oldest families and
) many from different sections of the
county.
After citing a striking incident in
the experience of the speaker, he SUBJ
stantially said: Furthermore, this in
cident may ittingly serve to suggest
the kinship Of religion and patriotism.
Our devotion to God and our love of
country are, after all, kindred impul-
ses. We are told that when Deborah
was Judge of Israel, she planned a
campaign against the Canaanites on
the North who fought under Jabin.
She called for brave and daring war
rior, Barak, Of the tribe Of Naphthali,
the closest neighbOr to the enemy
! With her promise to accompany him,
he collected an army of 10000 and Pro-
ceeded to meet the approaching army
of Jabin. After the battle Deborah
broke forth in the strains of lofty
: hymn of triumph, giving praise to God
} for the signal victories that had attend
, highest euogics for Icbulon and Naph-
: thali, saying "they were the people
who ieOparded their lives unto death
in the field" There is sense in which
| this interesting episode has it's coun-
9 ter-part in the occasion the memory Of
+ which brings us together to-day, cs-
pecially so in the tributes which the
daughters Of the cOnfederacy pay to
the dauntless heroes "who ieoparded
their lives unto death in the Held"
. rejoice at the earnest efforts being
made to preserve and perpetuate the
| memory of the heroic deeds OF our IA
thers. | know that the doctrine OF hui
man brotherhood is no idle dream of a
visionary philosophy, but is a necessary
principle which sooner or later must
! be realized in human history. The
! world is moving on ward and upward tC
t the brighter and better day when the
, parable of the good Samaritan will be
= enacted in the whole area Of life. AL.
$ most the very idea of time and space
I is being obliterated and we shall soon
| stand hn wi hnl a
S world. But all this does not obliterate
the duty nor abncgate the privilege OF
loving ones own country. My heart
: throbs in deepest sympathy when |
: read the story OF the Babylonish cap
: tivity. When asked to sing their songs,
, the lonely AMI disconsolate Jew re-
: piled "How can | sing the Lord 5
song in Il strange land" And hanging
his harp upon the willows OF Babylon.
ish rivers, he exclaimed: "If [ forget
thee, oh Jerusalem, let my right hand
forget her cunning; II | do not
remember thee let my tongue ceave
to the roof Of my mouth" There
/ Is no ma ion on the face OF the
: globe more patriotic than the United
States there is no section more
5 patr otic than Dixie; there is no State
5 In Dixie more patriotic than South
Carolina: and let me here say, there is
no county IN south Carolina more pa
triOtic than old Laurens.
Never shall | forget the first and
only time that | was ever beyond the
bounds of the United States. 1t was
during the great Epworth League Con.
ference at Toronto. We had there re.
presentatives from all parts of the
world. On magnificent steamer many
from the United States we're crossing g
Lake Ontario AS we neared the beau.
!, tifu( city Of Toronto som, one began to
sing America Soon all on deck
I, were singing
: "My country It's OF thee,
Sweet land of liberty"
, But the most interesting incident, to
a Southerner at least, occurred on Sat