The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-31

unto the death in the high places of the field. Judges 5: IS.
 We cannot do a wiser thing than to honor the memories of the departed de- lenders of the old flag, and in doing so we show not only that we appreciate the services they rendered, but that we are proud of the nation whose banner they followed, and wish to do something that will prove that we are worthy of the name of American citizens. We need not fear national degeneracy so long as high courage is the common trait of our sol- diers.
 The thousands of lives poured out on the field of battle are not wasted if they teach us the lesson of sels-sacri- flee. There are different kinds of cour- age for different kinds of service, but the spirit of self-sacrifice is one whether in our dying Savior, the sol- dier in battle or the weakest of us in our secret struggles with selfish lusts. During the war in defense of the Un- ion, in which you bore a noble part, six l ty-one thousand men were killed out right, and thirty-five thousand died | from wounds received In battle. Think of this vast multitude. Think that with every day of that four years strife, two hundred fathers, Husbands, ] brothers, lobers laid down their lives. Try to think of the anguish each sin gle sacrifice brought to loving hearts at home.-if you would gain some eoncep- 1 ton of the intensity of the conflict our soldiers waged, and of the price of each silent tent of green you deck with fra | grant flowers" !"
 Every grave you decorate is the sym bolic result of that unparalleled obla- ton, of that holy submission to the be- | hest of an endangered country.
 Every grave marks the price of love and loyalty to native land; the price of
 liberty and equality, fraternity and uni. ty.
 Every grave marks what it costs tc
 secure our exalted privileges; to kindlt
 higher the beacon fires of patriotism and to maintain before the world the example of free republic and home
 for the oppressed of every race.
 | O., how do all these things, as we con
 template thew to-day, conspire to em-
 pFasize the great truth of the text tha
 our brave boys in the long ago 'jeop.
 arded their lives unto death in the higf
 places of the field"
 History and the Bible, nature and ex perience, the skies above and tht
 graves beneath. all unite in testifyins
 that life is a school, with self -denia
 and conflict and suffering as the condi
 tions of success.
 Enter the tent of the Iron Duk
 Grant at one o'lock in the morning o
 May z, 1864. The long agonizing battl,
 of the Wilderness had been fought
 Though not defeated, our army wal
 shattered as badly as at Chancellors
 vile or Bull Run. Lee had flung on
 wing of his army. between our force
 and their base of supplies Ever.
 corps and division commander under
 stood the desperate situation and wa
 appalled, with dismay. At one o'clocl
 at night they were summoned to head
 quarters in council of war. Never di,
 a band of noble men tired sadder step
 in obedience to that summons. Befor their vision rose all the horrors and de
 moralization of a retreat they felt mus
 surely come on the morrow. They pic 1! tured to themselves how the whoI
 heart of the nation would sink in de spair as that old, battered, bleeding army of the Potomac should come reel ing back to Washington again under
 staggering disaster, as so often before
 and their hearts failed them. To in crease their despondency, hard by ol
 the field they passed, lay fifteen thou
 dying. One after another the
 reached the tent of the commander in
 chief, and making noiseless salute en
 tered and silently took their seats
 Mead, Sedgwick, Hancock, Warren an others were there.
 Enter that tent For thirty min utes not a word was uttered. Thei thoughts are too deep and painful fo expression. The hopes of millions an the destiny of the republic seeme trembling in the balance. It is an aw full hour. At length General Gran breaks the oppressive silence. He ask each in order or rank, Gan you tell m what is best to do?" From each il turn comes the same sad response, q cannot But some one must decide Grant seizes a pen, dashes off fe, lines, seals and hands them to Mead with the orders: Break the seal a four o'clock and march He repeate, the same to Sedgwick, Hancock. War ren and the rest. Break the seal a