Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-01


preservation OF the unity and honor Of
his country. Mr.. Cooper is a forceful
speaker as we'll as an eloquent one
aud he drew mind pictures of the days
of the war, and he Impressed the scenes
SO wildly on the minds Of his hearers
that almost every one in the vast aud
fence could see the scenes Of that ter.
the old soldier who had been thede.
Mr.. Cooper's figures Of speech wer.
beautiful and his illustrations were apt
and to- the point, illustrated clearly
what he wanted to convey to the minds
Of his hearers. The following Is the
address in full as delivered by Rev
Cooper:
Cooper's Address.
Comrades Of the old union army, TEL
low citizens of cur redeer ed land:
We are again assembled to do honor
to the memory of those comrades q
ours whose lips are sealed-Who an
'swer no more to t . roltcall among
the living and incidently may be 10
speak word for those OF us who
survive. more fortunate than they, or,
is it Hess fortunate? Why can tell.
Together we fought the good tight;
together we Kept the sacred faith. Win
ming victory most glorious. They
cheerfully gave the last full measure
OF their devotion to liberty in union.
We remain to help on in the battles
OF free people.
We gladly accept the situation. And
today every where throughout our
domain wherever floats old glory, our
people gather about the graves OF Our
comrades fallen, who gave themselves
pS,a %.o1 xx&S> orrh
| estern pain to ocean tide are
stretched the graves OF those who died
.or me ana you, good friend, for me
an you
How rich the heritage. Truly how
blessed Is that nation which possess
| the graves of illustrious dead"
Without these graves the graves
Of her heroic, her mighty dead how
poor indeed would be our land.
Dead Az. Savlours.
Other lands have their hepoes iiv.
ing and dead. But ours are much
more. Ours are savious heroic. Saw.
tours of the best land under the shin
4 ing sun. Saviours Of the noblest prin-
ciples of liberty and freedom that ever
, found Judgement in human hearts.
ThiIty-seven Of our states are blessed
in the possession Of eighty-three nat
ional cemeteries in which are buried
4 almost A0O,0O0 Of the nations dead.
Most Of them on southern soil. How
| suggestive. Outside Of these there is
scarcely town or neighborhood in all
the land whose burying place is not
honored with the bodies of our coun-
/ 15y's defenders. Many Of them are
sleeping In their silent tents arann,l
about us here. Tread softly. This
! is holy ground.
These graves are unlike other graves
in that they are not simply houses TOR
5he dead but rather vaults In which
are stored the nations power and fame
and glory Storage batteries and CEN
! tiers of exhaustless power preserved In
!. cemetery, churchyard, lawns, graves
! on the hillside, in the valleys and
swamps, in national fields, beautitied
!, and indicated by costly shafts, or mod
!. est slabs. Some are new-1nade graves
into which many OF our most honored
comrades have stepped since last we
met. Brave, gallant, peerless, they
passed the Appomattox Of life ex
| changing the mortal for the immoy
7 tai.
Some Of these graves are unknown
others forgotten, deserted covered
turf, angels keeping watch, visited
first time for year, visited by friend:
with loving hearts. See them coming
from hillside aud valley, from hot
house and conservatory. coming witt
flowers-flowers gathered, selected
<<xl. nj NJ
q gifts and choicest offerings.
t Decorate All Alike.
}. Scatter today the most beautiful
a flowers on the green sea Of graves 0
Ia these heroes Of ours. Place the sweet
Q est blossoms on each Lowry mound
q Place them wherever soldier
: grave Is found.
Q Bring tulips red AMI lilies whits an,
9 sof-eyed violets blue. The colors o
y the dear old flag. to which they wer
3 SO true. Red as the blood they 8
.. freely shed. white as the cause the
y best.
l. Blue as the heaven where now "
- trust their spirits are at rest. "-Get
r. B. Bartlett.
Let us now turn our thoughts ava
20 from these graves for little Will
q and notice the cause Of them.
), The irrepressible conflict going o
:, for long time between slavery an
!, liberty in Our land brought on til
- crisis of war in 1851. The slay
y. power had formed itself into col
~ federacy. Six Of our states fosterir
!, slavery by law, attempted to tor,
!; themselves into government geba
' ate and independent Of the Unite
states. Five other statres afterware
!. Joined In with them making eleve
= in all, namely South Carolin
= Georgia, Florida, Alabama Mississippi
= = louisiana, North Carolina Tex;
~ Arkansas, Tennessee and Virgini
~ These states were made practically
~ unit for secession and rebellion.
se She Confederate Army.
80 Let us pause for a moment and no
the strength OF the confederate arm
in order that We may know somethir
of the magnitude OF the task undo
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