Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-05-31

|
ton; the general orders were read by
Captain Adams. Post Adjutant; and
Lincoln's Gettysburg address was
read in a very effective manner by
Phillip Nagen. The beautiful poem
inspired by young girls careless
remark when passing through the ro-
tuda Of the State House at Augusta,
Nothing But Flags" was read in a
very effective manner by Miss Elsie
Frosot. Logan's general orders were
read by Charles Monbleau, and after
a selection by the band the Grafton of
the day was delivered by Rev. f. A.
Pollard Jones.
Mr.. Jones began by saving that
when he was a small boy the exerci-
ses of Memorial Day meant little to
him or the boys and girls who were
his playmates, but as they grew older
they came to realize the significance
of the great occasion. He said that
I there was the same spirit at Gettys-
burg with Roosevelt, at San Juan and
at Chateau Thierry and now that
tose who perhaps few years ago
failed to realize the significance of
.
| since. They have read the history of
more recent achievements. I'm the
World War 10000 American boys laid
down their lives under the stars and
| stripes" The speaker said he sup
! posed that General Logan little real
| lied what a wonderful observance he
was inaugurating when away back in
| 1868, as commanders in chief Of the
Grand Army he issued the famous
General Orders No. II which had been
read today. If he could have lived
to see the many 'observances that
have followed. he might we'll have
said that it was the proudest day of
his life.
He said there We're two reasons
why Memorial Day is observed: First
| we come to pass our respects to our
honored dead, and second we pause
we ought to do something for those
who have fought and died for us. It
is something of the Divine to appre-
ciate, and seems to be through all the
wars of our history golden thread.
| With one exception, the Mexican War,
all our wars have been fought for a
principle and not for a policy" The
speaker told of the setting sail of the
Pilgrims, from their home land, to an
unknown shore in order to gain reli-
eious liberty. The wa" of the Reyo-
luton was fought to gain political
freedom. and the war of 1912 was en-
gagged in to establish the principle of
| freedom of the seas, the freedom of
our merchant marine. "We added to
religious and political freedom the
J freedom of the seas" the speaker de-
clared. but all the while in our south
| land human slavery existed, and in
the late 5Oth things began to happen:
John Browns raid, various disturban-
! ces. and finally Abraham Lincoln took
the helm of State. Four million mon
engaged in the struggle that followed
and 1000 men. who We're the gray and
the blue, laid down their lives, and
W henthe conflict was over we added
TO religious liberty, political liberty
and the freedom of the seas. the liner.
ty of the black man. In 1895 the Gu
bans, an oppressed people at our
doors. called for help We hesitated
put finally We entered that conflict
and soon we added to the other liber-
ties already achieved the freedom of
another people. In 1917 an Austrian
Prince as shot in an European city,
and IN few days the whole of Eu-
rope was in a death struggle. Eu-
rope called to us for aid. Would we
answer? Again we hestated but we
went into that coneict, and again we
secured for other peoples, freedom for
the world. Our boys were overseas G
Z,oo0,OO0 strong and they drove the
halser across the Rhine. 1 think 7
can see one principle through it all
All our wars were fought for ono
thing and that was liberty.
| But this day has to do princina,lv
with the Civil Var. 1t was q war in
which brother fought brother. father
lousht son. and son fought father. At
the post office at Augusta a father re-
celved two letters. one was from the
northlands and the other was from
the southlands. 1t was a day of VOL
unteers. When the war broke ont
there were 100000 officers and men
IN the regular army, in nine months
half a million were under arms. OF
the boys in blue 5000 were under 20
years when they enlisted"
The speaker then cited famous
ofhcers who were raised to high rank
in the thirties or under, and named
Colonel Heath of Waterville. who
was raised to colonelcy. What did
Maine do?" Ten thousand men were
raised at the outset and before the
conf1lct was over, one-fourth of all
the able bodied men in the State
were under arms" The speaker cit
ed the battles at which Maine SOL
diers were prominent and named the
18th Maine and it's famous work at
Gettysburg. "One hundred thirty
three boys Of Maine lie buried on the
spot where Lincoln gave his famous
Gettysburg address. In the World
War our city did nobly. One thou
sand men from Waterville were in
the service. and 33 lie buried in SOL
diers graves" The speaker added.
I'VE should strive to live out the
principles that the war has taught"
The first principle. the speaker be-
lieved, was that of sportsmanship.
1--WE should play the game. play it
fair and play it cleanly. We should
follow the rules of the game. There
are rules of war and there are also
rules of people. We are in the great
game of life. Personal liberty? Who