The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-30
DEAD HEROES
REMEMBERED
The President Also Makes a
Defence of the Living
Heroes.
Struggles and Triumphs Of
the American Army in
the Philippines.

/ "d6uluStOu, May OV.-MSLuoIldI Lay
was observed here perhaps more gen.
orally than ever before. The announce
ment that President Roosevelt would de-
liver the Grafton at Arlington brought to
that historic cemetery a vast concourse
of people, among whom were thousands
OF veterans who journeyed to the ceme-
! terry to honor the memory Of their COM
rades who had died in their country's
cause, or who, having survived the strug-
giles of 1861 and 1898, had since passed
away.
The local arrangements were in charge
OF the Department of the Potomac, and
included parade of all the G.. A. R.
and other patriotic organizations, the
! decoration of monuments and graves and
addresses by men prominent in the af-
fairs of the government.
At Arlington national salute was
fired at II O'Clock by the Fourth battery.
United States field artillery. Music was
rendered by the Marine band and by the
Memorial choir
Confederate Graves Decorated.
Upon arriving at Arlington the process
sion marched to the tomb of the unknown
| N0'"]' AoA lug Cut OCCOldllOu OIL the LOmO
by the special committee chosen from the
dlHerent &. A. r. organizations and aux
1llary societies, the Marine band played
an appropriate selection. The procession
then broke UP and the decoration of
graves began touching feature Of the.
work OF decora ton was the strewing Ut
flowers over the graves of the confederate
dead who lie buried in section of the
cemetery.
In the meantime vast crowd had as
sembled at the amphitheater where the
services were conducted The familiar
strains of Nearer, My God. to Thee
!, by the Marine band marked the begin
ming of the services. President Roose-
|; velts arrival was the signal for an out
, burst of applause.
Cheers for the President,
: After the invocation and the rendition
OF several numbers by the band and
r choir, B.. B. Hay read Lincoln's Gettys-
burg address. President Roosevelt fol-
lowed, and as he arose he was again
. greeted with cheers and the plaudits Of
D the immense audience, which stretched
g far outside the limits of the amphithe-
. ater. His. remarks were given the clos
Il est attention and-he was frequently in
terrupted by bursts OF applause. The
president spoke as follows:
A Solemn Holiday.
1t Is a good custom four our country to
! AdFo SSIUd1u SOlSHQ Mondays IN comment
Grafton of our greatest men and of the
) greatest crises in our history. There should
be but few such holidays. To increase their
: humber is to cheaper them. Washington
f and Lincoln-the man who did most to found
r fthe Union, and the man who did most to
; preserve H-stand head and shoulders above
all our other public men, and have by conf
mon consent won the right to this pre-emi-
7 hence Among the holidays which comment
crate the turning points in American history,
Thanksgiving has a significance peculiarly its
own. On July we celebrate the birth Of
the nation; on this day, the Both Of May, we
call to mind the deaths of those who died
3 that the nation might live, who wagered all
8 that life holds dear for the great prize of
3 death in battle, who poured out their blood
: like water in order that the mighty national
structure raised by the :far-seeing patriotism
of Washington, Franklins Marshall, Hamilton,
and the other great leaders of the revolution,
Y great trainers of the constitution, should not
l. crumble into meaningless ruins.
You whom l address to-day and your COM
rades who wore the blue beside you in the
: perilous years during which strong, sad, pa
tient Lincoln bore the crushing load of ma
, tional leadership, performed the one feat the
failure to perform which would have meant
destruction to everything which makes tho
: name America a symbol of hope among the
nations Of mankind. You did the greatest
end most necessary task which has ever fall
II
> hemisphere
"The One Really Vital Task
) During our four generations of national life
we have had to do many tasks. and some
= Of them OF far-reaching Importance; but the
only really vital task was the one you did.
/: the task OF saving the Union. There were
: other crises in which to have gone wrong
: would have meant disaster; but this was the
enc crisis in which to have gone wrong would
, have meant not merely disaster but annihila-
! I ton. For failure at any other point atone
= 1nent could have been made; but had you
. failed in the iron days the loss would have
been irreparable. the defeat rretrievable.
Upon your success depended all the future OF
the people this continent, and much Of
the future of mankind a whole.
You left us a reunited country. You left
us the right of brotherhood with the men in
gray, who with such courage, and such de-
. votion for what they deemed the right, fought
! against you. - But you left us much more
! even than your achievement, for you left us
? the memory of how 1t was achieved. YOU
who made good by your valor and patriotism
the craftsmanship OF Lincoln and the soldier
ship of Grant, have set as the standards for
: our efforts in the future both the way you did
your work In war and the way in which
when, the war was over you turned again to
the work of peace In war and in peace
9 alike your: example will stand as the wisesr
. of lessons to and our children and our
q childrens children.
$ ."The Younger Comrades.
9 Just at this moment the army of the
> United States, led by men who served among
2 you in the great war, is carrying to COM
b pletion small but peculiarly trying and
difficult war in which is involved not only
: honor of the flag but the triumph of civili-
zation over forces which stand for the black
chaos Of savagery and barbarism The task
has not been as difficult or as important as
yours, but, oh, my comrades, the men in the
! uniform of tie United States, who have for
:, the last three years patiently and
!. plainingly championed the American cause In
! the Philippine Islands, are your younger
!, brothers, your sons. They have shown them
Q selves not unworthy OF you, and they are
q entitled to the support Of all men who ara
z proud of what you did.
: These younger comrades of yours have
q fought under terrible difficulties and havesrs-
IS ceyed terrible provocation foun a very cruel
Q and very treacheous enemy. Under the strain
of these provocations deeply deplore to say
2 that some among them have SO far forgotten
z themselves as to counsel and connmit In re-
: taliation. acts OF cruelty. The fact that for
Ayeu guilty act committed ~ one o. our