Year: 1876

Address of Stewart L. .W00dford


OF New York, at the Decoration


of the Soldiers Graves at Ar


lingtOn Cemetery, near Wash


ingtOn. On Memorial Day, MAY


80, 1876.


These heroic dead, in whose memory


we meet, have justly earned the largest


praise that living men may give. But


our best homage must be with deeds


and not alone with words and flowers


We shall pay them fitting honor only


as we ourselves take up and carry for.


ward the work, which living they did


so well, which dying they bequeathed


to their survivors. We can justify the


sacrifice, which they so freely offered,


only as we ourselves render faithful sHd


unseltish service to the state for which


they died. If we weakly fail to use


their great gift well, then for US and
ours have they sadly died in vain.


We need not here and now repeat


the story of their achievements. What
they so grandly did is not buried with
their dust. 1t can never be forgotten,
SO long as liberty is loved, 50 long as
courage in the right is honored among
men.


While yonder Potomac flows, its
minstrel waves shall sing, in verse
more grand than human lips may
breathe, the epic of that army, so
many of whose dead sleep here.


While yonder Capitol shall stand,
the statute of freedom, which fitly
crowns its rising dome, shall tell that
when our civil strife had ended, there
was no slave before the law in all the
land.


Nor is there any need that were count
the causes of the war in which our
our comrads fell. If our fathers erred,
as err they did in their oppression of
the weak and loWly; if they erred, as
err they did, in compromises of the
right for sake of gain, or ease, or pow
er, this land has suffered long and
sorely. Justice weighed the Nations
crime. Justice heaped and yet may
heap the scale with tears and blood and
agony, for no sin of man or people ever
yet escaped, none ever can escape full
penalty. Still it is no part of manhood
idly to mourn above buried past.
"Let the dead bury their dead" Our
duty is in to-day and with the living.


Nor yet among these graves would
we recall even one memory of bitter
ness and anger. With equal love for
what was good in their common hu-
with equal forgiveness for
what was evil. Nature folds alike the
ashes of loyalist and rebel in her resur-
rectiOn robes of the Spring-time flow
ers. To Judge the living was and still
our duty. To enforce that
even in the last appeal of
battle against our brothers, was our hard
necessity. But at the grave our feet
mvst pause, for the sentence Uf the
dead is with God alone. There speaks
no voice of anger from these cold ashes.
any heart this day through all our
borders.


Courage and honor alike require that
we, who by Gods providence were
victors in the strife, should be freely
and absolutely generous in peace.
Courage and honor equally require that
hey who were beaten should yield
manly submission to the decision of
hat final tribunal of the sword to
which they appealed. These are plain
words plainly spoken among our dead.
Peace, complete peace, peace that shall
endure, peace from the bono that shall
cave no scar upon the skin, can come
n no other way. Let us heartily re-
let us fully own that those
whom we fought were and are our
)rOthers still-brothers not alone in
lame, but in blood and in love. We
ought them to save our Union. We
reed their slaves as opportunity was
.iven, and were devoutly glad that
hus the way was opened to put from
hem and us alike the sin and shame
md hurt of slavery. And yet while
We remember this, let US as directly
ay that we would keep with resolute
will and unyielding hand all the re-
ults of justice, CT liberty, of equal and
air play for labor and manhood, that
ave been bought at such terrible cost
o North and South alike.


Does any seek this day for any cause,
o revive the old prejudice of class and |
aste and race? He is no friend of the
Union. Does any seek this day, for !
elf partisan success, to set white
gainst black or black against white? |
lie is no friend of ihe Union. The |
nan, who this day draws the color
inc in politics, is either traitor, knave
r simpleton. His place among the
hadows and bats of the past and not
q the sunlight of the present. Does
ny seek to deny to loyal corners in
ny part of the South full citizenship,
omplete protection and hearty well
ONE because such corners wore the
'ederal blue sn other days? He is no
.iend of the Union. Does any seek to
aunt loyal subjects of the law and
eepers of the peace, because such
'ore the gray in days of battle? He
no friend of the Union.


The land is one and should be at rest.
We owe too much and earn and save
DO little, to waste in past strife hours
nat are needed for present labor and
resent duty. 1t should not be hard
)r us to dwell together in full accord.
IN many fields the living proved and
earned to respect each the manhood OF
ne other. All that should be asked,
II that need be yielded by any, each
nd all should swift to offer-simply
bedience to the law, in spiri. as in let
,r, with the honest performance by
very citizen of his personal duty to
le State.


Where so-called conservatism has
'iumphed at the South there have
cen too often practical intolerance,
ractical denial of personal liberty,
ractical denial of popular education,
nd persistent effort to revive old sys-
Ems under new forms. Where So
illed radicalism has succeeded there
ave been too often official corruption
nd much venaltity. One turns in sad
esq from such partisanship ON either
de and asks for patriotism of con-
,ience, courage and common sense,
lat will neither cOerce the ballot of
le State; that will deal with white
nd black alike in the great but rare