The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-06-01
HOMAGE PAID OLD SOLDIERS.
Continued from Page ~

for the spirit of the United States. We
cannot call it patriotism, for that is a
quality common to all lands. 1t IS 4
something greater than patriotism.
President Wilson, speaking at the navy
yard, Brooklyn, referred to the men !
who gave their live at Vera Cruz as ,
''men of our American blood They
came from several different national
stocks, but they were not Irishmen, or
Germans, or French, or Hebrews. They
were of our blood, because they We're
of our spirit. = This is true as of no
other country The men Of the world
come here seeking for the protection of
Freedom S strong arm In a compare
lively short time they lose the idea
that this country is their protector and
! realize that they are a part of the ma
| tion. The spirit Of our country grips
| the heart of every alien and transforms
! him into a citizen. They are no longer
Irish, Germans, English, Swede, Poland
/ ers; they have become Americans,
of which they are proud.
The American spirit is shown by our
love for our own country and its flag
| This love prompted you men to give
! Yourselves when the Union was threat
/ ened Today you glory not in the
y
:. nor the sears YOU bear nor the wounds
. mat cripple YOU. These are in no com
/ parison with the glory of a preserved
} Union and a nation of freemen. The
r lives given in response for the love of
! their country in the great strife of a
half century ago lives again in the
1 lives of the men of this generation.
rlue there are men who do not honor
t ,he flag today, but like the copper
2 heads of fifty years ago they are not
5 Of our blood nor of our spirit.
= Aeynote of American Spirit.
! The keynote of the American spirit i,
service. :" We have gone down int
Mexico to serve mankind Thes,
words of President Wilson bring to u.
no new thoughts. That Yves the spiri
of half century ago. Julia War,
Howe in a verse brings to us tn,
8 spirit of you men:
In the beauty Of lily
< Christ was born across the sea.
I'll As He died to make man holy
I Let MS die TO make man free.
q Several years ago | saw Gen. O. c
W Howard. His right arm had been los
Z in service. What a glorious badge o
ii. service, Last year | watched Genera
d Sickles in New York. He, too, wor
r. a badge of service. One leg had bee
II lost. But service does not simply mea
y. warfare or powder. There are place
ne that require greater sacrifices than .
~ the front. We would not take one not
1t from our song of praise, nor any lu
ldl tire from your glory. 1t belongs to yo
tot and much more. But men, there al
d. some who made it possible for you {
X fight fer your country and who hay
is little or no praise. 1t is easy to h
r. brave in large company, at the sigl
Mt of the flag YOU love, and at the SCUM
4 of music, but there were women WI
GO were left alone on these farms wit
o little children to care for. She care
~ for the farm by day and spent IL
n night wrestling in prayer with her Go
IN for the men folks at the front 81
has never sought for praise; she new
= tells of her struggles. Proudly She 81
;, listening to the tales of battle, feeHl
her part was nothing compared wit
her heroes She marks their gray
:; with flowers. but her service is go1
by unnoticed.
IA. Lesson of Memorial Day.
nj We love our country and orr fao I