Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-03
NATIONS DEAD HoNoRep.
Memorial Day in Durango FittineIy
Observed by Veterans and Citi-
zen's.-Orator valIe's Ad-
drese in EulI


The Grand Army of the Republic are
dear in the memory of the people. at
the same time these yearly gatherings
to commemorate the memory of the
dead and bring together the remnant
of the once mighty army that risked
life and property that a great nation
might be preserved, is held sacred
by hundreds of thousands of men and
women. who deem it a pleasure to
meet at least once year and pay
due homage to the veterans who wore
the blue.
Sedgwick post G. A. r. No. 10 can
lay claim to containing as patriotic
set OF men as ever shouldered a
musket 1t is pleasing to note the
brotherly devotion that cements them
together in their declining years. The
post has made it point to properly
observe the day each year and the
coming together of the soldier and
the civilian on common ground is
one of the pleasing yearly events.
Owing to the continued bad weather
the usual parade had to be abandoned
Athis year, but the members of the
post, the w. r. c. and the Sons of
Veterans met at headquarters and
were escorted to Red Men hall by
the Durango band. Death is thinning
the ranks but not the ardor.
Before the hour of ten the sky cloud
ed and threatened rain, still Red Men
hall contained 400 to 500 people when
the gathering was called to order,
the program as published yesterday
being carried out, the quartet being
composed of Mrs. Thurman. Miss Paul
and Messrs. Armstrong and Buck.
The hall was appropriately decorated
with bunting, flags, etc. The usual
G. A. II. ritual for these occasions
was gone through with.
The event of the day was the ora
tion delivered by Hon. Joel F. Vaile
of Denver. who talked for about thir-
ty minutes, the audience following
him closely, indicating that his re
marks were well received. The ad-
dress contained so much thought ana
good things that we give below ex-
tracts covering the main portions, as
follows:
The address of President Lincoln at
the field of Gettysburg which you have
heard today, is an immortal American
classic. Able critics have compared
1t with the finest gems from the ora
tions OF Pericles, of Demosthenes and
of Cicero, OF Grattan, of Burke and of
Webster. 1t is much more, however,
than literary classic. 1t breathes
hn ;rit ~
patriotism, and of veneration for all
that is great and admirable. Yet these
words were written by Lincoln as he
was riding on the train from Wash
ington to Gettysburg, written upon a
pasteboard held upon his knee, people
talking all about him. Edward Everett
was in those days considered one OF
the greatest orators of America. He
delivered the set Grafton of the day
at that dedication of the national
cemetery of Gettysburg; yet, after
&hearing these words of Lincoln, he
said, Il would rather be the author of
those twenty lines than TO have all
the fame which' my Grafton of today
can possibly bring me-" Indeed, we
now rarely hear of the great GRAFTON
of Edward Everett, but this short ad-
dress of President Lincoln is known
to almost every man. woman and child
OF this great country, and will be
treasured and memorized as long as
our country exists. And yet Mr.. Lin
coin was not famed for the graces of
oratory. He was forceful, he was i'm
pressive, he was convincing, but he
made little use of oratorical embellish-
ment. This wonderful address, how
ever, gives an excellent illustration
of the thought which | believe Web
ster himself once expressed, that elo-
quence exists in the man, in the sub
ject, and in the occasion. 1t is now
nearly forty-four years ago that that
field of Gettysburg was hallowed by
the blood of our citizen soldiers. Only
five months later, at the dedication
OF that battle field as a national ceme-
terry, those great thoughts were ut
tered. 1t was time when the man,
the subject and the occasion combined
tn produce the finest illustration of
modern eloquence.
Nearly half century has passed.
Most of those who participated in the
great events of that time are now
with the silent majority. Some of
them-still with us-who in those days
had the lusty strength of young man
hood, are now silver-haired and ven
cradle. We are here today to inherit
the fruits of the great work done by
the men Of that time. But we also
have our problems. as they had theirs,
and In certain essential elements those
problems are much the same.
Mr.. Lincoln treasured in memory a
favorite poem. He has been known
to say that 1t was constantly with
him. persisteHtly running through his
mind in hours of comparative leisure.
The first line of that poem is familiar
to every one; the poem, as whole.
is probably kno IN to but few.
Oh! Why should the spirit of mortal
be proud?
gu,fft Col 90