Mower County transcript., 1907-06-05

recounted their many virtues, you
have come to realize the benefits that
their sacrifice secured to you, and
you have determined that their ex-
ample shall be cherished as the
strongest pledge of the stability and
perpetuity of the government which
they died to save. a
And we still have with us many
of the relatives and near friends of
our comrades, and to them we offer
our heartfelt sympathy, for we may
not, we cannot forget that many
homes are desolate today, that many
eyes are wet with tears, and many
hearts are sad because of loved ones
who went out from those homes, but
who never came back. .~
And as we mingle our tears of
sympathy with theirs, may they be
enabled to look up through their
grief, and say from the bottom of
their hearts, "Thy will, o God, be
DONE" >
And, my fellow soldiers, as we
decorate the graves of these brave
men whom we have known, let us
also recall the multitudes of our
comrades who are sleeping in un-
known graves, on the battlefields
where they fell, and where no low
Z ing hands will strew flowers over
them today.
And as we perform this loving SER
vice, let us thank God that the cause
for which they struggled has tri-
umphed, and that so far as it was
in THEIR power "a government Of
the people, and by the people and
for the people, shall not perish from
the EARTH"
AS the fathers of the Revolution,
from Lexington to Yorktown, fought
and suffered and died to secure for
us the principles of self-government,
so these soldiers of the Civil War
by bayonet and bullet, and from
Sumpter to Appomattox have secur-
ed to us their descendants, that ma
tional unity without which no ma
tion can long endure
Ours, my friends, is a two-fold
purpose today: We are here to keep
fresh the memories of our fallen he
roes, but We are also resolved to per-
petuate their heroic work. THAT
work, my friends must be constant,
and eternal, for eternal vigilance
is the price of liberty
Our Declaration of Independence
received new baptism in the blood
that was freely Spilled on two
thousand battlefields, and the dear
old flag whose shining stars led our
brave boys through their long and
weary marches, until it stood over
the place where Lee surrendered his
armies to Grant,-THAT flag, my
friends, let us resolve, by the bless
ing of God, shall never be trailed in
defeat.
: These flowers will fade, and the
be forgotten, but as long as the ma
tion lives, the memory of our pa
triot soldiers shall never fade, or
pass away.
History tells us that one of Ma
poleon's "Old Guard" was wounded
in his left breast, and as the sur
geon was probing for the bullet, the
war visaged old veteran said, "Be
careful. doctor, if you probe much
deeper you will wound my Emperor"
meaning that the Emperor was en-
shrined ia his heart. ~ s
But In America, every man who
gave his life to maintain hfs coun-.
try's honor, from Lincoln tho Com
mander-in-chief, to the humblest man
behind the gun, is enshrined forev-
or in the heart Of this Republic.
When we remember the wonderful
achievements of our country's he
roes, the precious interests they de-
Tended and secured for us, and the
glorious future they have opened to
US, we would be recreant to duty and
unworthy the heritage of our dearly
purchased liberties did we not cher
ish the memories of our patriot dead.
And God grant that when We are
dead and gone, we may be as wor-
thy of remembrance as they.
The men whose graves we decorate
today, fought and suffered and died,
martyrs for the rights and liber-
ties of this nation.
And as we scatter beautiful flow
ers over their last resting place,
we renew our allegiance to. the flag
Of our country, and we honor the
brave men who fell in it's defense.
We drink in new inspirations of
Loyalty, and "by these graves we
become truer patriots l
1 read of one of our soldier boys
during the war who had been wound |
ed, and was sent home on fur |
ough till he could recover, and when |
ready to start back, the ladies of |
he town came to him and presented |
lim with a beautiful flag to take |
back to his REGIMENT
The lady who presented it closed |
With these words, Bring it back with |
lonor." The brave fellow replied,
while the tears streamed down his !
;heeks, Eyes, we'll bring it back with
lonor, or We'll tell to God the rea-
;on why"
In the old world governments, the
CROWN and the KING represent au-
hority and power. But here it is
lifferent. HERE the FLAG alone is
he emblem of peace and protec-
ion, and wherever it waves, human
lights and liberies are secure.
We realize the danger as we get
arther and farther away from those
Genes of sacrifice, and the numbers
a r6