The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-06-04
Memorial Day Appropriately Observed

cross, the chains would still be clank-
ing upon the limbs of the slaves of
the sunny South. -
'There are those who tell Us that
the wealth and strength of a nation
lie in it's material prosperity; in it's
sunny fields rejoicing in abundant
harvests; it's extensive commerce, it's
rich mines. its manufacturing indus.
tries in something they call CAPI-
TALL 1t is false. The wealth of q
nation is not in these. but In the un-
swervlnR loyalty of It's citizens; in
their devotion to duty; in national
vlrtues--''f1re in each breast and fres
dom on each brow".; in hearts alive
with patriotic flame in truth; in H.
deity to honor, not in capital. bu.
in MEN, in men such as those whose
bones lie molderinR in the cemeteries
throughout our land and many of
them in unknown Rraves-men who
were not afraid to die in defense of
their nations honor.'' **
After paying an eloquent tribute to
the soldiers of the north, the living
and the dead, the speaker said:
II would to God that the flame of
patriotism might burn more brightly
in the breasts of us all. Our fathers
labored hard and nobly died to main
tain the cause of equity: to hold
aloft the standard of right; to subdue
the forces of tyranny; to give the
black man justice: to set the nation
free; to cause the customs. institu-
tions and laws of our country to ex-
press the amenlty of good will and
brotherly kindness and not the rigor
and rudeness of old and bartaric ages.
''Let the private citizen throw his
influence on causes that are right. re
fusina to cringe or to be bribed. or
influenced by the strong ties of kim
dred or class.
'The influence of the family on So
cial and national life Ia not enough
insisted upon in this our day. We
shall never have government in its
full grandeur till we have construct
ed it on the central foundation of the
family. The great nations Of the past
went down to decay because domestic
laxity wss suffered tU 90 on uncheck-
ed. That was their great disinteg-
rating force. The domestic decay
always preceded the political Make
the home of the nation corrupt and
you ring the nations death knell.
Quoting the last words of General
Stonewall Jackson-"Let us cross
over the river and rest under the
trees,'' Mr.. Mitchell said in closing !:
"When as public and private citizens
of this greatest republic on the globe
today. we have accomplished our mis-
sion: when the long conflict is at an
end: when the stern battle of life is
over and the sword is placed in the
scabbard and we have listened to the
trumpet call and the drum beat for
the last time, ten may we 'cross
over the river and rest under the
trees. -
The program arranged by the post
for the afternoon was admirably car
ried out at the Valley Presbyterian
church and cemetery. The church
was packed to the doors and. many
were unable to get in. Appropriate
music wes rendered by special choir
ard by the San Juan Military Band.
The address to the veterns was deliv-
cred BY Frank P. Christensen and
Lincoln s Gettysburg address was read
by O. FL. Culver. The graves of the
veterns buried in the two cemeteries
were decorated with flowers by their
surviving comrades and many other
floral tributes we're also laid upon
them.
ssUnder the dew and the sod,
Waiting the judgment day;
Under tie roses the blue.
Under the lilies the gray"