Year: 1878

A Eh q heSDA n. Na "A sSUs 1873.


The custom of strewing the graves
ofheroes with garlands Of flowers is one
worthy Of being honored and perpetu-
ated by people as patriotic and CRATE
full as the American people. To its
fallen soldiers the Athenians paid rev.
erence and honor by assembling, as we
have done to-day, at their last resting
place-the aged and feeble, the young
and vigorous, the women and children
all to listen to one of their num-
ber recounting the deeds of valor of
their dear departed sons. These
gatherings rekindled in the bosom of
each one present the fires of patriot
ism and rewak akened that love of
country for which that nation was
SO distinguished. History has not
been unmindful Of their deeds of
valor and heroism during more than
twenty centuries, and when we who
have assembled here have been long
ago forgotten, the heroes of the Their
mopylaes and Marathons of America
will be remembered, their memory
perpetuated, their deeds Of valor and
their self sacrifice honored through
this custom-beautiful in its simplici-
ty-of meeting annually in our GEM
eteries, and laying with reverential
hand upon their graves this token of
respect: Of love, Of admiration, a
wreath of flowers, beautiful flowers,
delicate and tender as the emotions
which they symbolic; beautiful flow
ers with which Gods love has made
our earth to smile; flowers common
as the air we breathe, yet grander
than any human conception.


That We have been tardy in inau-
gurating this custom here in Lonacon-
ing cannot he denied, but such fact
must not be taken as evidence that
we have been wanting either in rev.
erence or admiration for the brave
dead who lie buried around US, or in
love for our country and the cause in
which they perished. The deepest
feeling is often the least demonstra-
tive; the smoothest river may have the
strongest current and although we
have heretofore neglected to strew
these graves with flowers, never for
q moment have we forgotten their
deeds Of valor and the debt due by
their country to these brave men,
which gratitude cannot repay. AS
long as our country survives their
graves will be hallowed by reccollec-
ton Of the past, and their memory
revered by every true American.


These ceremonies are a duty We
owe to ourselves, to the dead, to our
country, to posterity: to ourselves
that we may keep the fires Of patriot
ism ever enkindled in our bosoms;
that we may not forget that next to
God our first duty is to our country,
and that for it we should sacrifice our
best interests and if need be our lives
to the dead, that we may ever hold
in grateful remembrance the courage
and patriotism which prompted them
to sacrifice everything which they
held most dear for their country's
sake to our country, that it may ever
be uppermost in our minds, that what
ever sacrifices we may make for her
sake it will be ever kindly remem-
bered and appreciated by her people;
to posterity, that patriotism and ale
glance may ever be held up as the
crowning virtue, the brightest gem,
the most enviable garland which can
adorn the brow of heroism.


When the war cloud no larger than
tie hand of man slowly emerged
from the Southern horizon, assuming
proportions larger and larger as it
gradually approached the zenith at
Mason and Dixon's line, and when
the legislature Of one state after an
other south of that historical bounda-
ry, passed resolutions of secession, yea,
even when the Legislature of this our
own State was assembled in treasona-
Bile convention in the city of Freder-
lex, the citizens of Homecoming were
preparing to leave their happy and
peaceful homes and if needs be shed
their blood in defence of their country.
When the press was permeating the
State with reasonable utterances the
Datriotism of Western MARYLAND cen-