Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY.

the legacy of character to their chill
dren.
A century and a quarter later the
Revolutionary fathers exhibited thess
same characteristics. When the Brit
ish Parliament insisted that they
should accept the position of serfs,
should pay their taxes without any rep
resentation. these patriot sons of Pill
grim lineage took their stand on the
principles of human rights and from
the fortress Numbered out their charges
of indignant wrath.
In the days just previous to the Civil
war there is exhibited, more particu-
larly in the Abolitionists, the same love
for right that so distinguished their
patriot fathers. That firmness and de-
termination of character was admirably
shown by Lovejoy, Garrison, Adams
and John Brown. Men like these have
led the vaneuards in every great re-
form movement since the Christian era.
But with the coming of the second
half of the nineteenth century the ma
ton for the first time in its history
faced Civil war. The system of slav-
cry had crept into the colonies and was
| wasting the nation away. Once again
| from down the centuries there spoke
the voice of the Pilgrim father.
We delight to tell the story of the
days of war because; it speaks of
quality of character in the American
sitiZen that is comparable with any
peoples heroism in the history of the
| world Everywhere was displayed that
love for the right, that firmness of res
olution, that obliviousness of personal
danger, that has been so characteristic
of the American people.
When we bring to these veterans of
40 years ago the gratitude of a people
VIC know this people is mindful of the
full Significance of the war for union
and freedom. For three centuries the
nation had respected the principles of
human rights. For three centuries the
nation had been advancing to it's posi-
ton of the real conqucring nation of
the world.
The bullet Of defiance that hurtled
against the wall of Fort Sumter meant
all that was unproGressive. 1t meant
/ the binding of the brilliant eye OF
civilization that had penetrated the
dark ages to receive its full sight in
tthe light of the star that lowered over
| the American Republic. But it called
forth tho heroism Of a great army. 1t
placed Il seal of value upon those
mighty principles that had been hewn
from the mountains of eternal truth
| and set in the bands of gold that had
| been washed from the life blood of he
| rOic men. Once again the nation took
I'D its course OF the true conduer1nS
nation of the world. stronger for its
victory. better for it's struggle, nObler
for it's purposes.
! For the fact that there was in the
American Republic a sufficient num-
lJer Of men and women, the rcctitude
of whose intelligence and the chiValry
and dignity of whose character pre-
vented the destruction of what centu-
RIGS Of sacrifice and struggle had ac-
cumulatcd We have reason to be thank
full and grateful tonight.
If gratitude means anything at all
it means Il Willingness on the part of
the present generation to give some
thing needful to the constantly en-
dangered principles of civic righteous
ness. The problems in the social and
industrial world demand that courage,
that love Of right, that respect for
verbal pledges in civic life. that SAM
tv of Judgment, that well-rooted char
acter that has been the mark Of sue
ceSsive generations.
How the Grand Army of the Repup-
lie helped to make this nation the ideal
conquering nation. with it's broad
foundation. irs moral principle, its high
goal. can be seen if we glance at the
quickly moving picture of the ages.
with the Dark Ages the barbarian
horde swept down over Europe ard
shattered the wallis of the Roman Re-
public. What this conquest meant no
man could fOrcsee. But out of it came
the Reformation and the Renaissance
With it came the discovery of America.
From out the darkness of those past
ages and into the light of the Renaissance
there flashed a new star on whose radiat-
ing points were pendant the awakened
minds Of the new age. 1t was democ-
racy That star rose slowly above the
Eastern continent and melted across tho
heavens until it shone above the Western
The Pilgrim Fathers, like the wise mer
| of old, charted their course by its trailing
light and niarvelod at it's brilliancy as
il came and stood over the new world
Never had democracy a better chance tC
test its new powers than when it begar
it's career with the Pilgrim settler on the
coast of Massa chusetts. Democracy ir
Europe was never what Lincoln meant
by Democracy in America. 1t is possible
to see then. what the Northern soldier
accomplished for the reunited country
when he struck the shackles from The
wrists of men and turned the course OF
all subsequent centuries from aristocracy
and feudalism back into the pathway o.
Democracy, back where men stood equa
before God and the laws of their country
In the consistency of that course, IL
the consistency of our struggle for thu
maintenance of democratic principles, il
| our sacrifice to maintain and enlarge thu
, principles of human rights that have
been bequeathed to us, will depend th'
success of this nation as the real con
auering nation of the world. Let us be
lieve that the nation has a mission. lie
IL be that of the conQuering nation. lie
il conquer all nations by the Instrument
, of Peace and by the power of example
Let It stand for the Pilgrim character
Let il teach the sacrifice of the RevOu
tionary Fathers. Let it exempiify in it
national life the stand for truth as dis
! played to us by the Northern soldier il
the Civil war.
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