The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-05-23
MEMORIAL
D "A Y

a strong safeguard of our Nation.
The custom of observing one day
in each year to do honor to Nations
dead heroes appears to have obtain
ed more or less for three thousand
years. The first authentic history
we have of this tribute was its OBJ.
servance by the Greeks of Athens in
memory of their countrymen who
fell in the battle of Marathan; their
latter day poets and historians refer
briefly to this beautiful ceremonial,
but it was never by them made
national holiday.
The first observance in our country
was on April IS, '62, when Mrs. Mich
OILS Evens, Mrs. May and her two
daughters placed flowers on the grave
of number of soldiers on Arlington
Heights. In May of the next year
the same ladies, accompanied by a
few others, performed the same sad
but loving service at the same place,
and at Fredericksburg in the following
year.
Relatives, loving friends and CRATE
full people kept this grand and pa
triotic custom alive but without fixed
day or date until 1874, when our
Nations congress took notice of the
ceremonial so significant of the ma.
tons obligation to its dead heroes,
and made May 80 a national holi-
day. Our brave but mistaken orpo-
nents, the Confederates of the South,
have set apart April 26 for like
custom. America. the foremost
nation Of the world in commerce
and enterprise, is also foremost in
loyalty and gratitude 10 her dead
who fought or fell in defense of her
flag.
This day is the Nations Sabbath ,
a day when at the shrine of true
patriotism all creeds are forgotten
and all receive into their hearts a
new and holy inspiration. If we
observe it in spirit and carefully
study its meaning we are benefited
not only as citizens but as Christians
as well.
By this simple service we turn to
the brighter light-the pictures Oh
memory's wall-true pictures that
were wrought In blood, in the days
that tried mems souls when the life
of this nation hung trembling in the
balance. We hope to teach our
children the value of the blessing
they now enjoy, by showing them
(faintly, it is true) at what cost of
blood and treasure they were won
and kept intact for them. 1t teaches
patriotism, loyalty and respect. II
inculcates generous ambition to
emulate the heroic deeds of their
sires, and the lesson has borne fruit,
as shown at Santiago and on the
numerous battlefelds in our new
possessions. 1t is grand object
lesson which imparts to them
many ideas and truths they should
know, and to degree takes the place
of school history, as the one they
now use is as silent about the Civil
war as If it had been compiled by
one who had not yet given up the
last cause.
Politics and politicians have no
place in this day. If they could
only be shut out from all other days
it would be we'll for this nation. The
only petition the Lord of Glory,
while on earth, ever denied was the
petition for political preferment
made by a woman for place in his
cabinet for herself and her two sons.
We hope in this day to teach our
leaders to be a little more like the
Lord.
On this day redeemed nation
ceases from its daily toll and gathers
around the graves of its defenders,
giving as far as possible expression
to the love and gratitude a grateful
people feel towards those who gave
their lives in defense of their country.
This is debt we owe to those grand
citizen-soldiers, who loved their
country more than their lives; who
when the life of the nation was in
jeopardy-that grand superstructure
whose foundation stones had been
cemented by the blood of the revo-
lutionary sires; whose columns were
reared by the wisest, purest states
men the world ever saw: about whose
lofty dome the brightest seraphs of
heaven tuned their harps and sang
their sweetest lays; the great temple
around which clustered the hopes of
the liberty loving world, was threat
ened with destruction. 1t was then
that these heroic men left home and
friends. To their touch a million