Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-05-31
GRANTS PASS HCNORED MEMORY
OF THE DEAD.
ADDRESS BY REV. JEFFREY
THE High Patriotism" the Subject
OF Eloquent and Touching
speech.

Yesterday nation revered the
memory of its noble dead; dead who
gave the best from their lives, II not
indeed the life itself, to maintain and
glorify the integrity of the union.
Grants Pass, with all the great
commonwealth in general, was moved
by this spirit of patriotism and love,
and gave this day away from its
usual pursuits and avocations, and
bowed its head over the graves of the
country's defenders who had gone
before.
Seventy-two Union veterans, as
well as three who fought for the
cause that was lost, are in the last
bivouac in local cemeteries. Twelve
members of the Women's Relief
Corps-and these noble women were
no less brave than the men who bore
arms on the field Of battle-also rest
here, and the graves of these are like
wise covered with flowers placed
there by loving hands.
At two o'clock public exercises
were held at the opera house, Rev.
w. R. Jeffrey, Jr, delivering the
principal address.
The speaker used as his topic
The Higher Patriotism" the
breadth and idea of this higher pat
riotism being in the bringing to-
gether of the blue and the gray"
and he paid beautiful tribute to the
fallen who fought for either side Of
the cause. He quoted that famous
remark of Henry Ward Beecher who,
when asked why the rebellion was
not put down, replied Because we
are fighting Americans. He spoke
of the devotion TO duty that prompt
ed men to face death without finch
ing, a duty for which there was no
adequate or acceptable payment in
a money way He placed Lincoln,
Grant Sherman and Logan as the
peers OF all great commanders and
generals of whom history tells, but
alongside with them were Lee,
"Stonewall" Jackson and Pember-
ton.
In speaking OF these two great
i forces that were aligned the one
against the other, the speaker said.
These two armies were equal in
intelligence and devotion to their
separate distinct and conflicting
causes The one stood for liberty
and union, and the other for slavery
and the confederacy, but evidently,
in the light Of history liberty and
union were the elements that could
call forth the benedlction OF heaven
and the final approval of the North
and the South; aud also the good
sanction OF universal humanity for
all time to come.
Thus did liberty and union tri-
umph after four long years Of an
indescribable nightmare OF horror
and desolation. A great people
torn, bleeding, sobbing and praying;
then came the end when Lee handed
to Grant his sword and Grant re-
turned the sword to Lee.
Never was conqueror more mag
nanimous; never was conquered
greater in defeat. Then and there at
IAppomattox was enacted the death
less drama of living peace. Then
was the heart Of the South and the
Heart of the North made one for a
day and forever
There was one menacing institu-
ton, slavery, that survived the dec
laration Of independence and the
adoption OF the United States consti-
tuition We we're not all yet enjoying
liberty. The constitution was for the
master only and not for the slave.
But the standard Of liberty had been
lifted in this new world for all men.
Therefore for the sins OF commission
OF the south and for the sins OF ON
mission Of the north an atonement