The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-06-02
DECORATION
Fitting Memorial of the
Federal Dead OBJ
served Yesterday
PRETTY CUSTOM
=.
thousands of Soldiers Who Lie in
the Federal Cemeteries Through
out the ReDublic-The Custom More
EIaborately Observed in Washing
ton Than Ever BefOre-COnfederat
Graves Decorated.

Washington, May 3O.-With solemn
and impressive ceremonies memorial
day was observed in the national capl-
tai on 4 more elaborate scale than ever
before. Business was suspended. not
only in the departments of the gov
ernment, but also throughout the city.
People Of all classes united in per-
petuating the memory of the heroic
dead who in countless thousands sleep
peacefully in the eight national ceme-
teries of the District of Columbia.
Notwithstanding the absence from
this City of the president, who usually
is a conspicuous figure in the memorial
day exercises at Arlington, the ar
rangements were elaborate and beauti-
full. They were under the direction of
the department Of the Potomac G. A.
r., and included a parade Of G. A. r.
posts, the old slard. other patriotic
organizations and the militia of the
District of Columbia headed by the
Marine Band, the decorations of the
monument and graves, and addresses
by men proenmint in public life.
After a short march through the city,
ed the electric trains for Arlington, the
most beautiful of national cemeteries,
overlooking the historic Potomac,
where the principal exercises of the
day occurred. Already the $4,000 graves
in the cemetery had been strewn with
flowers and each marked by q tiny
American flag. A touching feature of
the ceremony-a feature typifying a
country thoroughly re-united-was the
decoration Of the graves in that section
of the cemetery where lie the Confed-
crate dead.
At the conclusion OF the ceremony Of
the decoration of the graves. a great
crowd gathered in the amphitheatre.
Hon. Charles Emory Smith, editor of
the Philadelphia Press. delivered the
Grafton Of the day. He spoke in part as
follows:
The issues which bred the strife Of
sections have been settled The reun-
ion Of the sections has been sealed in
common sacrifice. In the crucible of a
common struggle the lines of sections
should be melted and in the new des-
tiny the map of the union should no
longer be divided into north and south.
THE old issues have passed away.
There are new questions of deep i'm
port-questiOns which come in part as
legacies of the old and which may tend
IN some measure to excite the old feel
Ing. There is the problem of dealing
with a race which has been emanci-
pated from slavery and yet not admit
ted to the privileges OF freedom The
educational. the industrial and in some
degree, the political aspects of this sub
ject demand the most serious cOnsid-
GRAFTON. The burdens and the respon-
SlbllltleS do not belong alone to either
Of the old sections. We may not all
agree or the elements of the problem
or on the true solution. but may we
VI YyArn 0n1 49, @sr,S
of mutual forebearance? May we not
discuss it IN temperate and rational
franc mind? May we not seek to
understand each others point Of view
and each others relation to the subject
with fair and reasonable consideration
or the various aspects which are en-
titled to weight. We have outgrown
the old narrowness and the old one
sidedneSs? Reunion does not mean the
suspension Of individual conviction or
the sitting Of frank eXpression but
why should it not mean larger liberal
lty Of spirit. greater breadth of under
standing and higher effort for Just, en-
ightened and patriotic action
Richmond. Va, May 3O.-Ho:lyNOOd
Confederate Memorial day and FedTal
Decoration day exercises Wera held
here this afternoon. They formed un-
der the auspices Of the Hollywood
Cemetery Memorial Association which
| - N'iLiSDScu u ldOlSS, anu liz 4dl lct
! under the direction of the two local
posts of the 6. A. r. one white. The
| other colored. There is another con-
federate memorial day here which
comes earlier and is known as OtsWooC
Memorial day, from the name 0f the
cemetery in which many confa!aratas
| lie buried and where the exercises on
that day are held. as today's ceremonies
| were held at Hollywood.
There was a parade of the local mill
| itary organizations and of confederate
veterans in honor of the confederate
occasion. and the detachments Of the
U. A. r. posts visited the battle field
of Seven Pines, the site of Fort Harri-
son and the federal cemetery near the
city. General White of Wheeling, W.
Va, wac the orator of the day in honor
| Of the confederate dead. All federal.
state and city offices the banks and
| the stock exchange were closed.
Nicksburg. Miss, May 30.-Federal
decoration day was observed here to-
| day, hundreds Of negroes being nres ant
| in the national cemetery. Late this af-
ternon a small body of union veterans
accompanied by confederate argani.a-
tons united in paying tribute to the
| federal dead, 5000 of whom are buried
here.
Marietta, Ga, May 3O.-Fhe graves
of the federal dead in the national
cemetery here were decorated t.,1ay
with appropriate ceremonies. Many