The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-05-24

would have obvious benefits for IN
dustry and labor alike and would be
equally welcomed by families us
we'll as by resorts and travel agen-
cies.
There Is nothing sacred about the
date May 30th, nor was there any
reason for placing II on this par
ticular day, The formal observance
OF Memorial Day, or Decoration
Day, as 1t was popularity called for
many years, dates from 1858. The
graves OF the soldiers that died In
the Civil War had been decorated
with flowers before that year, espe-
eially In the South. For example,
the women OF Columbus, Mississippi
laid flowers on the graves OF both
Union and Confederate dead In
1868. Mrs. Sue Landon Vaughn, Il
descendant of John Adams, the sec I.
ond president, on April 20, 1865, led
q few women 10 the cemetery In
Vicksburg and decorated the SOL
dier's graves there, And In May of
the same year some women In Win
chester, Virginia, formed the Stone
wall Jackson Memorial Association
In honor of General Turner Ashby,
who was killed In q skirm!sh ut
Harrisonburg In June, 1862, On June
Q, 1855, they went TO the Confeder-
ate cemetery In Winchester, said 10
DO the first cemetery planned eSpc-
eially for the soldier dead In th
South, and decorated the graves
with flowers.
General L0gan's Orders
Adjutant General Chapman OF the
Grand Army of the Republic, the
organization Of Union Veterans,
carly In May, 1865, suggested 10
General John A. Logan, the com.
mander-in -ehief, that arrangements
DO made for the organization to
decorate the graves OF the Union
soldiers on q uniform date through
out the country. Approving of tho
plan, General Logan issued q gen.
eral order TO all the Grand Army
posts-part OF which follows
"The thirtieth day Of May.
1868, Is designated for the purpose
of strewing with flowers or
otherwise decorating the graves
of comrades who died In defense
of theirs country during the late
rebellion, and whose bodies now
Ito In almost every city, village
and hamlet churchyard In the
land. In this observance no form
OF ceremony Ia prescribed, but
posts and comrades will In their
own way arrange such fitting
services and testimonials OF re-
spect as circumstances may per-
nit :"
Memorial Day on May 3Oth was
primarily observed In the Northern
states. Rhode Island made II a
legal holiday In 1874, Vermont In
1875 and New Hampshire In 1877.
It Is now q legal holiday In all the
states and Territories save Ala
bama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
Mississippi, North Carolina and
South Carolina. In Virginia, May
30th is observed as n Confederate
Memorial Day. June 3rd (the BIRTH
day OF Jefferson Davls) Is observed
rs Confederate Memorial Day In
Louisiana and Tennessee (Which
also observes May 30th as Decora-
ton Day.: April 26th, In Alabama,
Florida, Georgia ana Mississippi;
and May 10th, In North Carolina
and South Carolina.
Honor All Soldiers
For some time there has been a
growing feeling particularly In the
Southern States that Memorial Day
no longer represents q day TO honor
soldiers woh died In the Civil War,
but that 1t now belongs to the dead
OF all wars and an effort should be
made to observe Memorial Day ma
tionally on the same day. President
Roosevelt In the course of his adj.
dress on the battlefield of Gettys-
burg In 1884 voiced this sentiment
when he said
ION these hills of Gettysburg
two brave armies o: Americans
met In combat. Not far from here
In a valley likewise consecrated
to American valor, ragged Con-
tinental army survived bitter
winter to keep alive the expiring
hope of new Nation; and near
TO the battlefield and that valley
stands the invincible city where
the Declaration of independence
was born and the Constitution of
the United States was written by
tn efathers. Surely, all this is holy
ground. 1t was in Philadelphia,
too, that Washington spoke his
solemn, tender, wise words of
FAREWELL farewell not alone to
his generation but to the gener-
alton of those who laid down
their lives here and to our gen.
Grafton and to the America of
tomorrow. Perhaps If our fathers
and grandfathers had truly heed
ed those words we should have
had no family quarrels, no battle
OF Gettysburg, 70 Appmattox. AS
Virginian, President Washing
ton had natural pride In Vir-
ginia: but as an American, in his
stately phrase, The name Of
American. which belongs to you in
your national capacity. must al
ways exalt the just pride OF pa
triotism. more than any appella-
ton derived from local discrimin-
alton. > 1t was an inspired
prophet Of the South who said:
My brethren, II we know one an
other, we will love one another
The tragedy OF the Nation was
that the people did not know one.