Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-06-01
lmpter. has been fred npon.


Sumpter, has been fred uponl
# ask you to look again and behold
the wondrous transformation. The
man OF yesterday: THE man of
peace and quiet" has vanished. and
in his stead stands the grim warrior
clad in the habiiments OF his regi-
ment. and grasping in his hands his
deadly rifle. From down the high
ways, where yesterday came no sound
except the din and noise OF the marts
Of commerce, today we hear the clat-
ter of horses feet, as company after
company of cavalry swing into line;
from out the highways where yester-
aay was heard only the lowing of
herds, today we hear the heavy tread
OF infantry. and see the dazzling gilt
ter in the mornings early sun OF myr-
lads of bayonets. from over the stony
streets OF the city comes the thun-
dering of the heavy wheels of artil-
lery.
The whole country is an army now,
sprung into existence with the sudden
ness OF the birth of Minerva from the
VI ain vi JbNtt du Vi lTeeneu
marching on to certain victory.
"On that day Europe saw the utter
disparity between a mere hired sol
dlery. and an army of citizen soldiers
fighting In defense of their homes.
their country and their cherished in
stitutions.
1T is safe to safe that so long as
tho faY ~
themselves the dictators and rulers
OF the government. just so long will
this republic remain invulnerable to
the assault of any foe, either foreign
or domestic.
This is beautiful custom you
have OF scattering flowers on the
tombs of your fallen comrades, and is
Illustrative OF the traits of the Ameri-
can people When first saw the old
soldiers stop at the grave of dead
confederate soldier to deposit flowers,
| at first thought it strange. But af
ter all, this war was different from
other wars. There We saw brother
engaged against brother, father
against son. 1t was people fighting
~ u ~ i'aiP't Nh'i tlouSut WdS
right, and not an effort to overthrow
the form of government We have
sometimes thought that IT, during the
hottest of the fight some powerful
European nation had fired on the
stars and Stripes with view of con
quering this entire country and max
ing ii dependency of a monarchy
Jpplfann bav
about face, and side by side with
Grant and Sherman, charged the coun
try's common foe
Flowers have been emblematic in
all ages and countries. The ancient
Druids held their mystic worship in
oak groves away from the gaze OF
men: the Parthenians are said to
flowers over the graves of their
dead. wreath of laurel was, by the
returning Roman warrior esteemed
fitting tribute of recognition on his
return from his conquests. The
Greek sculptor was pleased to carve
a wreath on the brow of his Nero.
Il hope, my friends, you will come
o'Nif Spai "ilt otiNN HoNClo VI lhN
graves of these dead heroes as long
as one shall remain to witness the
ceremony-nay. so long as the flag
shall wave over this country whose
freedom they died to perpetuate.
Strange as 1t may seem, we some
times hear some of the younger gen
GRAFTON speak disparagingly of the
IaaIl of f,ll
Not great while ago ! heard man
say these decorations and talks were
all wrong, and he proceeded to say
harsh things about these old soldiers.
All! he did more than this; he opened
up his mouth, licked out his forked
tongue, and hissed with ISLANDERS
against the sacred memory of our
dead heroes. | was about to call him
to task for this, but | stopped and said
not a word, when fancied heard the
rusty hinges of the gate of perdition
squeak horribly, as Satan himself
slammed to the doors of his fiery
kingdom lest such vile wretch might
enter there.
Was it through selfish motives that
olu gray y-nhlreu veteran, now long
since gone to his eternal rest, left his
home and family to face death by pes
thence in southern swamps or pris
on hell? Or mercenary motives that
prompted these old soldiers, then
boys, 70 blight their ambition, or tear
themselves, perhaps from the embrace
OF she who was more than life to them,
to dare the destroyer before the can
mons mouth7
What mattered it. personally, when
the battle smoke had puffed away, to
that dead hero found on the battle
field, whether this country is the
home of freedom; whether 1t is ruled
by a tyrant; or overrun by the hordes
of Central Asia? 1t matters not, my
friends, to those dead heroes, whether
the wind scattered their ashes to fer
tilize the soil for the support OF the
unborn millions, or to enrich the DESC
late plain where the wild flower
blooms unseen and uployed,
But. my friends, ere my allotted
twenty minutes have gone, want to
toll Yen little story that will illus
trate my point. 1t is story not
drawn from fapcy's dream-it is true
1t is not the one sad story of the great