Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-05-29
DAY.

VVNlh tOubt ttrttIuuN UlOVnluh tI'cu
with white.haired Veterans Of the
civil war-wearers Of both the blue
and the gray-with several rows of
empty seats behind. made a pathetic
and rcgrettable sight at the dedica.
ton day services. The empty seats
were not symbolic Of those veterans
who had gone. or OF the rapidly thin.
ming ranks OF the heroic Grand Army
OF the Republic. but they testified
mutely TO the fact that every other
order In the city had been invited by
the men who had offered their lives
in defense Of a principle TO unite with
them TO listen 10 the annual Memorial
Day sermon and that not an order
accepted the invitation. Several
lodges. indeed. made formally accept.
ancc. but OF the whole body Of the
opera house reserved for the orders,
only the seats SGT aside for the heroes
OF the blue and the gray were occu.
pied.
We can not help feeling that II
would have been a courteous and
noble thing for other brotherhoods TO
have publicly honorcd the. few re-
naming Veterans In their Sunday
memorial services as II will be a
courteous and noble thing TO honor
them tomorrow when they decorate
the graves of their dead.
And tomorrow brings us another
day. All too soon, the Memorial Day
must be celebrated by tho sons and
the daughters. Soon not one of those
who wore the blue or the gray IN the
heroic struggle will remain to tell
the story. Soon the only honor that
a be paid to the sayiors Of q nation
Will be to their silent dust.
Can stored urn or animated bust
Back to the mansion call the fleet.
ing breath?
Can honor's voice provoke the silent
dust,
Or flattery sooth the dull. cold car
OF death?'
Yes. those Of the younger day must
pay tribute soon to the living or It
Will be too late to do aught else than
raise a cold shaft Of marble over the
insensate tomb Of the departed
heroes.
Tomorrow is the day set apart, not
only to pay a slight tribute to those
who fell In the battle Of their cGun.
try, but also to those who live to re.
count the stirring scenes and to in.
culcate lessons OF patriotism In the
breasts Of their youngers.
Here az all over the land where
true hearts beat, the day Is always
duly observed. and bright. spriag
flowers, fresh and green. look up from
the graves Of the fallen heroes where
they have been strewn by loving
hands, giving evidence that the souls
that are watching In eternal HE are
well remembered by those who Lrc
enjoying the fruits Of the trees the
seeds Of which their death has sown.
Byron says 1T Is not NO hard to die"
and true 1t Is that II there Is any
thought that will soften the terrible
affliction In to know that death a.n
to loved ones In battling for the right.
To those who love their country and
cherish Its institutions every mar who
died In the war was a friend bound 10
them by ties Of an unusual nature,
ant there Is no nor fitting manner
In which they a repay that friend.
ship than by each year devoting a day
to strewing their graves with spring
flowers and IGNORING their memory
with appropriate and interesting ccre-
monies. And this duty. and we hope
pleasant task, does not belong and
should not be performed by any uar-
ticnlar class Of our citizens. Men and
women. OF all ages and conditions.
should take part, and the sonng,
growing generation Of both sexes es-
pecially should be taught this lesson
of reverence for that patriotism that
braves death In a country's behalf.
The civil war Is the one which
was fought In blood earnest because
u was a family quarrel" The stern.
est conflicts arise when members Of
one family quarrel among themselves,
when schism divides the church, and
when n division of n nation rises in
rebellion against another division.
The nobility OF purpose Of those who
fought In this struggle Is worthy Of
our attention. No n entered the
contest 10 kill or to be Killed. to wade
streams. To subsist upon parched corn.
or To endure hunger and p~rivation for
thirteen or for sixteen dollars per
month. They fought for peace. their
final achievement. What did the