Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-04-27


sand strong"
Recall today the hastily delivered
message aud token from these dying
boys as you grimly continue the charge
over their bodies or as you sullenly
retreated, most reluctantly leaving
them on the field You have sacredly
kept the promise hastily made TO your
dying messmate Yes, Jack, I'll tell
your mother "Sure, Joe, your wife
shall get your ring and message
Never doubt. Charlie, your people
shall know what brave soldier you
were. how pluckily you died to save
our colors.'
AS you moved carefully among the
dead aud the dying over the battlefield
after the fight was over; as you walk
ed through tn, rude field hospital
hopelessly searching for the colnrade
you saw fall, but could not sop To
help. the dear boy who had been your
playmate at school. and TO the appeal
OF whose weeping old mother as you
marched away you hal tos Led back the
cheering promise, I'm take care OF
Billy" As you steadied yourself, and
helped to bear across the deck of the
bsttleship to the cockpit, slippery with
the life blood of your shipmates, the
body of tie sailor boy with whom you
had left home to ship in your coun-
try's service
Dad you not promise tue dying and
God for the dead, that your comrades
and their supreme sacrifice never
should be olgotten, that their depend
ent ones should be tenderly and fully
cared for? Have you kept that sacred
promise? Our glorious Grand Army of
the Republic has helped you to keep
is. It has collected and helpfully dis
bursed in relief millions of dollars. 1t
made possible, kept alive aud cherish
ed the sacred memories and friend
ships OF the war. It was established,
by the order of one of my honored pre-
decessors. Commander in Chief Logan.
and given TO the world Memorial Day
on which day you annually red, em
your promise to keep green the me.
mory Of your comrades by decorating
their graves with the fairest flowers
OF spring, or casting them upon the
sea or the river which flows from the
mountains to miDgle with its waters,
which are the sailors winding sheet
and by securing the services of your
most eloquent and gifted speakers TO
recount their deeds Of self sacrificing
devotion that our country might not
be disgraced, dismembcr d and de-
stroyed, but might live as a nation,
the grapdest OH the face Of the globe.
ii. Memorial Day will be Tuesday,
May 80, 1905. Department and post
commanders will attend to the fitting
observance OF the day.
III. 1t is the very proper law of the
Grand Army of the Repu ublic, which |
direct all department and posts to OBJ
serve, that the following classic be
read at all Memorial Day services:
-Four score and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth on this contin-
ent. a new nation. conceived in lib
erty, aud dedicated to the proposition
-
Now We are engaged in great
civil war, testing whether that ma
tlon. or any nation so conceived aud
so dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion OF
that field, as final resting place for
those who here gave their lives that
this nation might live. IL is altogeth.
er fitting and proper that we should
do this
But, in a larger sense. we cannot
dedioate-we cannot consecrate WE
cannot hallow-this ground. The
brave men living and dead, who stru2-
Rled here, have consecrated it, far
above our poor power to add or de-
tract. The world will little note. nor
long remember what We say here. but
1t can never forget what they did
here. 1t is for us the living, rather,
TO be dedicated here in the unfinished
work which they who fought here
have thus far so nobly advanced. 1t i
rather for Us to be here dedicated 10
the great task remaining before US
that from these honored dead we taRe
increased devotion TO that cause Tor
which they gave the last full measure
NJ deyotion-that we here highly re-
soIva that these dead shall not have
died in yaiu-that this nation, under
God. shall have new birth OF free
dom-and that government of the peo-
pie. by she people, for the people, shall
not perish from the earth. "
". Our efficient allied organiza-
tion, so earnestly devoted to the wei
fare and encouragement of all COM
rsdes. should be heartily welcomed to
our Rervices on this day and encourag-
ed to participate with and help us IN
its observance.
V. Invite all thinking, patriotic
people TO join with US on this day. rs
peoiaIIy should the children in our