Show Tn m m of Our jur Soldier Dead d dl I l General Joseph Wheeler on n Memorial Day and Its Observance by tb the Entire Nation The Happy Obliteration of Sectional Sect nal Feeling Tribute Next tW Wednes Wednesday Wednesday gues day dayt to tie the Men Who Fell in Both Armies j 1900 by Joseph Joaeph Wheeler Devotion to the memory of f the dead Is not the birthright of any one oe pepe or tribe or nation nor does H i 1 find Its lQ origin in any given period or history It is a sentiment as S ancient as creation I and as widespread as humanity The first death recorded in sacred history left a brokenhearted Eve to hand down her legacy of tears to sorrowing mor inor mortals mortals and from that time there have b ve ever been be n bleeding bl ing hearts which find fint solace in bringing spices and nd precious J the lifeless clay on or precious immortal imm ImmortalS S Among the rudes people we find spar spark The old heathen heli hel hekS ful and attractive f S the dead and selet orators to cha chai departed The older allowed this S to ancestor worship I Our aboriginal In Ir ands of quaint rites rite numberless tribes i iJ Ii divided for the pur pui rating the dead ar ax arthe arthe the Hearts of tile tie theof J of the brave bra ve nd S their departed chief ty and virtues of th thA thA thA A sentiment so ui ur must be deeply ro roc heart it has bas its soi SOl eternal youth of th its counterpart in springtime of or f mothe may be crushed and anc did cares of life w wS v S with the numbness and yet as the gla flings up its free ai at out the springtide Ho and the soul bowed care catoe ind even the w wS 1 S Itself up in the glad life to catch the jo jc spring The faint mi m mIng ing bud and an blo bloon S sic sf of the brook U tl and the melodious feathered choristers the spirit and send throughout the wea weaVe We Ve look about for forto forto forto to share lifes joys not to morta respond to our yean S keener l ener sensed senses of lov loy stand revealed so n nl most touch their ga gai immortal they trea shores beck beckward beckward beckS S ward and onward t lives And we can t I tory tory ory green we can b hi bin in the sad hearts of ol them by ers erg the graves of gone before even intensely does the press itself toward and the yearning lei lel lands landiS upon the gra valor has wn W WS S love and nd grat Origin of M ME METhe The American cu u uthe the graves of the be theS s sated with wi th the fair fairE v w vern wern S ern E rn states If I mi livas the first to ina ma of ot observing that purpose Beginning with tl U of the lose close of d the tWeeD the north an of the south led bj b band and Georgia hay hav ha y ceremonies each r T honor nf f the tile belov belovin in tl p civil vil war 1 p the more mo genial i states brings its w V VS S time to celebrate i t dead during the mo moS S armies armI of Lee and anc an anthe the overpowering f S Sherman but in t tS S Memorial day come orne The of May MayS mally set aside for 1 S S 6 5 IS 1 in an order ord to the Grand Army issued br by General John A Logan then cOl mande of ot the Grand Army of the Th genen public took part pak ia in the tha ceremonies n es thus inaugurated ed and amt the custom CU was so pleasing to tot the t e people perpie p Je a at large that within a few years v a most of the northern states had made the day a legal holiday hoUda to be set aside as during all tithe time for the special ob oh observance observance servance of memorial mern mem rIi nl services in honor honorof of the dead 4 ad soldiers 4 Ther was at first fint Inevitable bitter bitterness bitterness ness ress and anti sectional rancor but these sentiments were little felt between the tile i veterans themselves who survived the war They grappled with one another and in brave rave antagonists foemen worthy of heir their steel mutual respect soon ripened into esteem and confidence the conflict had bad broadened not narrowed their souls and by de degrees degrees degrees grees t the e annual festivals of Memorial L day have hare e wiped out the tile bitter feelings engendered renge by internecine strife Significant Sign evidence of this tills comes to tome tome I me today in an invitation to The dedication on on May 30 1900 of the monument nt erected by the state on the battlefield of Antietam to the soldiers of Marand and in the Union and Con Confederate Confederate Confederate federate armies who were engaged at atthe atthe atthe the battle of Antietam A letter tet er accompanying this invitation 1 says The State tate of Maryland desires to tomake tomake make Inake this occasion a notable one em emphasizing emphasizing emphasizing I the obliteration of sectional feeling between the north and south Many noble sentiments shave been I uttered red by brave men over the mingled ashes of friends and foes while the soft and fragrant spring blossoms fell fellI generously alike upon noon the graves of I those who wore the blue and those who were wre the gray I Prophetic Words years ago a distinguished federal officer whose heart was too toola large la for tor the littleness of sectional racor or General Horace Binney Sar Ser Sergeant Sargeant Sargeant geant the orator of the day in the tile memorial memo rial services at Boston said I Ican Icah Ican can cah respect the grave of ot any apy gallant I foe who drew his sword honestly ae ac according cording to his light for his hig hi native state for the spot great or small which he Ire had been taught from child childhood childhood childhood I hood to reverence as his supreme motherland He continued with these I prophetic words Comrades though fe te of us may live to see it I feel sure that the last survivors of the Grand I Army of the Republic will celebrate this anniversary after some day of off glory when the sons SOilS of rebels and our f sons shall have fallen side by side in InI I some seine common cause of foreign war as t our sires and their thel sires ell elI side by I side under the t e eye of the great rebel the Virginian Washington Already hive ht ve these words had a literal ral fulfillment Already has many manya a brave officer who followed f i 1 the old flag fla in 1861 honored the dead i who loll Jell at Las Lu Guasimas at San Juan and at El EI Caney sons of federals and an I sons ons of o confederate soldiers from fromI every section of our great land who I nov nV rest side by side fide in our great na cemetery at Arlington And the 1 1 boys b YS who followed the flag to the far faraway faraway farI I away Philippines Phllip lne ines and died beneath the theS S ais JS and Stripes who stops to ask their state or section It is enough that they are our soldiers defenders of ibis his great republic and no honor is isI too great at to ray to the memory of the theA I A aeri an soldier His prowess his oe his fortitude and his cour courI coure we e have challenged the admiration of oft ofte I t te e world and are ar equalled only by his kider generosity toward a fallen foe i s Today after the suns soon and rains and andi i dev dews s of thirty five years have called i forth flowers to carpet the graves of the thc heroes who gave up their lives on th the battlefields of the civil war or In Inthe inthe Inthe the hospitals of the struggle we are apt to t forget what the men of endured for their country The shout I of victory reverberating down the i chain of time silences the moan of an anguish anI I gulch which rose from the place over l I which w brave columns charged The pictures presented to our imagination t of If bright uniformed hosts gleaming swords and prancing Steeds obscure j I i those other scenes when the angel of i death came carn to to claim the e men whose I graves graV we no noM decorate dd T With flowers Lessons of f Patriotism P tri We Ve would woud have our children learn 1 the lesson of 8 which comes es from the bivouac the th tedious march marchand marchand marchand and the battlefield We would have them emulate the of those men who so cheerfully lift the office the shop op t tl room or the plow to show their thet loyalty by fighting if need be d for o r t eil country Whether they ought fought the stars and stripes or beneath the southern S S S I IS S z zI I I II I I I IS S S SI I j tI I jj S S f I II I J 4 Iti I I 5 V I Ii I 7 a aI I S S I 1 S S i 4 T TS S S S r 5 I f k 21 I r jI N NI I I 4 5 5 I n nS S 5 S S 55 5 5 S LET US CHERISH S THE TUE MEMORY Of S UR AE JOSEPH JOSPH flowers and sweet gifts gifth to lavish upon ce the casket of a soul souli i and most savage savages s 8 of this sentiment I 1 their most in honor of ted led their most fa fait at it the praises of the nations of the east n It to degenerate m In Indians have thoss i varying with he e eto ito to which they are lose ose of d keeping alive in oung the memory glorious deeds of ains and the beau mothers l exhibited ted in the human irce indeed in the thee e C soul which finds fin is the ever renewed r earth The heart l frozen by the th sor h h bind it down downIf If f scores of winters winter intend d awakening earth ms me to embrace the h and newness of pe springs eternal down by grief and eight of years lifts ness of reawakened ys of the newborn armur of the burst i 1 the gurgling mu mule u ule le ie drone of insects voices of natures i i all join to soothe a 8 quickened pulse Dulse ry frame the dear ones wont with us They are 1 eyes nor do they t ey ling call but to the thee e and memory they ear that we can al changeless I strange afi a nex us ever up rn Ufo o 0 higher and holler holier ut lOt keep their mem mom jt lIt t salve the wounds those who survive i in sweetest flow all our loved ones more ardently and heart yearn to ex cx exour 3 our soldier dead ad ids us to place gar garves garves ves yes of those whose n for them a coun conn morial Day storn of decorating tidier dead origin omen romen of the south h take not Alabama Aab ma the annual annuala a day as sacred to tole toie le ie first great struggle be he bed beld hed d ld south the ladies r those of Alabama e p held appropriate at Burring spring pring in ined ined ined ed heroes hH who fell t f lL li he t uly spring of of f the gulf alth a of flowers in inh Inha h hI ha memory of the nth rith when the great reat Johnston J ohn ton yielded y to of and id he northern states s a month ater ter teras vas kas chosen hosen and nd for for he purpose on May MayI I I cross they fought q what they con conceived cOn cOnceived conceived I to be right and sealed their loyalty with wi b their blood ocl If Egypt built pyramids to honor the memory of her tyrannical l kings it is fitting that America should keep green I the memory of t those e wo bo died in de defense defense defense of the liberty jour our ancestors won r by battling against ins t a J Icing ing What other nation has such good cause se for honor honoring honoring honoring ing its heroes hIS as I I Not to uphold dynasties or emperors and kings fio to our soldiers battle but butI for eternal truth and d justice and to I guarantee to all I ever dyer eI whom wb m the flag of our country flo the advantages and the blessings blea 6 t the principles of the free republican government which has made ours the lead leading one among the th powerful nations of the earth It is for this that soldiers go goforth goforth goforth forth cheerfully io to endure end re the hard hardships hardships ships of the th soldiers To 0 l lif to die per perhaps pe perhaps r haps the soldiers d I S No fearing no d thy soldier shall knew kw T When here stands Ills hIs Country and yonder the tile fo ro foOne roOne foe One look at the one oM prayer to the sky One glance at our banner floating jl proud proudly ly by on high tt Then on as the tIe young ItOh lion Ifon bbunds Q on its prey 1 f 1 Let the sv rd flash n nigh h fling 5 the thes s 4 5 5 Roll on 01 like UR th over the plain phun plainWell plainWell r Well tome corae back ack Ju p oy ory S or come not again 8 tn The heroism of J whose hose graves we decorate decorata Wh tf they the be the boys bogs of 61 of ot the th bo bOs s of f 98 93 is isone isone isone one of ot the bright jewels Ih in the diadem that crowns tHe Ue brow bray br Vit ef American Am rican lib liberty liberty liberty erty It is p pat part ae of the heritage rt of every cery I child born beneath our Cur fife g Therefore in honoring hOl the jm died for the flag we add to th of the th millions yet to come e for Qt giving testimony testimony mony mon to the cou of or the themen themen themen I men who sleep in graves we weI enhance the nation gl Y and render ren de I the name American D j p jl ot of still sun more I j priceless vatie va ue jf k kI I So long as nations li lige individuals I are r rone iwone to forget tile the rights of f con contemporaries conI contemporaries I I temporaries war Will rm lan unfortunate necessity The auction then for forI I I statesmen and rians 8 to con consider conI eider sider d is how h vet the horrors I I of wr wrIn S In General W speech to 1 i both houses of January 8 S 1730 1790 we have the asu q nce of that i I great soldier so er and that thatTo thatTo thatTo To be prepare pre for war wr is one of the most effectual 1 Hot bf lb f preserving I peace Deace The r a of American Am ms I I renders it e sr yta t L in such sue h i great armies annies am J ip r e seems forced j I to keep ready tw for r action ardOn But there are 1 i many other ways to pre tre for war warA wari warA i A nation whose people are re ever ready to defend it or aggression a gres I slon sion and to do battle fot ft the right com corn command mand mandt universal respect r I Eternal vigilance is 15 th the price pric of lib liberty liberty I erty 2nd nd not too great a price DriCe our ouri i ancestors thought Vh h hUn n t fearful odds I they with a ni foe and like the t e stripling lin David came caine out ou t of I the il i jee The deS s bg o nations are shaDed by those vm U and die at their I call calf eal written Britten in the blood of the raVe ind nd the true But the manhood of a nation n Is formed by bythe bythe bythe the hand that rocks row th cradle So long leng lengas longas as American m tea ta aph ii h their sons suns that tile the t e greatest I le privilege and the highest honor ig is i to fight ht for coun oun country country try its safety and its n h so long shall we have a ve a nation iq in whose honor honorI I 1 chivalry glory and nit patriotism shall dominate Would W uwe we check the greed for wealth and power pOw tr and stop top the mad m d career of a mammon worship let Jet us en encourage encourage courage the cultivation cultivatoR of ideals and lofty ambitions Let L t us cherish the tile memory of our dead heroes and while we minister to the th necessities pf of the let us not forget the dead but butas as each recurring Memorial day rolls round let us scatter sc flowers above the sacred dust and renew our tributes Of admiration and gratitude 4 WHEELER s |