The National tribune., 1908-05-21
ANOTHER MEMORIAL DAY.

the nigh conservation OF Memorial Day
Since we last gathered in reverent ar.
ray to pay our annual floral tribute tC
the memory of those Of our comrades
who have passed beyond the Eterna
River there have Joined those who have
gone before more than 10000 of oul
comrades. Four tens Of thousands Of
dearly loved friends and companion:
who marched with us last year will
| march with us no more until we meet
on the Great Parade in the heavens.
Into the celebration this year must
| therefore go the deepest feelings OF
every mans heart for many who have
| stood by him before, friends and COM
rades, for the whole 43 years which
have elapsed since the war. Each of us
must therefore approach this elevatine
feelings than ever before. Fresh sor-
rows must soften his heart, keener ap-
probation must lift his soul as to Me-
mortal Day and all that it means. The
sharp bereavements of the year must
open his heart anew and more strongly
than ever to all the bereavements which
have taken place in the AZ years since,
as fresh young boy. unknowing of the
world, absolutely unconceiving of what
was in store for him or what he was
about to face, he donned his blue uni
form and swore allegiance to the United
States, against all enemies and oppos-
ers whatsoever" No imagination could
have possibly conceived what that boy
was about to experience, what paths of
infinite danger and hardship he was
about to traverse, what glorious results
he was to help achieve, what magnifi-
cent manhood was to develop in him
and those with whom he was associated.
Standing to-day on the sundown slope
and looking back over the bewildering
course we have followed since that mo-
on, no man can help being lost in the
wonder of it all. 1t is only with the
greatest difficulty that he can compre
hend a part of it. Much as he may
strive, he cannot take in all that came
to him and his comrades, to those
around him and to our Nation in the
nearly half century which has elapsed.
His highest and deepest feeling must
be amazement over the mysterious way
in which God moves His wonders to-
perform, surprise and pride that he was
part of all this, and swelling gratifica-
ton at the glorious results for human
ity and the world which he helped to
accomplish
God has been very good to those of
us. who will march in the Memorial Day
parades, in that He has spared our lives
to see the full measure of the glories
flowing from the work which we did
in the magnificent thunderous days of
the past, when we walked in fear and
thru the valley of death,
while thousands fell on our left hand
and tens of thousands on our right
hand
We then only had the dimmest COM
prehension of the work that we were
doing and of its Importance to hu
wonderful future as thru glass dark
ened. All that there was for us was to
do with fortitude and courage the work
which lay nearest our hands. and leave
the result in the hands of Higher
Power.
glorious sunset in the evening of life is
that we met all these tests with manly
readiness. and did, our several parts so
we'll that the final, triumph was COM
pIete, overwhelming and time-endur-
ing.
1t is not at all likely that any Amer
leans will ever be again subjected to
such crucial tests as came to us, nor
will they ever have the sublime oppor-
tunity that we had to accomplish SO
much, not only for our country, but for
the whole world We fought not mere
Iy to save the Nation, to cement solidly
the fabric of our great Government, but
we fought the battle for human rights
for the whole world. On such sanguin-
airy fields as those of Gettysburg. Chick
our own Nation new birth and a
stronger conservation to the principle
that all men are created free and
equal The same conservation, the same
dedication extended to all the peoples of
the world. Wherever the sun shines
men became freer, better and happier
by reason of our victory. The sun of
righteousness and justice shining in full
splendor after Appomattox for all those
beneath the protection of our flag, ex-
tended its beneficent rays around the
globe. even to the heathen Of the isles.
Understanding this now far better
than we have ever done before, with
every year bringing higher apprecia-
ton of all that the war meant and all
that was given to its prosecution by the
more than 100000 splendid young
Americans who fought it thru to Sue
cess, we can gather for our ceremonies
on Memorial Day with hearts overflow
ing as never before with the sublimest
feelings that can elevate the souls Of
men.
The Socialistic National Convention
at Chicago got much worked up over
the charge that they had Anarchists
among them who were working for
their destruction It was alleged that