The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-06-03
"oTHER SIDE OF THE SHIELD"
A Veterans Reply to Memorial Day
Criticism.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
The editorial in Manhattan Indus
trialist says: For half a century
Decoration day has served the I'M
happy purpose of reviving old sor-
rows. keeping alive old animosities,
stirring up old griefs.' The point of
view which sees an unhappy purpose
in observation of Memorial day must
have forgotten what happened fifty
years ago-let US recall to their view
the story of the men who "were young
and stalwart in 49," as pictured by a
master. I'VE see them as they march
proudly away under the Haunting
music of war-marching down the
streets of the great cities-through the
towns and across the prairies-down
to the fields of glory. to do and to die
for the eternal right. We go with
them one and all, we are by their
sides on all the CORY fields-in all the
hospitals of pain-on all the weary
marches. We stand guard with them
in the wild storms and under the quiet
stars. We are with them IL ravines
running with blood-in the burrows of
old fields. We are with them in
prisons of hatred and famine, we
are home when the news comes that
they are dead. We see the maiden in
the shadow of her first sorrow. We
see the silvered. head of the old man
bowed with the last grief. The past
rises before US, and we see four mil
lions of human beings governed by the
whips-we see the hounds tracking
women through tangled swamps. We
SEQ the babes sold from the breasts of
mothers. Four million souls in fet-
tiers under our own so-called banner
of the free. The past rises before us,
we hear the roar and shrek of the
bursting shell. The broken letters
fall. These heroes died. We look.
Instead of slaves we see men and wo-
men and children. The wand of
the slave pen, the whipping post, and
we see homes and firesides, ard school
houses, and books and where all was
want and crime and cruelty and fet-
These heroes are dead. They died for
liberty-they died for us. They are
at rest. They sleep in the land they
made free, under the flag they made
stainless; under the solemn zines. the
sad hemlocks, the fearful willows and
the embracing vines. They sleep be-
meath the shadows of the cloud, care
less alike of sunshine or of storm, each
in the windowless palace of rest.
Earth may run red with other wars
they are at peace. In the midst of
battles, in the war of conflict they
found the serenity of death. I have
one sentiment for the soldiers living
and dead-cheers for the living and
tears for the dead.' Our editor-pro-
fessor rises to remark, Think of it,
fifty years since the war;" isn't that
long enough to learn to forget and for
give? Can't you lay aside your me-
mories and welcome Memorial day for
a new reason? Forget. and a
new reason! "If I forget thee, o.
Jerusalem, let my right hand forget
her cunning. If I do not remember
thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof
of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusa-
lem above my chief joy Forget and
give new reason for our Memorial
day-God forbid! The glory of that
was the battle cry of freedom. The
reason we observe Memorial day is
the cause for which they died, and we
will ever teach them to our children
and as the command of old, Thou
shalt bind them for a sign upon thine
hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between thine eyes, and thou shalt
write them upon the posts of thy
reason-for which they gave their
lives. Nayi For them-as we stand
above their graves, We hear-"sweeter
words than ever fell from human lips;
sweeter than the angel choir at Beth
lehem: sweeter than the songs of the
redeemed, because they shall be spok-
en- by the King Himself in Ills glory
when He sail say: Inasmuch as We
have done it unto the least of these,
my brethren. We have done 1t unto
me-"
God of our fathers, known Of old.
Lord of our far flung 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 forgeti'
c. G. COLLINS.