The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-06-01
Address of District Attorney MyrOn
Il. Simons.

n. S1mOnS.
This day is set apart not alone as
a memorial for the soldiers dead, and
to scatter flowers on their graves,
but to honor the soldiers living, the
remnant of that mighty army, which
through four years of terrible war,
under God, saved our country, when
treason threatened it's destruction.
When God on Mount Sinai spoke to
the children of Israel, He thundered,
Remember! Remember" When
Joshua led them through the river
Jordan, he took twelve stones from
the rivers bed and builded them
into a monument as a memorial in
order to call their attention and
their children's attention to the fact
that the God of their Fathers brought
them over dry shod, as He had also
led them through the Red Sea, and
that He had brought them up out
of the land of Egypt, out of the house
of bondage. So, also, has this day
been set aside as a memorial to re-
mind the younger generations of the
immense cost in life and treasure,
by which we now enjoy our liberty
and our country. Our country, with
all the false distinctions of society,
with all the arbitrary rules and reg
ulatiOnS which now exist, with all
the inequality with which our laws
are enforced, it is still the freeSt,
the most democratic, the greatest
and best country in the world. It's
foundations were laid in that great
struggle for human liberty which
the peoples of the world through
many centuries had been struggling
to obtain; that compelled the Pill
grim Fathers to abandon their pleas
ant homes and seek shelter on the
wild, inhospitable shores of New
England; the Caviliers to leave Eng
land and brave the perlls of a life
in the wilderness; which drove the
Huguenots of France from their
beloved country, to settle in the will
dernesS among a savage and treach-
erous people. 1t eliminated in that
immortal Declaration OF Independ-
ence," which declared that all men
are created free and equal, endowed
with certain inalienable rights,
among which is life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness" and the sew
en- years of war which followed. 1t
was cemented together by the blood
of the thousands of the loyal sons
| of the North in that fratriCidal strife
| in which you, veterans, were engag-
ed 1t is a day in which to retell
| the stories of your sacrifice and suf-
! fering, your victories and defeats.
AS a child, / stood by my mother S
knee and heard her tell of your
! deeds of daring, your fierce battles,
of the suffering and death of your
! comrades, and my heart throbbed
! quicker, and the flush of pride man
| tied my cheek, as | realized that you
were my countrymen, and that you
were fighting for your country and
mine. Your patriotism, your cour-
age, your sacrifice and sufferings is
an inspiration to all succeeding gen.
erations.
When the Stars and Stripes were
hauled down on Fort Sumpter forty
nine years ago, when rebel hands
] trailed "Old Glory" in the dust, 1t
was raised in thousands of homes
in the North. Never was it dearer
to the hearts of the loyal citizens OF
our country, than when it was insult
ed and degraded by men who ought
to have been its defenders. 1t was
apparent then, that the long deferred
crisis was at hand-the irrepressible
| connlct Whlch Lincoln ana seward
and many others both North and
South had long forseen. 1t was like
touching a match to a powder mag
aZine. In a moment the whole coun-
try was aflame with martial zeal
The loyal North, as If 1t had been q
trained army lying in arms awaiting
signal, rose up to defend theiI
country and its flag. Men assembled
in every city, town and hamlet and
organized companies and regiments
of troops. Everywhere was heard the
tramp of marching hosts. When
Lincoln called for $4,000 volunteers
to defend the country, the old world
} looked on in amaZement at his
temerity Their astonishment was
, greater when more men answered the
call than were asked for, and wheI
little later Lincoln called for 500,
J 900 more, the answer came from {
mighty host I'VE are coming Father
Abraham, five hundred Thousand
strong" Some of you remember