Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1906-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY.
w. j. Bigelow Delivered the Ad-.
dress.

Meath skies as fair as ever smiled on
earth with nature manifesting itself by
bursting buds and growing foliage the
remnant of Civil war veterans constitut-
ing w. p Russell Post No. 80, G. A. r.
gathered on Wednesday pursuant to the
orders of the national and departmental
Commanders of the Grand Army of the
Republic and with services befitting the
occasion observed Memorial day by strew.
ing flowers DER the graves of those COM
rades who have ceased to answer Pres
ent' to their earthly Commander
A few minutes past two o'clock the
town hall being filled with citizens Com
mander Tracy called the assemblage to
order and Adiutant w. n. Cady read the
orders of the day. Selections by the Col
lege Glee club proceeded the address of
the day delivered by w. j. Bigelow of
Burlington who was introduced by Ira H.
LaFleur, chairman of the joint commit
tee of arrangements,
Mr.. Bigelow's address was studiously
prepared and presented in manner that
held the attention of the audience to the
end. He dealt largely with present day
conditions and compared the bloody bat
ties of the Civil war period with the bat
ties being fought today against the cor
porate interests that threatens to under
mine our republican form of government
We quote from Mr.. Bigelow's address ;
The Civil War is valuable as standard
of comparison and the Observance of this
day should never fail to suggest COM
parison of our present purposes ana ac-
complishments with those that obtained
during that period. | can imagine no
questions nearer the hearts of those vet
Grams before US than these: l. this
Union for which we hazarded our lives
and worked SO zealously as dear to the
citizens of today as it was to the citizens
of 1861 and Gj:
Is the present generation adding to the
national honor, glory and integrity which
we achieved for them:
Is the sacrifice we made appreciated by
those who are enjoying its benefits:
To answer these questions in the mega
tive would be the most cruel blow we
could give to the dying warrior, the
greatest disgrace we could do our nation.
But to answer them and answer them
honestly in the affirmative would be the
highest reward we could grant to him,
the greatest encomium to our country
Members of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, | believe that reward is yours and
that national tribute is but simple justice
Members of the Grand Army of the
Republic: On these conditions is based
the assumption that you feel that your
patriotic efforts in behalf of the Union
are appreciated. l suppose members OF
the present and future generations cam
not understand the cost of that war in its
destruction, sacrifice and sutferings be-
cause it had passed before we came upon
the scene. But we do appreciate your
work because the transformation of slave
labor into independent labor endowed
with the rights and purposes of citizen
ship has so increased its value and etfi-
cheney. Because before your day the
sword had been the weapon of the con-
querOr, the king, the dictator and the
empire but you dedicated it to the cause
of Justice. Because having dyed the
sword with the blood of the rebel and the
oppressor only you have made it impos-
sible for an American to stain it for less
noble purpose without staining the honor
and the record of his country. Because
the high purposes and principles of the
Civil War period have been made the
standards by which we test our interna-
tional effort and purpose and has brought
to the nation such worldwide respect
and honor. Because you have presented
to us and to all coming generations such
an inspiration to high endeavor, unselfish
devotion and patriotic purpose in the
waging and the winning of the Civil
War
Rev. w. H. Washburne, pastor of the
NJ. E. church offered prayer and the ben
ediction was pronounced by Rev. w E.
Forsythe
Appropriate exercises were conducted
at the Soldiers monument and it was
decked with flowers. During the exer-
cises at the monument detail of Knights
Templars tianked the base of the monu-
ment.
The procession that passed over the
principal streets of the village and, es-
corted the veterans to the cemetery was
composed as follows:
Marshal of the day, w. B. Childs, with
aides, mounted policemen; band; chief
of fire department, F. R. Stone and assist
ants; Battell Hose company, p. j. Don
nelly, foreman; Ilsley Hook and Ladder
company, Joseph Monta, foreman; Vol
unteer Hose company, C. F. Rich, fore
man; Fraternal societies; w. p. Russell
Post, No. SO, j. NJ. Tracy. commander
carriage with invalid soldiers; carriage
with speaker and clergymen; carriage
with trustees and selectmen; carriage
with flowers; graded school teachers and
scholars. AT the cemetery a hollow
square was formed around the unknown
graves, where the ritualistic work of the
G. A. r. was conducted by the local post
as follows; Dirge, prayer by Chaplain
Balm; band; ritualistic work band bene
diction by the Rev w. r. Forsythe: taps,