The National tribune., 1909-05-27
MEMORIAL DAY.
Bring Flowers Sweet Flowers the Low Green Mounds where
Sleep the Nations DeadPaus in the Strenuous Rush of Life
and Thought to those who Died for Flag and Country

"God of our Fathers, known of old
Lord of our far-f1ung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine
Lord, God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget
The days go by like a shadow in the
night" and in the hurry and hustle, in
the rush and roar of the every day bat
tie for existence we are losing much
that is sweetest in life. we are forget
ting to be kind and gentle and forbear-
ing with the living; and we never get
all of today's work done. but are bend
ing every energy to do two days work
in one, and hoping that tomorrow
we may meet with our friends and enjoy
the communion of soul, the sweet COM
raderie of the days that are no more.
We forever forget that the mill will
never grind with the water that has
passed." and that we are losing, losing,
losing, all that is best and sweetest in
this short existence.
But there is one day in the year that
we do not forget. When Spring un-
locks the flowers to paint the laughing
soil. we REMEMBER. Sometimes we
wish that we might forget-not to do
honor-never that, but there are so
many unhappy years, so many long,
lonesome, tearstrewn years between us
and those low green tents whose por-
tails never outward swing, that we
would like to forget. Just forget the
many days, but never the dead.
There are Al years between us and
the first Memorial Day order, that one
issued by Chief Gen:
John A. Logan, May 5, 1858. He salu
of the dead whose graves dot every hili,
lane: Their soldier lives were the
reyeille of freedom to race in chains,
and their deaths the tattoo of rebellious
tyranny in arms. We should guard
their graves with sacred vigilance. All
that the consecrated wealth and taste
of the Nation can add to their adorn-
ment and security is but httlng trlp-
ute to the memory of her slain defend-
ers. Let no wanton foot tread rudely
ON such hallowed grounds. Let pleas
ant paths invite the coming and going
of reverent visitors and fond mourn
ers. Let no vandalism of avarice or
neglect, no rayages of time, testify TO
the present or to the coming generations
that we have forgotten as people the
cost of a free and undivided Republic
IF other eyes grow dull and other
hands slack, and other hearts coid IN
the solemn trust, ours shall keep 1T well
as long as the light and warmth of life
remain to u.s."
And we are keeping the trust today.
and it shall be kept SO long as the Flag
floats. a'snife
Memorial Day (not Decoration Day.
is now a legal holiday in all the North
ern States and Territories, except IN Ida
no. It is legal holiday in the District
of Columbia, but Congress has almost
never adjourned in honor of the Ma
tioii's- dead. That body OF statesmen
never pay any attention to 1t. None OF
the Southern States recognize the day
as a legal holiday, and none OF them
decorate the graves of their soldier
dead on that day. -, 55E
In view Of the general observance OF
the day now, we recall with surprise
the objections made to the establish
ment OF the day by General Orders, No.
IL, of Commander-in-Chief Logan. In
the History of the Grand Army of the
Republic" written by Gen. Robert B.
Beath, he notes that there were many
veterans who at first doubted the Wis
dom of instituting such an observance
1t was claimed that ii would unneces-
sariIy keep alive the memories of the
be buried in oblivion. Other objections
were made to the expense, and that the
money for music and flowers could be
more wisely spent on the living. All
these objections were forgotten quar-
ter of a century ago. Year after year
the work in the little cemeteries in
creases, and the work for the living de-
cneasess lis true that the flowers in
the South cost great deal OF money,
for we have to purchase all those used
in our National Cemeteries in the South.
but the custom has become a gracious
one In the North, and the Springs most
beautiful blossoms are reserved for
Memorial Day use everywhere.
There Is one jarring note in the days
activities which a loyal lover of the
Nations dead dislikes TO see, and that
Is that the holiday given for the pur-
pose of paying tribute to men who saved
the Nation Is too often used for selfish
pleasure, and by the young given over
to baseball tennis, horse racing, boating
and other games and pastimes. II is
not for this that the Grand Army of the
Republic and the Woman's Relief Corps
have worked in State Legislatures to
get the day set apart from all other
days to be marked with the white stone
of memory. 1t is little enough that
the hurried world can DO TO stop for
one day in 3e5 to pay tribute to the
men who made this country fit for them
TO live in. II is a time for them to stop
and consider what their position, politi-
cally, socially and financially might
have been had not nearly half mil
lion men put themselves before the
shot and shell of a dissatisfied and re-
bellious section of the country, and
made of their breasts a bulwark of
safety. It ought TO be observed as a
day of solemn Thanksgiving by all, with
flowers to their memory as a thank
offering from a free and grateful peo-
pie.
Give them the chaplets they won in
the strife,
Give them the laurels they lost with
their life.
Crown in your hearts these dead he
roes Of ours
And cover them over with beautiful
flowers"
Wilson's Raid.