Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-05-26


he said, General, didn't lead them
straight?" My boy, said the gener-
al, with gentle pressure of his hand,
you acted valiantly, you did all it
was possible to do, you did your duty"
A bright smile played around the dy-
ing youths lips, his glazed eyeballs
turned back from the threshold of
death, and flashed Thanks" his heart
but once throbbed and forever grew
still! Shall we not keep Memorial
Day for such as he?
But besides the men who wore the
blue and marched under the flag there
were other patriots. They were those
whose fingers piled the needle, and
whose hands moulded the dough, and
whose pens indicted loving words to
boys who were nobody's sons, for
they were orphans-the women of our
country. These whole-souled women
did not know anything of country or
CLINE or language. They only knew
grand humanity. and that all were of
one kin, for they were all children of
one great and loving Father. And so
they sent letters to young men who
had no mothers, and exhortcd them to
be good and true and brave, and ever
to do their duty. Z
And so we commemorate the men
who did their duty and the women
who taught them.
Alas! that the ranks of the veterans
are being thinned by an eAemy none
can conquer in this life-death. And
of those who remain the once elastic
step. and 1.-THE limbs, and blue coat
have changed. The elasticity is gone,
the litheness has vanished, the blue
has faded, but the COURAGE is still
there, and the patriots heart throbs
proudly as of yore.
The Goth Of May is observed in the
southern states as Memorial Day."
when the graves Of Confederate SOL
diers and sailors are also decorated
with flowers with imposing cere-
monies. In recent years there has
been happy commingling of the men
in Blue and the men in Gray on these
solemn occasions. This is as it ought
to be-this is rs it shall be. When
the causes of the fierce conflict and
terrible slaughter, the wrecked homes
and ruined lives, the weeping widows
and wailing orphans, the broken-heart-
ed mothers weeping for their sons be-
cause they are not, and strong men,
fathers, with the joy-spring of life
broken in their hearts, are realized,
surely the olive branch of peace will
bring concord and union beneath the
weeping willow and dropping ash, and
brothers meet brothers in peace, and
higher, nobler, holier patriotism will
come forth like pure gold from the
refner's furnace.
Patriotism may not be the highest
virtue of the human soul, but it has
the most intimate relation to the cause
we commemorate. And then, patriot
ism in America is different in kind
not in degree only, from that of other
countries. Patriotism, as it has pre-
vailed in the old world, has been the
curse of mankind. There patriotism
meant to hate your neighbor on the
other side of the river-to oppose, rob,
and slaughter the men, women and
children on the opposite side of the
boundary line, for the aggrandize-
ment of the ruling classes-to present
the bodies of the common people, as
a target for the arrow, the sword, the
spear, and the bullet-to bring mourn
ing ana sorrow and poverty into the
cabin of the oppressed peasant and
the room of the toiling citizen for the
honor, power and pelf of one man-to
call the wholesale murder Of men,
made in the image of God, glory and
| the legalized murderers, who reveled
| in carnage, slaughter, rapine, and lust,
| patriots But America has taught the
world a patriotism of another kind
broad as humanity and co-extensive
with the globe. 1t has let tyrants and
oppressors know that the poor have
rights and the rich duties, and that
downtrodden peoples who have shown
themselves worthy Of independence
shall not be exterminated, through re.
lentless hate and cruel wrong, by fire,
and sword, and famine, and the pesti-
lence that follows in their train, in
witness whereof let Cuba testify, that
| a strong nation, whose patriotism is
humanity, can and will right the
wrongs OF the weak, though they may
have differently tinted skin.
This is the patriotism we celebrate
to-day, that is symholized in the flag
| that floats above us, is emblematized
j in the solemn functions Of common.
Grafton, when we strew garlands OF
flowers on the graves and encircle
with a halo Of fame our patriotic dead.
This is patriotism, indeed, when at the
call of duty two millions Of the coun-
try's pride leap forward to preserve
the Union or to die-this is the patri.
otism we wish to preserve and trans.
| NIT this is the patriotism we desire
our sons to emulate this is the God
given patriotism of humanity which
can never die! To preserve intact,
whole, and undivided the constitution.
nation, and country bequeathed by the