Year: 1869

ere the old familiar laces which were with NJ on the
march and many Of tnese ere sae ~ sens ~
the dark days or battle. Scattered widely In
far-distant homes. and over all the land, are the
who relieved you upon guard and on the picket ine
And we who have come to- day, near and dear as we
are in the comradeship OF the old army ties, have
been gathered from many regiments, corps and de-
partments. Some Of You were at Shiloh and Vlcks-
burg; some fought amid the bsyous in the far Teche
land; some come from the sands OF Morris Island;
some kept your hearts and faith unwaverng through
all the long marchings and desperate nghtng OF the
gallant Joe Hooker above the clouds at Lookout
Mountain; some rode with glorious PM sheridan IN
and some were with brave Farragut when, lashed in
the shrouds, he thundered In Mobile Bay. And
as from far distant fields of service yon,
the living, have come nome, so from oil the fields
and armies OF the war were gathered the brave men
who sleep together here and whose ashes we are
nation natl N and the nag yn ing they hey naowed ed the The ma
tion and the flag with deathess glory. Scatter here
W V0n your ra here


hoest words of tender praise; for in ali the ages
mother earth has gathered to her alireceiving bo-
struggle which kept for ourselves nation and gave
to race liberty. From these ashes there speak to-
seepers stir they would fold your flowers very
closely to their cold hearts, and their pale lips
would whisper tender thanks for your pious
to the living as well as sweetly mindful OF the
dead. Flowers for our heroes ashes. Bread and
these words come to you to-day eloquent with the
speechess eOquence OF death. 1t is not charity the
here among men in the Industries OF peace as he
was hero where heroes fought and heroes FELL


have sacn work t tSsss as our
ones and make them pensioners not OF your CHARITY
but Of your justice Your wealth Is safe today be,
cause these men stood between 1t and the ruin OF
revolution; your homes are happy; your dear ones
are protected by sure law, and your nag s honored
about those homes and compelled obedience to
that law, and bore that nag IN victory from the
citv royenment @ ' who V have lcuored us by - YOUR
presence here to-day, large opportunity is yours to
noby lead IN this work OF love and Justice; be-
lieve that but speak the wishes and the judgment
Of most OF the returned soldiers OF all political
parties when say that we have little care whether
In distributing your official patronage yon give place
and salary to our able bodied comrades or with
hold them. But whenever y0u have a place that
S or "a one u or saor ama cSa n


and honor yourselves more than you Will honor
hin by putting him in it. Believe me the
thus shall you do much towards keeping
our government pure and honored. To us who
following the nag when the flag was in
danger and assaied, these asnes also speak
men SO loved liberty and fatherland that patiently
and fearlessy they welcomed wounds, sickness
and DEATH They lett home, dear ones ease and op.
pOrtunity of wealth, and counted all not loss but
gain, they might keep our land from rent and our
nag from stain. They sought no promotion. They
coveted no distinction. they patiently lived. They
bravely died. Their work was done. The land was
saved. And in y0nder heaven God has gwen them
each each our duty where duty lies Let no soldier, with
unmanly fawning, seek political preferment as the
price OF his courage and the reward OF ms sacrlnce
When Official place shall come, rendered by the un.
solicited gratitude OF the people, II your home re-
latlons and business opportunities are such that
cept oilciai duty, accept it gratefully and humbiy,
accept 1t as q means Of serving the State, not
go to the neid that YOU might get profit, SO keep
your dignity and manhood in your return to the
duties Of home and peace and let no ilgotten gain
ever soil the hand that grasped musket or drew a
sabre. The old blue coat that hangs in some safe
nook is higher badge Of honor than any you shall
tell OF how their grandsre fought in the great war
for liberty when they will have forgotten all about
US, citizens and soldiers these graves are breathing
to-day most earnest and solemn teachings
They ten and on how e0Sgenty Es, the yase ,ss
free institutions Let no man feel as he turns
from these graves and goes back to his daily living
the responsibilities and duties Of his American ct-
zenship. Let no man feel that he can ever stay
through his Indifference wrigge into places OF power
and trust Let no man feel shat he can honestly neg
then when ambitious ana designing men have foisted
their tools upon the party cast his respon-
ings and support its csndidates These are plain
words, but they are spoken amid the graves OF dead
a ann e saae onr Te


ashes tell us that neither foreign assault nor doines


tic treason shall be able TO break our Union and tear
lar disregard Of political duty and prevailing
political corruption shall weaken our government
and destroy our liberties, for the worm gnaws
through the oak which the tempest could not bend,
and the canker eats to the core which the lightning
could not reach These ashes tell that II our land
and laws were worthy that brave men should die
for their Keeping they are worthy that pure men
and unselnsh men should simply live in grand
n
and comrades, shall We not numbly strive to heed
these teachingsY And nom these ashes come still
other words OF love and peace Here in the strange
and silent brotherhood OF death sleep the soldiers OF
the Blue and Of the Gray. No word OF mine shall
rades el nor vet shall OF mine cast useless bit
terness upon the memory Of my fallen foe With sin
the bitterness OF sectional strife and the corrupng
influences of that great national sin which
passed away with the rebellion 10 wnca u nad gwen
them. for they knew not what they did," And SO
we turn nom those graves to-day loving, hopeful
ING spring shall come TO cover with grass and now
ers the fields where comrades fell and the graves
out ali hearts both North and South, and hand In
hand ali men shall walk beneath our nag the ways
OF asd m esn te ae as as
against all assault and through all danger, 80 shall


they be wise enough and pnre enough TO crush
political corruption and compel political honesty.
when next the sweet spring time shall come and
the sweet spring Mowers shall bloom again as



the soldiers graves, we may not all be here. And
each returning year shall swell the number OF these
soldier graves and Il th,n nc our Living % ranks: p. But
liberty and honor courage In the right children
and our childrens children shall come TO strew
with flowers these little mounds; and as thev recall
these men who sleep In holy hope OF the resurrec-
tion, and tell how and why these died, they shall
each year renew the nations life and purity.


Rev. SYLVESTER MALONE was the next orator,
and then followed the benedcrion. The graves were
decorated with profpsiop Of noral offerings. The
,,oa .. s~"A"''f J. s. Folkpwere admirable, about
100 policemen being on tnS . sa'ounds'