Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-05-30


nifty Is fading away. The war with
SPAN Drought this to our attention. Be-
meath one flag, wearing one uniform,
Maine and Georgia. Massachusetts and
Maryland. Who would have suspected it
40 6 years i1sf,,, ag1, When the 9Th Mass. went
cd to ice cream and cake and showered
with iiowers Let me see how was 1t with
you, boys? No ice cream and cake then.
Il | am rightly Informed. The bouquets
tney threw at you were 81 tritie hard.
But that spirit of hatred has been grad
imily changing. 1t seems almost impossi-
bic that 1t should have changed so rap
srave win Johnson and Buckner on one
side his bier and Sherman and Sheridan
nd on the ,road othel t. The old spirit seems dead
by word or deed to resurrect it again.
Iut one thing We ought to remember 1t
is net hard to go, to extremes when
spGaking ,P GO OF this subject, not hard to say
the reunion between North and South.
There Is Il reunion and every true patriot
Is heartily glad; but when one goes so far
in the spirit of restored friendship as to
declare that the South never was at fault
ana was always contendiEg for a principle
of right: they let their sympathies run
away win their sense and it is time to
call a halt After all has been said in
palliation of that awful crime that can
be said. We ought not to forget that one
cvcrlastingly wrong in that conflict. We
owe it to the memory of those VINO sleep
in the larrcW tent that never outward
swings, we owe it to every standard OF
jury and hail as brothers those who
brought 1t, not to admit that what they
did was right The lapse Of years may
should; but the lapse of years or de-
cades OF centuries cannot transform truth
or transmte falsehood. cannot change
the eternal complexion of facts cannot
make the crime of tDp GiNfia; nj nor ba,
treason and tyranny. They are our
brothers now and we will march with
them, God knows, for the protection Of
will clasp hands in every loyal under
taking and forget all differences past and
gone; but to admit that our fathers
knew and what God knew was right we
never can. Tor we owe it to those who
look down upon us from the tenting
grounds of eternity to maintain the just
ness. holiness and integrity of their
cause.
There are many reasons why we should
re jOice in this day and way we may look
upon with pardonablc pride and speak
of its glorious deeds with a sore OF eX-
cusable boastfulness. But there is also
solemn aspect to the day, and a mourn
Army is passing away from us and that
the soldiers of I'll are on their last march
is only too too apparent to our reluctant
memories to the soldier. Every roll call
discloses one or another of your old com
radeS not present but accounted for. In
no long time more not one will be left to
tell as a survivor the story of that ter
rible struggle in the Southland. The con-
splcuous commanders. the men that the
soldiers loved to follow and obey, are all
gone. Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Logan
Hancock and host of others are with us
no more. You are drawing toward the
end of your service, the buglc note will
soon sound lights out and YOU will lie
down 10 eternal resi- A soldier fears
death. Ion have seen many death
midst hard surroundings you have wit
ncsseL many Il triumphant death in sor
ro"ful stanccS-triumphant be-
cause Christ WAS the hope and Christ the
stay of the life. You have held the faint
ing form after the battle was done and
spoke for the friends at home. You know
how hope i'll Christ can soothc a death
like that. You are all drawing near the
evening. yOu were spared the death of the
battlefield to meet Il more peaceful end
at home: but the power that made that
death triumphant the power that can
been Il minGlbE of sorrow and strife. of
glory and gloom, of success and defeat
Shall it end in defeat or victory? Gen
eral Grant on Mt. McGrcgor through a
definite faith in Jesus Christ passing on
to the triumph of the future a more he
roic figure than Grant at Dannelson
Ilcksburs OF the Wilderness. May your
through His Eternal Son win the great
victory over death and the grave.
But a great deed never dies. You will
~ of what you have done and dared will
live forever What you have won for us
and what your deeds made possible
hearts of flesh can never forget Sons
Let us cherish the memory of the fathers
and see that none do them injustice, see
that that none none sully by POLITICAL intrigue the
blood. Let us hold by the ballot what
they won by the bayonet and sec that we
stand as patriotic in peace and as loyal
fear of the future.
Ladies of the, Relief Corps: 1t would
take a strong heart to tell of woman's
part in the war Brave men went to the
front Brave women stayed at home
Who made the greater sacrifice. the
sturday man who shouldered his musket
Stolidly forth. or the swcet-faced woman
that remained at home to suffer in 81
lenGc. God only knows! Many of you
and your reward will be as rich as the
richest.
Citizens, let us cherish well the lesson
of the day and see that we perpctuate il
in loyal gratitude to the men who wore
the blue. Let us make this day one of
Joyous acclaim and give honor to them to
whom honor is due. The world will glad
ly pay them large honor sometime; ali ma
tionS will pay them well-deServcd tribute
When they are gone; let us acknowledge
our gratitude now while some remain
1t is u poor time to thank man after
he is dead. We can see now what we Ow g
to this once vast army and we may now
do our hest to meet our obligations
Veterans: The heart of great people
beats in gratitude, today larger than
words can express. So long as liberty is
the cornerstone of our free government
SO long will your deeds be honored and
glorified. Garland well the scphulchors
OF your comrades in arms who have fallen
IN the fray; scatter their graves with the
lilies of hope and make them bright with
the evergreen of fame; bedeck their last
resting places with wreathcs of the con-
Glering laurel and beside the silent tents
plant the ensign they loved 50 we'll They
sleep. tonight beneath the starry canopy
no buglc note disturbs them more no cali
to duty will wake them again; but their
spirit of hCroism and loyalty goes march
Ing on. As far as waves those stars and
stripes by land or sea, so far is their hal
lowed influence being felt: wherever lib
erty lifts her ensign of freedom. east or
west. north or south. there shall their
deeds of valor be told again. Yea may
they have so proven themselves good sol
here so trust in Him who is able to do by
them more than they can ask or think
that this vast and glorious army shall
have glorious reunion and an eternal re-
ward. May it be true as the poet has ex-
pressed it:
When the years of earth are over and the
cares of earth are DONE