The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1901-05-23
MEMORIAL DAY.
General Order Promulgated by the q.
A r. Commander in Chief.


A. r.. Commander in Chief.
Commander-in-chief Leo Rassieur has
Issued the following order for the OBJ
servance of memorial day by the Grand
Army of the Republic:
stWe are again reminded by the change
of season that the time is fast approach
ing when, according to the welI-estab-
lished custom of order, it will be
our sad duty to lovingly and earnestly
devote a day to our heroic dead, depart
ed comrades whose records in this life are
closed. Each post of the Grand Army of
the Republic is therefore admonished to
repair, on Thursday, May 30, to the near
est cemetery containing the earthly re-
mains of Union soldiers. sailors and ma
rines, and there decorate their graves
with the flowers of spring and the flag
they loved SO well, being particularly
careful not to overlook the graves of
those heroes whose headstones Indicate
that the names are unknown, such an
iuterment always Invariably indicates
that the earthly remains there deposited
belonged to one who fell " here the bat
tie was thfckest and where time of living
did not admit of careful identification and
interment of the slain. Let the service
prescribed by the Service Book be con-
Quoted in reverent spirit. Let the great
debt of gratitude of our country 20 our
dead comrades, the brave defenders OF
the Union, be made manifest. To re
count their special deeds of unselfish de-
votion and sacrifice, of distinguished
bravery and va1or, would require US to
read the brightest pages of our country S
history, covering four long years of the
fiercest internecine struggle of all times,
task impossible in the time allotted.
To do less. however, than to recall at
ly opposed to such war when it was
forced upon them by the firing upon Fort
Sumter, that pure and quenchless fire of
patriotism caused them voluntarily to for
sake peaceful pursuits and forego the
comforts and safety of homes and to as
sumo the privations and dangers of a
soldiers life in order to preserve the in
tegrity and indivisibility of their country,
the only hope of future constitutional
liberty. would require to be faithless
to our trust.
ssWhile truthfully conceding the valor
of the Southern soldiers in that war, and
that they fought for what they believed
TO be right, let it be clearly and firmly
enunciated on this occasion that the
Southern armies fought, not only for a
+lost cause but for wrong cause and
for wrong principle, namely, the prin
-ciple of secession, which could not be
correct right because at variance with
the inherent organic principle of selfpr
servation belonging to every govern
ment, and which our forefathers could
not therefore be deemed to have conced-
ed to the states under the terms of the
constitution. Let it also be clearly made
known that this enormous principle oi
secession was invoked by Southern lead
ers for the main purpose of perpetual ii ng
human slavery When these indisputa.
BILE facts are clearly impressed upor
future generations there can not be any
reasonable doubt, even in the South, as te
the right or Justice of our cause, and the
glory due our brave comrades for thefl
sacrifices in preserving this Union will
never fade or be obscured. They will
be enshrined in the hearts of all goot
citizens as the saviors of govern
ment, together with the forefathers, wht
are revered as the bold founders thereof
The Sunday preceding Memorial day
wit, May 26, will be observed wher-
ever possible with appropriate exercise
in the the churches of all patriotic con
cregations and communities commemor-
atlve of the unselfish heroism of those o
our brave comrades who have closet
their earthly careers. President Lin
coins address at Gettysburg, Pa, must b
made a special feature of all Memoria
day exercises conducted under the au
spices of the G.. A. r.