The Elk Mountain pilot., 1915-05-29

peace was restored there was scarcely
| a village or town that did not have a
grave to remind it of the fearful cost
A New York newspaper first pub
lished a paragraph stating that a. few
women of Columbus, Miss, had strewn
the graves of the dead soldiers, Union
as well as Confederates. This touch
ing tribute caused thrill of tender
ness to pass through the North. and it
aroused, as nothing else could have
done. feeling OF national amity- and
love, s,-. .-.
The practical result OF this incident
came in May. 1868. when Adjutant
General Chapman suggested to Gen.
the Grand Army OF the Republic. that
their organization set a uniform time
to decorate the graves of the Union
soldiers.
General Logan Immediately took Lp
the suggestion and named May 80 as
the day for decoration. He added that
it was his purpose to inaugurate this
observance, and sincerely hoped t
would be kept up each year while
survivor OF the war remains to nonor
the memory of the departed. The idea
spread rapidly. and the Legislatures Of
the various states enacted IT into law
until the holiday is now a legal. one in
all but six states. In many OF the
southern states the celebration is neld
April 26. as spring visits the South a
full month before its first harbingers
appear in the North. .-.
First Services at Arlington.
On the first Memorial day the serv-
Ices at Arlington were perhaps the
most impressive. The speaker on that
occasion was James A. Garfield. In
his soul.touching address. which Ie-
mains to this day as a foremost ex-
ponent OF the spirit and significance of
Decoration day. we read:
II love to believe that, no heroic
sacrifice is ever lost: that the charac-
ters Of men are nodded and Inspired
by what their fathers have done:
that treasured up in American souls
are all the unconscious influences OF
the great deeds of the Anglo-Saxon
race from Agincourt to Bunker Hill
Each for himself gathered up the cher
ished purposes of life-its aims and
ambitions, its dearest affections-and
flung all. with life itself, into the scale
OF battle. II each grave had voice
to tell us what its silent tenant last
saw and heard on earth we might
stand with, uncovered heads and Hear
the, whole story ots the war. We
should heal. that one perished when
/ the first great drops of.athe crimson
shower began"to fall. when the DARN
ness Of that first disaster at Manassas
! fen like an eclipse on the nation that
,ardther died of disease while wearily
\ waiting foy winter@to euds that this
S6ne. .fslf 2on the field when, the tide OF
Esf 6ook the dome ~ yonder eapitol
ahdre-echoed In ths ,chsmb bers of the
executive mansion.sss The voices OF
these dead will forever MI the land
like holy benedictlaSh what other
spot SO fitting rforlthti Hast. Resting
place as this. underlth shadow of the
capitol saved. by theirEvaior? Here,
where the grim edge Of battle Joined:
here. where ALI the hope and fear and
-asoty Of their country centered; here
let them rest. asleep on the nations
heart. entombed in the nations Iove!"
= Memorial day has now grown to be
day of thought for all dead. When
the national Decoration day comes,
many who have no soldier dead, take
the opportunity to honor relatives and
other dead ones by strewing on their
graves the symbols OF love and affec
ton go