Year: 1870

THE COURAGE AND, DEATH OF OUR FALL


EN- COMRADES.


The sword is returned to its scabbard;
the noise and tumult of battle no longer
tremble in the air; the armies of the
Union have marched in their last grand
review the chiefain has dismissed his
squadrons; the muster-out-rolls have all
been signed; the complete record is
made up, and the war and its incidents
have passed into history. A sufficient
period has not elapsed since the close of
the conflict to enable US to form a cor
rect and impartial estimate of all its eff
fects upon the future of our own and other
countries, but the freeing of a despised
race from the power of a people upon
whom the concentrated forces of logic
and rhetoric, and the softening inf1uen-
ces of religion for more than a hundred
years could make no impression, is an
event which in importance is unparallel-
ed in the history of the human race since
the miraculous deliverance of the child
rem of Israel from the bondage of the
Egyptians. Such a result required the
upheaval of the strata of an entire social
system that was firmly implanted on this
continent, and could only be effected by
the bursting blasts of burning powder
In this fiery conflict many, very many,
gave up all of this life a willing sacrifice
upon their country's altar, and in the
presence of their honored graves we
have this day assembled to pay our
humble tribute to their deathless memo
ries. Honors most appropriately belong
to the grave. Monuments should be
reared only to the dead. An ancient
philosopher, when asked af to what he
thought of the propriety or rearing a
statue in honor of a distinguished public
citizen, replied that he could not express
an intelligent opinion upon the subject
until he knew how he died. The closing
scene of life is the most serious, and hui
man conduct in this solemn hour the
most important. The sleeping dead,
whose memory we celebrate, have shown
the noblest behaviour under the most
trying circumstances, and in accepting
death in defense of the unity and wei
fare of their Government, have made
good and indisputable their claims to our
gratitude, and have proved themselves
deserving of immortal honors. We can
command no language sufficient for their
eulogy.





Her sweei est, put est flower;


For this, proud eloquence has breathed


His strains of loftiest over"


Their death is their highest eulogium
In the presence of their sleeping dust the
eloquence of oratory is dumb. and the
poets Ioftiest strains but empty and un-
meaning sounds. To consult the har-
mony Of our feelings would be to give
ourselves up to the contemplations Of 81.
lence. One of the noble characteristics
of these men that awakens our admira.
ton, and kindles our enthusiasm fol
their characters, is the high and sublime
courage exhibited in the manner of theil
deaths. After all, one of the great point.
of honor among men is courage.


Thst yals11 Is the chiefest virtue, ana
Most dignifies tue haver."


The gods could defend a Roman from
no Greater shame than that of being ia
| ken alive BY his enemy, while to bow anC
sue for peace were ignominy beneath tht
downfall of Milton's angels. Courag,
! Is a thing to be acquired the same as ",
acquire any other virtue. To cling viii
greater or less tenacity to life is a lessor
10 be learned as we learn other lessons
and the profession of arms is the schoo
| in which considerations higher than lif
are most successfully taught. The sol
der in his pursuit is under the necessit,
! of constantly subjecting himself to eS
treme hazard and danger. and soon ac
uuires, in matters where his honor i
! concerned, that lofty contempt for deatl
that has been the admiration of men il