The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-05-30

oeicers. or in the ranks-wheroNer
and whenever duty called them. Just
40 Il must be for us in civil life. We
can make and keep this country
worthy OF the men who gave tner
lives 10 save IL, only on cond itioh
that the average man among us on the
whole does his duty bravely, loyalty
and with common sonsc, In Whatever
nosition life nllots to hims. National
greatness is Of slow growth. IL can
not be- forced aud yet be stable aud en-
during; for it is based fundamentally
upon national character and Is stamped
deep in a people by the lives of many
generations
The men who went into the army
had TO submit 20 discipline, had TO
submit to restraint through the
government of the leaders they had
chosen, rs tho price of winning. SO
we, the people, can preserve our
liberty and orr greatness in time OF
peace only by ourselves exercising
the virtues OF honesty of self restraint,
and OF fair dealing between man and
man. In all the ages Of the past men
have seen countries lose their liberty.
because their people could not restrain
and order themselves. and therefore,
forfeited the right 20 what they were
unn BILE TO use with wisdom. IL was be.
cause You mon Of the civil war both
knew how TO use liberty temperately
and how To- defend 10 AZ need that we
and our children and cur ohildren's
children shall hold you in honor for
ever. Here. no Memorial Day, on
this great tattlenell. we decorate not
only the chiefs who actually won this
battle. no, only Meade, and his lieut.
chants. Hancock and Reynolds and
Howard ana Siokles, aud the any
others whose names fame IN oar
annals: but also the chiefs who hal
made the Army Of the Potomac what
A. was, and those who afterwards led
10 In the campaigns which were
crowned at AppomAtox, and further
more those who made and used It's
sister armies; Mcclellan. with his
extraordinary genius for organization;
Rosecrans; Buell.; Thomas, The IN
yielding. the ste .dfast and that
great THO. Sherman Sheridan, aud
last and greatest OF all, Grant him
self, the slcEt soldier whose hammer
like blows finally beat down even the
prowCss OF tho mon who fought
against him. Above ali we meet here
90 ray homage 10 the Office r. aud en-
listed men who served aud fought ani
died. wiihou, having. as their chiefs
had, the ohau6e TO write their names
on the tablets OF fame TO the men
who marched and Tough, in the ranks.
who were buried in long trenches ON
the field of battle. who died in cots
marked only by numbers In the hos
pitals; who. u they lived when the
war was over. went back each to his
task on the farm or In the town. 20 do
his duty in peace as he had done Il in
war: TO take up tho threads of his
working life whore he had dropped
them when the trunpets Of the ma
tions pealcd TO arms. Today all over
this land our people meet to paw rev.
erent homage TO the dead who died
that the nation might live; and we
pay homage also to their comrades
who are still with Us.
All are nj one now, tlhc sons % those
who wore the blue and the sons Of
those who wore the gray, aud all can
unite in paying respect 70 the memory
of those who fell, each of thew giving
his life for his duty ~ he saw IL; ana
oil should be at one in learning from
the deaths of those men how to 1.-Two
use'ully while the times call for the
performance OF the countless necessary
, duties OF everyday life, end how TO
hold ourselves ready to die nobly
should the nation ever again demand
of her sons the ultimate proof OF
loyalty.