Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1901-06-01

Following is the Grafton of Mr.. j. W.
Gorby on The American Soldier de-
livered at the Auditorium Thursday
evening.
This is truly an auspicious day. The
people with one accord have rested
from their labor. A hush has come.
The comrades of the past, the advance
guard in the onward march of life,
are remembered with the garlands OF
tenderest love. The days of old have
risen again and The faces that greeted
us of yore have beamed upon us from
the misty past.
The muffled drum and the glamour OF
war have marked the PAGES of the me-
mortal hosts. The sword has flashed
while the folds of the flag have floated
above u.s. The entire people have
turned their steps into the advancing
line which marches to the city of the
dead. They reach the place of tombs
and enci1cling the heroic dust they hal
| low 1T with beauty and with tears.
Contrast with this public pageant,
the little girl, who, parting from the
somber throng, wends her solitary
way to the grave of the private soldier,
and drops upon the humble mound the
simple flower, the soulful tribute of her
patriot heart.
The vision turns to scenes of war.
Line on line, and file on file. they
lie as in the ranks they stood. Far
| off among the Southland hills soli-
tary picket falls at his post of duty.
The marching enemy ignore the pros
trate form and pass it by. But nature
hath a marvellous tenderness and
through the lapseo years Marlborough
him back to his original home, the
dust. Shall he rest unremembered!
No, from his clay the violet and the
daisy bloom and in their simple beau
ty mark his grave.
The decoration of the soldiers grave
evinces appreciation of his worth. The
nation looks to him for it's permanent
|
glory or the shame of his people. The
American soldier has fought beneath
the blistering sun, among the drifting
SHOWS and from Mobile to Manila Bay
and has honored his country every
where. The disasters which pursue ar
army like spies of the evil one have
not baffed him. Death by disease ha!
searched his ranks, trason has invited
him. slander has hawked at him, ma
, tional bankruptcy has well-nigl
starved him but glory has crowned
him.
The American soldier stands for in
: telligence. He has his birth in tn
home of culture. The ways of war ar
familiar from history and his com
mander excels him only in rank. H
despises the slavish Russian and tn
wolf-like Turk, who are instruments O
war, not men in arms. He looks long
ingly at the characters that have glol
flied their country; ambition seize
him and the service of the flag is tn
vision of his dreams
In the logic of truth such character
must win victories. OF the soldiers il
the Orient the Americans rule the mar
tlal fed. When the camp of Luzo1
one summer night was still in soldie
sleep the officer of the day CHANGED up
on wakeful group OF men. The firm
ament was the subject of thei
thoughts. "Hark," said one, "a plan
/. ct newly risen" But the face of tn
magnitude cannot be in that positio
of the heavens said he, and when nj
y keen mind had explored the myster!
= the Filipino signal was read in tn
# stranger star, and through the INTEL
u gence of the private soldier the Sun
;e prise of the American camp and tn
n slaughter of our soldiers were avertet
10 The courage of the American volur
l. teer is the wonder of mankind. Me
is schooled in arms are expected to /
It brave, but the citizen, unaccustomed
e the seventies of war, has made hin
/ self the hero above the profe'
10 sional arms of Europe. The mani
1t mastery which controlled the ranks
n Bunker Hill when they reserved the
leaden slaughter until the whites
British eyes were visible before then
IS shows the American spirit in its IL
~ 1ncy. That character was heroic
"a Bennington, Saratoga and Yorktow
TX In contrast to the servile pomp whic
covered the soldiers of the King ro'
the American volunteer with the divir
and dauntless purpose of achievir
permanent liberty.
But the grandest example of tt
l. prowess of American valor is the VIZ
re- of the secession. In the memory
A. man such bravery stands without
of parallel. Equal against equal, broth'
+o against brother, intensified the strif