The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-07-04

MEMORIAL DAY At SHARON.
Address Delivered by Mr.. Jas. L.
Strain Before the Sharon Me-
mortal Association.
Mrs. President, ladies of the
Sharon Memorial Association, ladies
and gentlemen:-In compliance with
your kind and complimentary bid
ding / appear befor you in my feeble
capacity to add a word of cheer to
those whose command it is always
pleasure to obey. 1t is easily under
stood why the people of our South
land, from the Potomac to the Rio
Grande and from the Gulf to the
Mason and Dixon line should meet
in the beautiful spring time while
all nature is clothed in her royal
attire and flowers of the most delight
full hues and sweetest fragrance are
giving forth their pleasant orders to
the gentle breeze to be waited on tho
wings of theIwind to cheer all natures
living beings. Then it is that we
repair to the "city Of the Dead" and
sWid memories both sad and pleas
antsstrew flowers upon the graves Of
men who died, many of them, moro
than q generation ago. 1t must be
some unusual sentiment that ami
mates our people to thus meet and
decorate these graves. Whose graves
are they? might be asked. There is
only one reply, they are heroes who
died for their country. They died
for you and and the thousands who
are today paying theirs, this same
grateful tribute. They fought, bled
and died for what was true, just and
right. Their memories are enshrined
in our heart Of hearts and we will
never forget them, and these floral
tributes will never be forgotten or
discontinued az long as patriots live
and generations are taught to ven
crate the cause for WHICH they died.
We have, ladies and gentlemen,
gathered together 20 pay grateful
and loving tribute to the memory of
those brave soldiers who went to their
death in q vain but heroic struggle.
Although more than generation has
passed since the star of the Confed>
sracy went down in the gloom Of
irretrievable defeat, yet our remem-
'brance of their supreme sacrifice is
tenderly and sacredly cherished.
The great majority of their com.
rades who strove and battled with
them and yet who, in the providence
of God, were spared their fate have
since crossed over the river to rest
with them under the shade of the
trees-they too have passed through
the valley Of the shadow of death
and
"On fane's eternal camping ground
Their silent tents have spread,
While glory guards with loye profound
The biyoqac of the dead"
Most of the survivors of that grand
army have passed the summit of the
mountain and are fast making their
decent into the dark shadows of the
valley beyond.
Those of us who with these brave
men essayed to establish separate
and Independent republic, which We
hoped weuld find an abiding place
among the nations of the earth, have
taught or tried to teach our children
that no stain of treason, or blighted
faith, 9r broken vows dims the lustre
OF their fame or soils the bright es-
cutcheon of their honor. The task
will soon be theirs to defend from all
imputations of crime the nation which
died in its infancy, and yet lived long
enough to illustrate all the glories Of
human endeavor, which with its in
RtitHtioHs, circumstances and powers
utterly" perished' yet left behind it
Che remembrance Of valiant deed and
noble performances, which will be
petSfensally celebrated in song and
story ss long as the English language
3in b spoken ED l lTsh understood. r ssa