Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-05-31

mon felt the blow that arm could
strike when freedom answered in it's
utmost might. Across the seas we
sent our hosts of liberty's sons. conf
misaoned Ito redress the eternal
scales"
I Today the sons and daughters of
other lands to which they gave their
an are placing with loving hands
their laurcls on American graves, not
I less reVCrcntly than we are doinE
+ here. 10 me no thought comes with
more of inspiration than this: that
now our Memorial Day is become an
international occasion; that II calls
upon the fortunate free Of many lands
and countries To help In its observ-
ance. and that equally to them and us
Il is reminder of our common troth
70 civilization. humanity and ever
lasting Justice.
Ashes of Great Army There.
There are gathered here the ashes
of great army Of those whJ fought
in the struggle which preserved our
union and insured our high place in
the community of nations. Our debt
10 them will never be paid. But we
can come for them and for ourselves
on this national commcmOration day
to attest our veneration and undying
love They rendered a service greater
than they knew for they saved our
nation To the cause of human freedom
and paved the way To that power and
influence which enabled il to play its
part III behalf OF all mankind in the
time Of supreme crisis of the world
w will not overappraise their
sacrifice Il We say that ii had they
failed. their failure would have SO
weakened the forces Of liberty and
cnlightenmcnt that these would have
been doomed In the more recent world
trial to failure and defeat. Divided
America would have been incapable
of the effort that was demanded TO
hold our present day civilization Sc
cure
The heroic dead for whom the day
was originated preserved the ark Of
the covenant Of union and nationality
and in that service they made possi-
hlc the exalted place So recently won
for our country our own generation
VIII not perform part worthy Of lis
heritage il we do less than our very
utmost 10 preserve that which they
made possible for us TO possess. Nay
more We shall not b. our most and
best At home il we do not resolve for
all time that the differences which
brought us to civil conflict were due
a. amihiguitics in our union and our
disputes between two schools Of politi-
cal thought and when We made union
indissoluhle and the nation supreme
We left people one flag. one purpose,
one pride and one destiny
In such a view we must see that
our opportunity to he useful to man
kind ~ large depends first on bein.
loyal "a ourselves. II is our wish to
IL useful in the greater realms; hut
il we are 10 do So. We must have TO
question of our devotion "a the great
principles fnr which these gave their
lives III the struggle which saved the
union and rededicated il forever to
liberty I counsel no selfishncss. no
little Amcricanism. no mere paroCh-
ialism whom | urge that our first duty
is 10 our own and that in the measure
~ its performance We will find the
true gauge 81 our capacity TO be help
ful 70 others
Purpose OF War.
Ii is 4 good thing 10 come to this
consecratcd place and renew the
pledges 81 our loyalty TO those whose
patriotism gave us our strength and
They did not know.
they could not know for what
greater things they were laying the
foundations Yet their instinct
rightly led them TO the judgment that
their first duty was % preserve the
institution Of popular rule. Of national
solidarity They did not enter upon
war among States with primary pur-
poses to end the institution of human
slavery Worthy as that might have
been their inspiration was higher.
They sought first 10 maintain the
union 10 keep il for the advancement
to America and humanity. confident
that If they won all other rightful
things in due time would be achieved