The Yale expositor., 1903-06-05

| wish the whole world might have
witnessed the sight we saw this morn
ing and have heard the songs we listen.
ed To from the school children of Yale.
In the words of your martyred com
rade, VIM. Mckinley. with y pltriOtism
In our hearts, and with the flag Of our
country i'm our hands there Is no dan
ger OF anarchy and there is no danger
to the American Union"
IL is fitting that this. the most
beautiful month OF flowers, should
give us day To weave garlands
and deck the graves of our sol
diers with the sweet spring blossoms.
IL Is most fitting, too. that rs the years
pass by, bringing with them the too
strenuous pressure of vastly growing
interests, that the nation should set
aside this day TO remember the past, and
to honor her heroes
IL is not alone fitting, but il is neces.
sary that the young should be remind
ed of what our brave soldiers won for
us at such an enormous cost. The
rivers OF blood that flowed at Bull Run.
Gettysburg, Shiloh, The Wilderness
but why 60 on enumerating battles,
their occurrence was so frequent that
il worries the school boy to remember
them all. But each one represents un-
told suffering. in fact, To quote the
words OF that old soldier. Gen sherman,
"War is Hell. This reminds me OF a
passage | ran across a few days ago i'm
"The Red Badge of Courage" The
author was describing how the height
was taken and he summed IL up i'm
these words-"The Regular Army was
dusty, disheyeled and covered with
sweat, It's hair matted on its forehead
and its shirt glued 20 its back. indes-
cribably dirty, thirsty, hungry and
aweary from its bundles, its marches
and its fights, il sat down on the con
quered crest and was satisfied and ex-
claimed, We'll, He'll. here We are" All
the suffering and loss was our own: il
was no foreign potentate who was in
vading our country it was our own
people, and victory and devastation
went hand in hand
"What is victory likeY" asked a lady
OF the Duke OF Wellington. The great
est tragedy in the world. madam. eX-
cept defeat Abraham Lincoln realiz-
ed TO the utmost the terrible calamity
that had befallen the nation would
that he might have lived TO witness its
marvellous reconstruction.
The longer we young men dwell upon
the story OF the great war. the more do
we marvel no the endurance of the boys
In blue When the nation was threat
ened 10y foes. within and without: when
humiliation stared her i'm the face: with
all the greater tenacity did they cling 20
their purpose. TO win or to die. Every
soldier here will remember that
the surrender OF Lexington during the
Civil war To the COnfederatcs was rem
dered necessity by the want OF am
munition as well rs by the want OF
water. After the surrender an officer
was detailed 10y the Confederate Gener-
nj Price TO collect the ammunition and
put IL ia a safe place. The officer ad-
dressing Adjutant Cosgrove, an Irish
man, asked him 10 have the ammuni-
ton surrendered. Cosgrove called up a
dozen men and exhibiting the empty
cartridge boxes, said to the astonished
confederate, 81 believe sir, we gave YOU
all the ammunition we had before we
stopped lighting Incidents show
ing the valor OF the boys i'm blue are
without number. Their valor sheds on
our flag an additional glory, and when
the younger generation receive il as an
inheritance, let them treasure those
stars and stripes and see that that flag
represents, whenever il is sunfurled, pur-
ity OF principal and liberty OF thought.
Is IL any wonder the old soldier loves
that flag under whose folds he fought
and for which his comrades shed their
blood? He loves il for what il is and
for what IL reprerents. IL embodies the
purposes and history of the government
itself. IL records the achievements OF
its defenders on land and sea- IL her
aids the heroism and sacrifices OF our
Revolutionary fathers who planted
free government on this continent and
dedicated il TO Liberty forever. IL at
tests the struggles OF our army and the
valor OF our citizens in all the wars OF
the Republic 1t has been sanctified by
the blood OF our best our bravest. IL
records the achievements OF Washing
ton and the martyrdom Of Lincoln. IL
has bathed in the tears OF sorrowing
people. IL has been gloriied in the
hearts Of a freedom loving people. not
only at home, but in every part OF the
world.
That flag expresses more than any
other flag: il means more than any
other emblem; il expresses the will OF a
free people and proclaims that they
acknowledge no earthly power, other
than themselves. It never was assault
ed that thousands did not rise up and
smite the assailant. Glorious Banner
OF the Republicl
We all remember the late war with
Spain. The younger generation was
alert and the cry "Cuba Libre" brought
to arms more soldiers than the presi-
dent could use This war has revolu-
tionized the fighting art. All Europe
stared unbelievingly at the work of
Dewey, Sampson and Schley. For
some OF our boys the light went out.
san Juan hill with Theodore Roosevelt
and his rough riders was n bloody but
n decisive victory. These young heroes
have added their names 90 the list of
their country's honored dead.
so this day is day OF remembrance:
IL is also n day of Offering to the great
God of patriotism. The flame of pat
riotic sentiment burns brightly In the
hearts OF our people, and this is why
we gather in every city and every ham
let OF this broad land To- observe Decor
alton Day. We cannot too frequently
recall nor too well remember that lofty