Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-31
the Confederate and Union soldiers

the Confederate aud Union soldiers
"The north was thrilled with tender
ness, which Francis Miles Finch made
audible in the poem, The Blue and
the Grey Finally sentiment was given
definite form by the order of General
Logan, May. 1858. BY it the thirtieth
day of May was set aside for the deco
rating of the graves of fallen COM
rades. The flower grew in beauty and
power until virtually every state in the
union had adopted it as a legal holiday.
Starting as a mere decoration day for
the strewing Of flowers on graves it
has grown into a Memorial day, when
we attempt in some adequate way to
honor the heroic dead.
The meaning of the day ia notable
for it's simplicity. Yet those who are
assigned the task Of giving adequate
expression to this simplicity find that
they face a most difficult work. Learn
Cd men. when called to bring their
messages to those of US who consider
ourselves common people, are prone at
times to take refuge in long words.
But he would be a coward who would
thus take refuge when he is given
the task of presenting the simple mes
sage of this day. Others who are not
able 10 grasp the meaning of the day
are given to high sounding phrases
and to flights of oratory. Again and
again we have to semind ourselves of
the simplicity of the day. 1t is de-
signed not to feed the intellect or
please the sensibilities. 1t has a mes
sage which is designed for the hearts
OF men. The heart cares only for the
things that are genuine and sincere.
Contemplate UnseIfish Deeds
This is our opportunity not to
flatter our living. but to honor the dead.
1t is the invitation of these honored
veterans on the platform for you to
join with them in commemorative the
memory of their comrades who fought
with them for the preservation of the
union. 1t is the invitation of all soldiers
TO the public to pause for a time in
honor of those who paid the supreme
sacrifice for God and country.
ITO some it may be a painful duty,
and to others another opportunity for
a ~thoughtless, care-free holiday. To
right minded, high living people, it is
an opportunity to turn aside from the
cares and selfishness of the world to
contemplate for a time the heroic and
unselfish deeds of Americas soldiers.
1t is an invitation into a new world.
where loyal hearts and true stand ever
IN the light 1t is a world where
murders, and suicides, and lynchings
are not heralded, but where deeds of
Gods noblemen are sounded abroad.
treason and cowardice are g%raciously
forgotten, and the search light is turn
ed upon the brave unflinching combat of
worthy antagonists. Here k%nighthood is
IN flower. Its heroes are legion. Nathan
Hale is there. We have the memoir
of him as he volunteers to go to the
camp of the British to get the in
formation which Washington wants. We
see him captured just when his efforts
were almost crowned with success. We
witness his jailers tearing up his let
tiers with the exclamation that the
rebels shall never know that they have
a man who can die with such a spirit
We follow him to death with his last
words still echoing in our ears, 4 only
regret that | have but one life TO lose
for my country
Men of Grants CaIiber
Grant is in this world. We see
him. wounded by a fall from his horse
at New Orleans, ordered to go to the
defense of Chattanooga. Up the Mis-.
sissippi and Ohio, he goes without de-
lay. He is borne through the wilder
ness on a litter carried by Jour horses
and finally into the city upon the
shoulders of his men. Before he could
mount a horse, he is the master of the
situation where the city had threatened
to fall. He orders an advance and
inch by inch the enemy is driven back.
In this world are mutlitudes of men
of like caliber. The finest fruit of a
century and half of national existence
take their place in this multitude.
The art of %pageantry is being deve-
loped TO a high stage in our day. 1t
would be a glorious thing if on such
days as these the lives of the American
patriots might be dramatized for us.
Yet even without this pictorial pre-
sentation. we can live with them for a
time in the invisible realms of the
mind, this cannot but make our charac-
terers liner and our country greater.
In John Drinkwater's play. Abraham
Lincoln, we find there lines in one of
the prologues which sum up the philo-
sophy of the play:
When the high heart we magnify
And the sure vision celebrate
And worship greatness passing by.
Ourselves are great"
We are called today to magnify the
high heart and celebrate the sure Vi
sion. and we can not but be the nobler
because of this experience.
But what resource have We to
honor the dead. We look at our hands,
and they seem to be empty. We have
nothing that will add to the glory of
these men. Their achievements far
surpass our ability to adequately glor-
Ify. Others may perhaps build the
great monument of stone, which pierce
into the heavens. Others have the
skill of hand which enables them to
chisel the deeds of those men into the
marble which seems to add immortality
to their heroism. Others have the
wealth TO construct great buildings in
honor of them where children may
laugh and dance. and where old age
may mediate. A grateful nation NAV
take 10 years to build in the great
capital of u country an enduring
memorial to our great martyred presi-
dent, who gave his life for the union.
But as individuals we can only stand
in awe of such glorious commemora-
ton Of the dead and wonder what part
we have in all this.
Must Express Love
as it true that our hands are
empty? No. the reply without
hesitation. For there rests within
each of us the only thing that will give
these great monuments any meaning.