The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-31
Secretary Taft Is the Principal
 Speaker In New York
RAIN FALLS IN TORRENTS
Several Thousand Veterans and Citi- zens Brave the Elements to Take Part In and Witness Parade
 and Hear Addresses.

New York, May 30-Almost a constant pour, made today's observance of Me- moria1 Day only a shadow of the elab- crate event which had been planned. Even in the early morning the skies were threatening and almost before the first of the thousands of marchers and holiday makers had stirred from their homes the first shower came. From that time until the day was ended there was scarcely a moment when the rain was not falling. Sporting events on every hand were cancelled but the weather could not entirely damper the gray haired veterans, who had faced many a storm in their years of service, nearly half a century ago, and about 1000 of them turned out to take part in the three parades in the greater city. Fortunately the showers were light and infrequent during the early stages of the big parade through Riverside drive, but scarcely had the marchers passed the reviewing stand at the soldiers and sailors monument when the clouds fairly opened and the rain came down in torrents.
 Governor Hughes and his staff were on the stand They withstood the down pour few minutes but the rain contin- ued and the big gathering scattered.
 Later in the day the rain almost pre- vented the other big event of the day, the gathering at Grants tomb, at which Secretary of War Taft delivered the prin- cipal address. It was raining hard when tJ1a of tba cises arrived. and for time it seemed that the event would have to be at least temporarily postponed. It was decided finally, however, to carry out the pro- gramme inside the commodiolls tomb. and there the secretary delivered his address in the presence of the small gathering which could find protection from the rain.
 Secretary Taft said in part:
 My Fellow Citizens: The custom of dec oratng the graves of those who have died in war for their country Is a beautiful and useful one. It brings us to a contem- plation of those crises in our history in which our countrymen, numbered by the hundreds of thousands. from sense of duty solely. parted with all, that the nation might live. Greater love hath no man than this; that he lay down his life for his friends" l do not know any place which thrills ones bosom with patriotic eostacy as does the sepulchre of the un- known dead in Arlington cemetery. The thought of the heroism and sacrifice of those, without a murmur and without seven hope of personal credit or glory, gave up all to maintain a sacred cause makes all motive of personal advance ment ambition small and sordid. It was the distinguishing characteristic of our civil war that from generals to the humblest privates, the army was actu- ated by real love of the cause. There are those who think the war was un- necessary-that it might have been avoid ed. I cannot agree with them. The sit- uation was one for which only such convulsion as war, dreadful as it was, could afford a complete remedy.
 This day, which brings back to us the awful losses that the war entailed and renews the fond memories of those known and unknown heroes whose devotion to duty is an ever liv- ing assurance of the patriotism of this people, should take us out of a time from the atmosphere of self-seek ing, of money making or ure-hunting and of peaceful sloth that we may value again the many instances 1t reyives of mental and physical cour. age, self-denial, self-restraint and self sacrifice. The day, with it's remi- niscences assures us that the hearts of our people today, eager as they seem now in the search for wealth and com fort, would furnish a response to the nations call as full, as clear and as willing and mighty as the response> when the struggle for the nations ex- istence began in 1861. The civil war is the great epoch of our history, and though 43 years have passed since peace was declared, a grateful nation is still conferring rewards on the brave participants in the struggle, and hon. bring the memory of its dead. The enormous effort of the whole people as nation and the burdens they glad ly assumed to maintain the nationa integrity and to cut out the cancer of slavery that was eating away our na- tional life, do not grow any less from an historical standpoint as the de, cades pass. In the making of history In republic, political controversy colors the contemporary view so that considerable time must elapse be fore the credit, or lack of 1t. properly to be ascribed to free people for car rying out any policy, can be measured. The greatness of our nation, as shown in the struggles of the civil war, how ever, is now everywhe ere recognized and in the perspective of 40 years ther. is none to decry or belittle it.
 It always gives force and emphasis to our interest in memorials of this character if we have in our minds the concrete conception of the persons who made the sacrifice that we celebrate; If I've have relatives who gave up their lives, and whose graves we can recon secrate each year during Decoration Day. And to those who do not have this inspirating association of kind ship, some hero of the war gives personal touch, and the necessary con- crete element to take up and review the life of one of the leaders of the struggle and learn from the vicissi- tudes of his career the makings of greatness and tn tests of patriotic de- votion.
 It is appropriate, therefore, for us to gather at this magnificent structure dedicated to the memory of one whose