The Irish standard., 1903-05-30
FATHER DUGAN's ADDRESS
Eloquent Tribute to Soldier Dead by
Minneapolis Dominican.

Minneapolis Dominican.
Rev. Father Dugan, o. F., Of Holy
Rosary church, Minneapolis, deliver
ed the following eloquent tribute to
the memory Of the soldier dead, at
the Memorial day exercises at ST.
Mary's cemetery.
Comrades of the Grand Army OF the
Republic, ladies and gentlemen: y
great nation to-day pays tribute to it's
illustriOus dead. And we as part
of this great nation, have gathered
here this morning to decorate the
tombs Of our national heroes, who lie
buried beneath the sod of st. Mary's
with the most beautiful, the most
touching and the most expressive
symbols of sympathy and apprecia-
ton, which nature yields for the use
of man. Out of the experience which
has come to governments during the
many centuries that have passed
since the beginning and first founda-
ton of nations they have learned
many important and useful lessons.
And foremost amongst these is this;
that when nation fails to pay just
tribute to the brave virtues of it's
living, or to remember it's illustrious
dead. such nation is in the throes
Of an inglorious and disgraceful de-
cadence, when soon, either the terrors
of revolution shall stab it to the
heart, OF it shall be buried under the
mighty avalanche of woes, which poll
teal impotence nurtures for it's doom.
And as the past has never produced,
nor is there now at this time great
er nation, more magnificent and more
powerful, one possessed of greater
vitality and life and energy, one more
self-supporting and self-sustaining
than our own beloved country, so
neither then nor now does any nation
express a greater appreciation of the
heroes who defended it, nor do they
feel a greater reverence and devotion
for their memory when they have
passed to the great beyond.
Every nation has had it's heroes of
| battle, for from that day when Cain
rose up and slew his brother, Abel,
there has been war and rumors of war
rampant upon the earth. For as the
Scripture says. The imagination and
thoughts of mans heart are prone to
evil from his YOUTH Its bloody gar
ments enshroud the form Of history.
and the smoke of this incense offered
| to-. the god, Mars, has been Il cloud to
obscure the heavenly splendors of
| peace and fraternity.
Individuals, from the beginning,
| have had their strifes and quarrels,
families have had their feuds and dis
sentons. nations have had their wars
and revolutions. Sometimes these
| have been fought to conserve or prop
agate a fundamental principle Of social
and national life. which operates for
the common good. And at such times,
| the cause of justice and right seems
to have been guided by the powerful
right hand Of the Almighty, and
above the din and roar of the conflict
the voice of the god of battles seems
to have led it's hosts to victory. But
more often these wars have been
waged, because of the Unsuitable pride,
ambition and vanity of men. Divine
Providence has disposed two faculties
to men: Liberty-the power to choose;
Passion-the power to love OF to be
moved. And though, in the plan Of
creation, these two powers were in
tended to work in unison for the ulti
mate happiness of our race, since
mans fall passion has become wild
and disorderly sprite, as it were, that
often tramples upon the domains Of
liberty. Civil governments, empires,
Kingdoms and republics seem to have
been born of strife and bloodsled.
The essence of history is apparently in
recounting the wars of ancient and
modern times. How little does it cele
brate the champions of the peaceful
arts and the sciences that have been
most beneficial to our material and in
tellectual progress.
| We know OF Sessostris after so
many centuries because he led an
army of above 100000 men out Of
Egypt to the Mediterranean coast.
The name of Alexander is waited to
us from the mystic past and to this
day is surrounded with the halo Of
greatness, and why? Because history
tells us he was the greatest of con-
querors bringing into his subsection
all of the then known world.
The name of Nerxes lives because
he was the leader of one of the larg-
est armies that ever went forth to
battle; and Caesar, proud emperor
that he was of that imperial mistress
of the world like Napoleon, is more
famed as martial leader than as Il
statesman. Both have acquired more
glory as generals than as potentates.
The foundation of nations and their
rise to power, the maintenance OF
their prestige and their fall has been
accomplished through war.
Contemplate whatsoever period we
may, ancient or modern. and the as