Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-06-06

Mr.. Chairman. Members of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps, the Grand Army of
the Republic, Company X, Friends and
Fellow Citizens
Your committee has granted me the
rare privilege of reading the "Gettys-
burg Address" of our immortal Lincoln
and of extending to you few words
of greeting, for which | am profoundly
grateful. am persuaded that the
beauty, strength, and spirit Of these
ceremonies will make lasting impress
sion on the tablets of memory. A re-
freshing breeze, bright sunlight per-
feet day, with Natures realm now fill
ed with bursting buds of promise, SYM
bolizing immortality, with due solemni-
ty and earnestness, we have met to Of
fer tribute to our national heroes, living
and departed. We would applaud the
sentiment, "To be a soldier in the
cause of ones country, to have fought
it's battles, won it's victories, and per-
ipetuated its renown, and to be recog-
nized as such, is the grandest insignia
of life." And yet, my friends, as we
reverently behold the silvered hair. the
hating step and patriotic ardor, of the
few remaining patriots of one of the
worlds greatest struggles for human
rights and good government, we are
forced to concede the inadeQuacy of
human expression. We are made to
feel that humanity's soul may be liken-
ed to great ocean, the deepest recess
es of which, we have not explored, and
as innumerable sacred memories
thronging from the battle field of hu-
manity's upward progress, and from
the very fountain of our national life,
and power, and destiny, come beating
their wings upon our consciousness,
and clamor for expression, the tongue
is awed to silence, and We are made to
feel that the only language appropriate
to this occasion is the language of the
heart, and the only message that we
can convey is one of peace, of gratitude
of love, and reverence, a message
emanating from the very depths of our
being, to uplift the vision, encourage
the SOUL and strengthen the arm, in
support of that Union, and that Flag,
which our patriotic forefathers fought
to establish, purify, and perpetuate,
that oppressed humanity might behold
a beacon light of hope until there be
ushered in the golden dawn of univer-
sal peace and good will.
Such is the message expressed by
our present attitude and purpose, and
l would embrace this opportunity to
say to the few survivors of our great
national struggle, to whom this large
concourse of friends would show the
utmost respect, admiration and honor,
that we would have you believe in the
sincerity of our purpose. We would
have you feel that we have not met on
this occasion to satisfy selfish vanity,
neither would we recall the crash and
sullen roar of battle, the shrieks and
groans of the sick, the wounded, ano
dying, the piteous walls of widows
' and orphans, we would not unveil the
horror and cruelty of war, but, we
would here consecrate the passing
hour, in commemoration of that heroic
struggle, that momenteous decision
made within your own breasts wher
gyou decided to follow the dictates o
your own conscience-when you de
termined to stand for those principles
that you believed to be eternally righ
and just, and we would further com
memorate the integrity, loyalty and de
votion, with which you fought to sus
tain your position. And as you peace
fully depart from this silent sanctuary
of our beloved dead, may you feel in
your inmost hearts that we the children