Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-05-31
Orleans News Page
News and Views from this
Hustling Village
Memorial Dav.

Memorial day passed off very quietly
with the usual appropriate services by
the veterans. One of the most notice.
able features of the day was the thin
ming ranks of the boys in blue, only
seven veterans being able to appear in
the march from the church to the
cemetery on Maple street. The march
to Pleasant View cemetery was called
off on account of the inclement wealth
er. Memorial services at the Metho-
dist church were Efairly we'll attended
in spite of the competing attractions
elsewhere. Rev. M. w. Farman of
which was of very high order. The
arrangements for the day were made
by G. A. r. veterans Lund and Dun
ham. We note with regret that Aaron
Wiley who has always taken such an
interest in Memorial day exercises and
the work of the G. A. R.. was unable
to be present.
In his address Chaplain Farman
showed the great issues at stake in the
Civil war; He spoke of the money
and comfort and life that were sacrificed
for the preservation of the Union. He
said that Memorial day is not a time
for thoughtless revelry but rather
day on which to pay marked tribute of
respect and appreciation to the Nations
dead and impress an important lesson
on the Nations living. He said that
we had received a priceless legacy
from the fathers, and that we are not
to waste, but the duty is laid on us to
preserve it and improve it and in our
turn to pass it on to those who come
after US. This is time for earnest,
honest, patriotic living and not for
selfish whim or bandering words or
pussy-footed action. Everybody wants
peace but we should Immediately put
ourselves in a state of preparedness so
that we can maintain our sovereignty,
insuring safety to our citizens at home
and abroad, and the enjoyment of a
peace which is not hollow mockery.
We are not English, French, German,
Russian, Italian, Jew or any other
nationality, but We are most emphati-
cally Americans. The legacy is ours.
1t it shall be necessary for US to sacri-
flee in order to preserve it. we should
be as ready to do so, as our fathers of
the Revolution were ready to sacrifice
in order to acquire it, and the fathers of
the Civil War were ready to sacrifice
in order to maintain it.
Chaplain Farman's closing words
were, There may be dangers which
threaten our nation but the vexed
question of state sovereignty has been
sealed forever in favor of national
supremacy. AS the morrow's sun
shall rise in the eastern sky and throw
the rays full on the American flag, the
glittering stars and blazing stripes of
Old Glory will be displayed to the eyes
of an admiring world. AS the ample
folds of that flag float over the land
and over the sea, and in every wind
under heaven, it will stand for two
great principles. 1t will stand for
the principle of American liberty and
the principle of American unity. 1t
will stand for American liberty be-
cause of Washington, Wayne, Green
and all the other heroes of the Revolu-
ton. It will stand for, the princi-
pie of American unity because of the
patriotic labor of the men and women
who toiled at home to sustain the
national armies at the front, because
of Lincoln, Grant. Sherman and Sheri-
dan, and because of the boys in blue,
who fought and bled and many of
whom died to preserve the sacred life
of the greatest, grandest, noblest
Republic on earth"