Evening Star Newspaper, May 31, 1897, Page 12

12 HONOR FOR HEROES (Continued from Eleventh Page.) Baad rendering “I Would That My Love” and the Home trumpeter calling “taps: AT ST. ELIZABETH Two Patriotic Addresses by Well-Known Divines. The services at St. Elizabeth began this | sure fer posterity a glorious destiny. Sta- | bility in national affairs, he said, was de- pendent upon the fear of God among the people of the lard. His Closing Words. He proceeded with pious eloquence in this strain for some moments and closed with this peroration. “All honor to those who by the sacrifice of their lives in fighting our battles have contributed to this glorious result. They were fighting for a nobler cause than they dreamed of. But we who survive them are in duty bound to see to it that their sac- rifices were not made in vain. Soldiers, who have survived the perils of war, do not imagize because the war is over that there is nothing more to be done for your coun- try! That glorious flag which we all rever- ence and love is to be kept unsullied now, rot by bravery on the battlefield, but by iaerning with the sounding of the assembly | purity in public affairs ard honest and b; the bugler at 11 o'clock. Shortly hefort that hour the members of Logan Post, No. 13, G.A.R., and the Wom- ars Auxiliary, both under the command of Gommander T. J. Putnan of Logan Post, with the children of Congress Heights s*hools, rendezvoused at the main entrance 2 the building. Here they received several hundreds of the patients of the institution rad e: corted them to the grove, es were held and where seats were jed for all present. Commander Putnam presided. prayer by Rev. George Bowman of Pest 13 the St. Elizabeth choir sang the “Clarion Voice of War is Heard.” Chairman's Address. Chairman Putnam's address was brief. He said: “We are assembled again today in this beautiful vale to pay tur annual floral tribute of respect to the memory of our comrades who have gone before. We meet in fraternity, charity and loyalty. “In their presence how insignificant do our little teibutes seem, with even nature's imeffable grace and beauty exhausted in them. Such as they are, we bring them to the sweet work of this day—and did flowers er work sweeter offices before? —with a love as pure as ever the God of nature expressed for man, in the glisten- Ing beads of dew that but this very morn brought down from the skies the colors of heaven to the opening petals. Hallowing the memory of the dead, we shall be more true te the living, and the disabled com- rade, widow and orphan will find new ad- vocates for their claimms because of the sacred influences of this day.” 5 The band then rendered “Old Glory.” Oration of Rev. W. G. Davenport. The oraticn at St. Elizabeth's was de- livered by Rev. W. G. Davenport. He said the dnnual recurrence of Memorial day kept fresh in all minds and hearts the heroic deeds of those who gave their lives for their country. In every nation and among every people of the world, such men have been held in the highest honor. It was not the great alone that were honored teday. The deeds of those high in rank are Rev. W. G. Davenport. recorded in history and their names will go down to future generations, though no flower should ever adorn their graves. But the private soldier or sailor, who had little to hope for in the way of distinetion or re- ward, is soon forgotten and his name into oblivion. The farmer, the ar- san, the laborer, who left home and kindred in response to the call of his coun- try in her hour of need, to find a grave among strangers, it may be unmarked and unknown, certainly deserves.equally, if not more, our recognition and gratitude. He was the greater hero, if equally brave, because t a soldier whom fortune favored ental rank or fame, but one who noticed among the thousands and ed and unrecognized, except by a fought fell unmi: little circle of weeping friends. The High Purpose of the Day. The services when a grateful people paid their tribute to the memory of the nation's heroic dead, said Mr. Davenport, served a higher purpose than merely to perpetuate & remembrance. There was something more than sentiment involved in the spe- cific act. “It is an expression of that principle of without which we can never keep rseives or others the blessings that our forefathers purchased and our com- patriots have perpetuated with their blood. principle, necessary to the na- fare and sacred in the eyes of and man, that first actuated the in- stitution of this day and now continues its observance throughout the land.. As such, value of our memorial services can reely be overestimated.” ‘The Lesson England Learned. When England lost the American col- onies, continued the orator, she learned a leagon that has largely shaped the policy of her statesmen to this day. “The Declaration of Independence start- ed a new and more enlightened era in the history of the world. Our fathers revolted from the narrow and short-si of © in dealing It of the struggle has had a widespread and far-reaching British statesmen have learned generously with their dependencies, znd now we see free government every- | under the English flag—the rights oagties of the subject respected and i throughout that immense em- which the sun r sets. It was statesmen and American soldiers that first taught Great Britain this lesson. It was they who first established, unger this free government, those liberal and beneficent institutions’ which have helped to shape the policy of the mother country and at-* abroad throughout the whole world « tuighty influence of progress and enlightenment. What then does true loy- ? Is it a sentimental love of our nd, or even a heartfelt devotion to ihe honor of her flag? it is all this, and @ore. It means no less than a conscien- tious adherence to a principle not only underlying the foundatjons of our govern- ment, but pregnant with benefit and bless- ing to the whole world. The Design of Providence. He saw in that history, he said, the de- sign of an overruling Providence, whose aim has not only been the upbuilding of a @reat nation, but the elevation of the whole human race. There was probably no civil- {zed race in the world that had not felt to Some extent the beneficent influences of the fmstitutions first established by our fore- fathers. The continuance of this influence ‘was a glorious destiny, and it could be achieved only by the loyalty of our people and the maintenance of all free and lib- ®al institutions in their integrity. “And these cannot be maintained unless, side by side with our rights and liberties, we uphold the majesty of tke law,” he exclaimed. “Liberty without law can pro- duce only disintegration and death. We must have law to protect our liberties, and the more firmly all just and equitable law is enforced the greater security will we have in the enjoyment of those liberties which are the dearest boon inherited from our forefathers. This iy true because all law founded upon principles of justice and Tight, traced to its ultimate source, is di- vine. God is supreme, and all justice and righteousness spring from Him. ‘The powers that be are ordained of God.” And Jaw, springing from eternal principles of truth and right, is the voice of the supreme Ruler of the universe.” True loyalty, he said, involved obedience to law, which can alone secure to us and those to come the nftional liberties bleseings. He described in striking words the remarkable advancement of the Ameri- can netion, but it behooved us in the spirit of gratitude and moc«sty to labor and pray the future of our country, and to of strict righteous dealing among the people. Be loyal first to your God, and no man will question ycur loyalty ‘to your country’s flag. Be loyal to your God, and the patri- otic sentiment expressed in one of our na- tional sorgs, celebrating the glory of the flag, will become a prayer on your lips that will be heard in heaven: ‘Long may it wave over the land of the free and the home of the brave.’ "” The song “Sleep, Comrade, Sleep,” was where the | rendered by the St. Elizabeth choir. Mr. George C. Gertman, S.V., read Presi- dent Lincoln's address at Gettysburg. ev. Charles O. Isaac of Anacostia M. E. Ri After | Church delivered a stirring oration. Address of Rev. C. 0. Isaac. Rev. Charles O. Isaac delivered the ad- dress at the services at St. Elizabeth. It was largely political in character. It had been repeated, he said, that republics were ungrateful, but the beautiful and tender services of the decoration of the graves of fallen heroes was a sufficient refutation of Rev. Chas. 0. Isaac. the charge. A third of a century had passed since the issues of the civil war were determined; another generation had come upon the stage of action, and yet the same love, enthusiasm and tenderness was shown as when Memorial day was first in- augurated, and the generations to follow would gratefully perpetuate it to the end of time. He spoke at length on the proofs of the gratitude of the nation to its loyal defenders, pointing out the provisions for widows and orphans and disabled soldiers. Those who saw the gath- ering storm and heard the crash of war and saw the ship of state tossed on the waves of an angry civil war, and then moved to a haven of rest and peace, would never consent that one of the noble veter- ans should -suffer want while a single dol- lar remained in the national treasury. “Suppose these men had not rallied around the flag?’ he asked. “Suppose they had not defended the Union? Who cculd paint that picture of confusion and horror which would have ensued? A dis- membered country, part free and part slave, sectional strifé, petty jealousies and universal confusion. “Instead, we have today a united coun- try, free from the curse of slavery, with great commercial interests, with religious and social elevation; our flag respected by all nations, and the skies of prosperity brightening for the future—all made pos- sible through the loyal devotion, untold suffering and sacrifice of these noble sons. “The sacrifice was great, but not too much for such a country. Let the coun- try’s gratitude be commensurate with the sacrifices made.” The speaker described the national grati- tude for the heroes of the revolution, but begged his hearers not to forget Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Meade and the other heroes of the civil war, and not to forget the men of the armies who preserved to posterity a free and united country, under one giorious flag. “And today,” said Mr. Isaac, “as we stand in view of the national Capitol, and scatter these beautiful garlands over the lifeless forms of our heroic dead, who sleep beneath its sacred shadow, let us, with un- covered heads and with tender hearts, lift our eyes heavenward, and thank the God of nations for such a country, for which so many noble men were willing to die that it might live; and also pray that the men-who legislate for this nation in yonder Capitol may be inspired by the same patriotic spirit which fired the hearts of those who gave their lives for their country’s sake.” He expressed the gratification of the old soldiers that a “‘comrade” was in the White House. “His personal experience in the great battles of the Union,” said the speak- er, “eminently fits him to sympathize with you in all your efforts to secure a just rec- ognition in the halls of Congress for ser- vices rendered our country in the great struggle for national unity, and is a suffi- cient guarantee that all such legisiation will merit his hearty approval and receive his official sanction. “I congratulate you at the close of this eventful nineteenth century, and in the be- ginning of the twentieth, that one who wore the blue will occupy the presidential chair.” In conclusion, he said moral issues were before the country, to be settled by baliots and sound legislation. He pleaded with his hearers to take their positions on the side of righteousness and morality. “Seek to perpetuate what you have al- ready preserved,” he exclaimed; “help free our land from moral slavery and social impurity, and declare by your ballots that our nation shall be pure as well as free.” “May God help you to be as faithful in this duty_as in the former cne, that your closing days of life may be blessed with an approving conscience and the smile of heaven.” After the benediction was pronounced by Rev. Mr. Bowman the bugler sounded “Lights Out,” and the audience dispersed. CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY A Large Attendance to Witness the Cere- monies There, With the exception of the threatened col- lapse of the speakers’ stand and the ex- citement that naturally followed, the ex- ercises at Congressional cemetery were car- ried out smoothly and in accordance with the prearranged program. The exercises were preceded by a street parade that form- ed on Pennsylvania avenue southeast be- tween 3d and 4th streets. It was headed by the 4th Artillery Band, and consisted of Farragut Post, No. 10, G. A. R., a num- ber of citizens and several carriages and "buses, containing the speakers of the day, the members of the Farragut Octet and a committee of ladies from the Woman’s Re- Hef Corps. At 11th street and Pennsylva- nia avenue southeast the procession was avgmented by several hundred children, pupils of the Sunday schools of East Wash- ington. Each little one was armed with a small American flag and carried a bunch othe” customary somber surroundings of the cemetery Bains b a, steent see In°the inclosure was almost’ wldden from view by flowers, and the national colors had also been used in profusion. Thous- ands of persons flocked about the sreunee. ‘y pass- bopper grey Seeger along the streets to this city of the dead. On an appropriate spot near the entrance a stand had been erected. It was decorated entirely with the red, white and blue, The Grand Stand Weakens. ‘The procession entered the cemetery an_ proceeded to the stand with funeral tread the band playing ‘“‘Reverence.” While th< speakers were taking seats programs werc THE EVENING STAR, MONDAY, MAY. 31, 1897-16 PAGES. distributed among the throng of spectators that had assembled. The band occupied seats on the lawn in the rear. There were probably a hundred persons seated on the stand when, promptly at noon, the hour sct for the commencement of the exercises, a crunching sound was heard, and those near the center felt that: they were sinkirg. A rush was made to- ward the cntrance, but cooler heads pre- vailed, and the fears of the alarmed ones were soon quieted, as the structure, after sinking about. six inches, again became stationary. The women and childrea were assisted to the ground, and thereafter all moved quietly. A bugler sounded the assembly, and after the rendition of an army hymn by the band, under the direction of Prof. A. Bug- More, G. E. McCabe, junior vice depart- ment commander, who was in charge of the exercises, called the assembly to or- der. “We are here not to mourn, but to rejoice over the deeds of the heroic dead,” said Commander McCabe. He then read the orders of the department commander ebdvering the Memorial day exercises. The invocation was next in order. Rev. E. Oliv Eldridge. In his remarks at Congressional cemetery Rey. E. Olin Eldridge took as his keynote the quotation from Macauley ‘No people who fail to take pride in the deeds of their ancestors will ever do anything in which their prosperity can take pride.” This is especially, said the speaker, true of our noble dead who stood in the front ranks of human progress, and fought and won the battles of the ages. Our national his- tory is a page from God’s own book, and is full of divine lessons. We need to keep in memory -what our nation stands for. Our institutions ‘and their preservation cost time and blood and brain. Our republic is @ synonym for scholarship, patriotism, revolutions, reformations and, above all, the wise providence of that God who is the master builder of nations. What great principles and events are crowded into our history? To know these and properly cherish them constitutes our strength, and guarantees our perpetuity. To be “unac- quainted with them is to see our greatness go down before a widespread national ig- norance. These are the pillars of our re- public, and we must know them and live in their influence in order to guard them. Hence I hail with delight not only the re- turn of this annual Memorial day, when we strew sweet flowers on the graves of our noble dead, who died for the preserva- tion of union; but for every other organiza- tion that stands for the perpetuation of American institutions. What we need to- day is a revival of intense Americanism, for this is the finest flower that in all the ages has bloomed on the stalk of human progress. It stands for the highest civili- zation, the broadest humanity, the purest religion and the largest liberty. Its prod- ucts have been a magnificent manhood, and a holy womanhood. We talk of the times are always big to earnest men; if we times are always big to earnest men if we are earnest our times will be big to us. We have problems to solye that can only be settled by men of like determination to those who, enlisting in the Union army, endured the horrors of war, and gave their Nife blood rather than allow the right to be trampled under foot or the nation to be rent and dishonored. The Grand Army. Dr. Eldridge drew a broad picture of the horrors of war and the misery it entailed on men and women. “Never was there,” he said, “a nobler body cf men gathered under a flag than that that fought the battles of the Union. Like the army of the revolution, they were mustered directly from the work shop, the farm, the store, the court room, the college and the pulpit. They were ral- lied by a magnificent outburst of the moral sense, which was but an echo of the mind of God. They rushed to the front that they might stand up for God and freedom and for the integrity and wholeness of this nation. They were not conscripts, but vol- unteers. The fact that they sleep today in their silent graves is proof of their brav- ery. Brave amid the rattle of musketry and the cannon’s awful roar. Brave at mid- night hour on the lonely picket duty. Brave under the surgeon’s knife. Brave in their dying message to. home. ‘They were brave everywhere. We can never pay them for their sacrifices. But we- will ‘put. the garland of unfading glory bn their brow, while the world stands up to do them honor.” Greece and Cuba. The speaker touched on foreign affairs in a vigorous manner. He said: “Soldiers of the Grand Army remain- ing, may you ever be worthy of the brave comrades who have gone before you, and ecntinue to fight the battles of freedom. We have a relation not only to our own country, but to broad humanity. The op- pressed in all lands are looking toward America for light, for principles and a helping hand. We have a mission to lead hurranity, because civilly we are ahead of humanity. Silence is not our duty. We have 2 voice in the world, and that voice should te heard until every chain is broken and every land .is free. Oh for a Patrick Henry to fire the heart of this nation until bleeding Armenia and devas- tated Crete shall be delivered from the butchering hand and merciless heel of the Godforsaken Turk. Until patriotic Cuba, rising like a jewel.out of the ocean re- splendent with the light of liberty, shall shake hands with America as also the land of the free and the home of the brave. The shots fired for freedom during our civil strife were long-range shots, and their echo kes been heard round the werld.” After the singing of “Ode to America” by the Farragut Octet, consisting of James S. Smith, director; John Green, John Pur- vis, F. S. Hayes, Harry McElfresh, R. J. Lowry, A. J. Bussey and Harry Redfield, Senator Frank J. Cannon of Utah was in- troduced as one of the orators of the day. Senator Cannou’s Address, “All over the land millions are gathered today to do honor to the dead who aro members of the republic where all are equal,” said Senator Cannon. “The hom- age paid to the dead Is in obedience to an instinct that has animated all men in all ages. It is not because of what the ashes of the dead are, but what they have been and what they will be when God calls them forth on His great day.” Senator Car.non spoke at some length on the covenant with the dead. “By every act and thought we shall prove the acts of the departed are not dead,” he contin- ued. “I never looked at one who fought for the liberty I enjoy that I did not feel like worshiping him. day is the one time on which Americans renew their covenant with the dead—a time when we are brought into the presence of the tomb. “Three great battles have been fought by men,” Senator Cannon went on to & “It required years and rivers of blood to secure freedom of thought. The same was true of freedom of speech. The fight against the thrones on earth was equally costly. Having won these battles, shall we rest upon the memory of the past? Is there no more that humanity needs? Yes, there remains a recompense for all who toil. It is easy to die for your country, but it is hard to live for your country. Men who faced shot and shell did not face such a . ht. at they mal’ pdfiony of two t march sitin “Depart#i Dalys” by the band and “Cover Them Over With Beautiful Flow- ers” by the octet, Capt. W. O. Kretsinger of the Department of Texas rcad Lincoln's Gettysburg address. The Address of J. A. Frear. Mr. J. A. Frea¥of Hudson, Wis., deliver- ed a thoughtful_and_scholarly address at the Congressional cemetery. “Memorial day,” helsaid, “was fitly nam- ed. It was mertforable of a nation of he- roes, memorable ‘of the crisis that threat- ened the wonderful latid of liberty, memor- Mr. J. A. Frear. able of a nation of ‘heroes, memorable of the acts of those whose names to the pres- ent generation glitter in the nation’s dia- dem, gems of the. purest ray serene. Sketching in telling strokes the causes that led up to the rebellion, in graphic sentences he described the call to arms. “It was the appeal from the national head. From that grand man who deter- mined that this government should be of the people, by the people and for the peo- ple, indivisible, inseparable. ‘The call Treached the clerk at his desk, the farmer at his plow, the business man at his count- ing house, the blacksmith at his anvil. Seventy-five thousand volunteers was the command. “They came from the mountains and plains, from the cities and little hamlets, their blood hot with the burning fever of adventure; without a realizing sense of the character of their work they answered the call and enlisted. Enlisted for. what? To stay the hand of treasonous rebellion, to ail their brothers in order to save the na- ion. “Like: the snow- on the hillside they melt- ed away before the demands of the situa- tion. Ten men were needed where one had been called. Again did Lincoln sound the tocsin. Three hundred thousand more. The Union must be saved. ‘The mother who had with difficulty repressed the long- ings of her clear-eyed stalwart boy now kissed him a loving good-bye and fervently prayed that he mignt be spared and re- turn to her. The wife with family cares pressing upon her, accustomed to lean upon the strong right arm of one to whom she could cleave in sickness or health, now learned to say with saddened heart,’ ‘Not my will, but thine be done.’ Oh, war, cruel war, thy slain were not numbered alone upon southern battlefields. The missile of death remorselessly struck down the de- fenseless parent, the helpless child, the aged father. Who .cah number them? Who measure the Joss? The World’ Amazed. “The civilizea-world»gazed on in amaze- ment when these!two'powerful factions of a mighty tepubjfe ‘wHstled in the throes of mortal.combat, | Whe shall say that the one was braver, than the other? Force was Tet by forde, coprage met by’ cour- age. The norte soldier encountered @ foeman, who, like hirtiéelf. had been nurs- ‘ed atfreedom's¢ altar, Thes#!‘men soon {earned to apprd¢iate thei fact that the terms , of, ‘Yankee! ; and~ rebel’, went for nau re, simply jnfinitesi~ p lortnous humaly, ma chines. “(When tHe’ mathine was in dpera- tion they could. sleigitter each-sther}could Jegally kill, theit,@waycountrymen. When the machine, wag idle they cquld.fraternize across the pitkél 'liné.” Then was the can teen exchanged, ‘mutjial confidences mad and the better natiire .of man asserted itself.” 5 ee : _Mr. Frear’ drew, touching pictures of the Sacrifices of the War‘and paid a magnifi- cent tribute to, the Grand Army of the Re- public. The Soldiers and Thetr’ Sons. “Grand in wart!’ he exclaimed. “Grand in peace. May the imperishable name it has won be the inspiration for patriotic self-sacrifice to the people of these United States! And of the sons of these men it can be truly asked—what nobility upon God’s footstool possesses greater heritage? As governments rise and fall, the insignia of royalty becomes fleeting. The riches of a Croesus are lost in a day. Humble as may be the son of a veteran, the title be- comes an honorable distinction, lifelong in its duration, invaluable to its possessor. Though the nation may never require from their sons such sacrifices as were borne by the northern soldier, there has been formed from among'the rising generation a second Grand Army. Grand in the depths of its love of country, grand in the veneration and devotion which it will ever accord to the veteran soldier.” The Lesson of the Day. In conclusion Mr. Frear spoke as follows: “To the new generation the story of the war is as a romance, but the lesson taught, of unflinching sacrifices, of heroic patriot- ism, will be an open page where all may learn the lesson. That page is enriched on its borders with the heartfelt prayers of millions of slaves: the tears of widows and orphans; the blessings of a gratefu! people. It records the death of a martyred Presi- dent, as kind and. gentle as a child, as strong and firm as justice itself. It records the death of Grant, the indomitable; of Sherman, the strategist, and Sheridan, the idol of his men. Each occupying a niche in the hearts of the people. “And we return to that page today as the pilgrim returns to his Mecca. May the les- sons traced by the recording angel become graven upon our characters. May we to- day again drink. deep trom that overflow- ing well of patriotism. And when the lust of these boys in blud shall have been gath- ered to his Maker, may there be strong hearts and sturdy frames ready, if need be, to emulate their glorious record. Then shall the baptism have become invaluable to the nation. Then shall we have a better, a nobler American citizenship.” Mr. Sprague’s Poem. The band next rendered “The Wayside Chapel,” and then Mr. DeWitt C. Sprague read an original poem, “Memoribilla,” the introductory verses. being as follows: Immortal Lincaln! Freedom's favorite son! ‘This hallowed day again w lebrate, And would to thee our tribute dedicate, Although the task ef love be feebly done. This zecalls to.us tke stormful it, Met ore saecondh Wit the tate nite, When the distvatted and imperiled state On bim her tremble ie contiding cast. How nobly he thag‘mlghty burden bore, Unmoved by wroag, or, rous discontent, Inflexible in bis gfeit ptirpose on he went, To win a matchless forevermore! No hateful mali dds soul enthral, i Yet bad a boundless charity for all. word: "s ste Be creme Simei ern command, hones es er com pint Sues Ges pins ero, His course was teous and his honored name eo Ee biime sé In Freedom's storied Leite, there by Fame. After another selection by the band and the benediction,,pronernced by Rev. Dr. Eldridge, the exerc! Were brought to a cloee by the singing of “America” by the t Octet, with band acco: t and the spectat participating, The Committees, ‘Those who served on the committee with Ccmmander McCabe’were A. F, Dinsmore, | who also acted as officer of the day; Geo. R. Cook and W. H. The committee of against want, and we must cou | Compbell, ~s ss aS tee Fannie ‘att, Sarah E. Beach, Indiana Shanahan, J. Lizzie Bradley, Mrs. Walling. MORNING SERVICES Comrades of George H. Thomas Post Meet in ~ the City. George H. Thomas Post, G. A. R., No. 15, the comrades of which post had charge of the decorations at Glenwood, Prospect Hill, St. Mary's, Mt. Olivet and Graceland ceme- teries, conducted its Memorial day exer- cises at Northeast Temple, H and 12th streets northeast. The exercises were par- ticipated in by Thomas Post, Sunday school children to the number of a hundred, Geo. H. Thomas Camp, Sons of Veterans, Geo. H. Thomas Corps, No. 11, Woman's Relief Corps, Ladies’ Aid to the Sons of Veterans and citizens. * The members of these bodies formed on 8th street northeast. with the right resting on H, and promptly at 10 o'clock marched to the hall, the procession being headed by the Second Regiment Band of the District National Guard, under command of Com- mander B. F. Entrikin of Thomas Post. The hall was handsomely decorated with flags and bunting, “Old Glory,” of course, predominating. The children marched up- on the stage, the embers of the other organizations sealing themselves in the body of the hall. The exercises were con- ducted by Commander Entrikin. Commander B. P. Entriken. Commander B. P. Entrikin welcomed the post and audience. He said: “We are assembled on this di to us whose heads are becoming frosted with the snows that never melt, the red-letter day of the whole year, with its hallowed mem- ories—to offer our tribute of respect to those who thirty odd years ago marched with us to the music of the Union, but whose marches over, have pitched their ‘silent tents on Fame’s eternal camping ground.’ “I am glad to note the presence of and bid welcome to these memorial exercises the different ages I see before me—the chil- dren, the boys and girls now, the men and women of the next generation; the young B. P. Entrikin. men and maidens, soon to take their places on the stage of action as the men and wo- men of tomorrow; those in the prime of manhood and womanhood, who were born prior to or during the struggle in freedom’s cause, and to whom the dark days of war and rebellion are but a faint memory, as well as those who lived in the time when men’s souls were tried, may all here learn the needed lessons of patriotism—love for country, the Union and the flag, and also realize something of the cost of the bless- ings which we now enjoy, made possible by the sacrifices of the living, as well as the dead, whose memory we honor this day. ““Fime, the tomb-builder; time, the healer of all wounds, has softened the bitterness and thrown into shadow much of the sor- rows and suffering incident to the prose- cution of that long and bloody war. Add- ed to this, the persistent attempts which have been made to belittle the heroic achievements of the defenders of the Union, it is not strange that the survivors, after the lapse of a third of a century, find themselves obliged to raise their voices in @ note of warning, lest the lessons of the struggle be not read aright and our heroes have died in vain. “Let us here and now receive anew a baptism of the spirit which animated those who from 1861 to 65 laid their all upon the altar of their country, and honor the mem- ory of our noble dead, who gave the last full measure of the sacrifice demanded— even life itself—that our country might re- main forever free, forever undivided.” After Adjutant W. W. Deloe had read the memorial orders, a quartet, composed of Messrs. George P. Tucker, A. R. Tay- lor, C. G. Abbott and J. W. Taylor, ren- dered “How Sleep the Brave,” after which the school children took part in a very beautiful exercise, decorating a miniature monument placed upon the stage, and in- scribed ‘In Honor of Our Dead.” Each little girl was dressed in white, with a black sash across her shoulders. On her head was a crown, on which was written the name of the state she represented. The boys wore white caps, on The bands of which were the names of the respective states they represented. Every state in the Union was represented, and every boy and girl carried a small copy of “Old Glory.” Each girl also carried a wreath or bunch of flowers, and as Mrs. Mamie P. Dorsey called the names of the states the boy and girl representing that state would step to the front, recite a verse of poetry typical of the state, and then the girl would place her flowers ‘on the monument, and the boy would salute the flag. Miss Dor- othy Houcher, attired as the Goddess of Liberty, recited a patriotic selection, in connection with part of the program, after which the children sang “America.” The school children then left the stand to the music by the band of “Onward, Christian Soldiers,” when the officers of Thomas Post recited the impressive G.A.R. memorial services, a quartet, composed of Misses Clara Tucker and Mattie Blanchard and Messrs. George P. Tucker and°C. G. Abbott, following a rendition of “‘The Hon- ored Brave.” Comrade J. B. Dowd next read Lincoln's Gettysburg address, when Comrade E. J. Brooking read the following original poe: Forget Me Not. ‘Their work & Sone, ase tale is told; Past are those deadly years of strife reced! Into the vista of the long ago; 5 ‘The once new graves have now grown old, And Nature’s sheen has many years becn feeding Upon the dust of those who lic below. “Lead Kindly Light."" with gentle ray, Unto the path that leads from care and sorrow tot . brighter. better land, ‘Where Memory’s emblems ne'er decay, ‘Nor Love's sweet blossoms wither on the morrow. Nor Life's best hopes be wrecked upon the strand. The orator of the day, Assistant Secre- tary of Agriculture J. 8. Brigham, was next introduced by Commander En- trikin: Col. Brigham’s Address. The address of Colonel Brigham, assist- ent secretary of agriculture, at the morn- ing service was an eloquent one. He said: “We have assembled on this occasion to Pay our annus! tribute of respect to the memory of those who offered their lives to Preserve the unity of the nation and ‘keep Col. Brigha.., the jewel of liberty in the family of free- dom.’ We understand very well that noth- ing we can say or do at this time can in any way effect our departed comrades. Their battles have all been fought. Earth has no more victories or defeats for them. “The chief purpose of these annual cerc- monies is to instill into the minds of the young and rising generation the great price that was paid for the liberty and the privileges which they now enjoy as cit- izen sovereigns of the grandest nation in all the world. It has been truly said that ‘eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.’ The true patriot must ever be cn the alert and ever prepared to do battle for the right. No one has a better right to lead or @ greater duty to perform in the mat- ter of educating the young in patriotism and fidelity than the old soldier of the re- public. They should be taught to avoid the mistakes that were made in the past, which were followed by such a harvest of sorrcws dealt. Neglect or violation of plain duty always results in disaster. Tae causes which contributed to bring about the late war are very well understood by those of us who lived in that trying period. but it is necessary that this knowledge shall be imparted to those who came after. “One of the principal causes was an in- tense partisan spirit which actuated and controlled many of our people. Party or- ganizations arc a necessity in a republic, but they should be controlled by patriotic men, and the interests of the country skould always be held above those of any Pelitical party, It is the plain duty of surviving comrades to do all in their pow- er to hold within proper bounds partisan spirit. Had our people been as closely united by lines of communication and as thoroughly informed of conditions in ail parts of our country as they are today it would hardly have been possible to have invelved them in a war with its attendant horrors. Doings Its Work. “Perhaps no other agency has done more than tre Grand Army of the Republic to instil patrictism and love of country into the minds and hearts of our people. Tnis organization, being national in its char- acter, has an influence as wide as the na- tion itself, and each member of this grand organization, no matter how humble a po- sition he may hold therein, if true to his obligations and the principles of the or- der, is doing just as patriotic work today as he ever did upon the battlefields of the = ParSometimes, in the struggle for a lvell- heod, the old soldier may feel that he is not appreciated and that republics are un- grateful, but he may rest securely on the record of the past. His heroic deeds will never be forgotten, but in the future, near and far, the generations to come will proudly trace their lineage back to those who wore the blue, and glory in their deads of heroism. “We cannot, however, afford to rest upon our laurels. The battles have not all been fought, nor all the victories won. There has always been a struggle between right and wrong in this world of ours, and there has always been and always will be work for brave and patriotic men. We should always feel that it is our duty to watch every interest of our country and try in every possible way to defend its honor and add to its glory and renown. Other Heroes. “We must not forget in these anaual gatherings, when we meet to fight our bat- tles o'er again, that the boys who wore the biue were not the only heroes of the late war. The father who sent his sof to fight his battles, whilst he remained at home, was as patriotic and true to the demands of the country as the boy who shouldered the musket. Many instances of sublime heroism on the part of the fathers and mothers come up fresh to our minds as we remember the stirring time of '61-'65. Many a father and mother sent their only son many a wife bade farewell to her husband: sisters and brothers to those they loved, and whilst their eyes were blinded with tears, their hearts beat high with love for country and their country’s flag. No one suffered more during the great struggle than those who sent their loved ones into the very jaws of death itself. Day by day they watched with palpitating hearts and blanched cheeks the reports of the dead and wounded on the battlefields. All honor to those heroic men and women of ‘the times that tried men’s souls.’ “In every patriotic work the old soldiers should lead, as they led when shot and shell filled the air. It requires more cour- age to stand for the right under all cir- cumstances than it did to face the horrors of war If we do our whole duty, we may reasonably hope that our fair land will | never again resound to the tread of hostile Why meet we bere? Why bring these flowers? Why tokers scatter of our love and sorrow, hay tterness, armies, but that peace and harmony will everywhere prevail and that our nation will stand without a peer among the na- tions of the earth. Honor for the Dead. “It is very appropriate that we should meet thus for the purpose of honoring our heroic dead. In all ages and in all coun- tries patriotic people have delighted to hon- or the defenders of ‘their country, and whilst nothing that we can do can in any way affect the condition of those who have gone before, it must delight the hearts of those who yet mourn for loved ones to see their memory thus cherished and revered by their grateful countrymen. “Let us, then, while we live, continue to gather at the graves of our sleeping heroes and share in these ceremonies so long as a gle one of us is spared, and when the last soldier of the republic has tottered into the grave, we can safely leave to the sons —_ mek saree the work of c memory nation’s dead and t protection of the interests of our commen country.”” Mr, Brigham’s address 5 horts us to be ever mindful of their ex- ample. “Dr. Wilson, in one of his profound ser- mons a short time ago, speaking ‘of the eee nig of men’s actions, said: ‘You nat a grave deep enough, though yeu should go down to old earth's molten genter, to bury all of a man.’ And so it te. The lives of the men who served their country in its darkest days of affliction, wuile the furnace of trial was heated seven umes, have left their impress on this country and on the whole world. Marathon and Thermopylae pale into insignificance Leside the heroic devotion displayed by the Union soldiers. The question was whether government of the people, by the people and for the people should continue or should perish; whether civil rights should be extended to all the people or be confined to a favored class. Law und orier and freedom triumphed, and we are here to re- Joice in that triumph and to bring our tribute to the last resting place of those who brought about such great results. But their work is not yet done. They still speak to us and will continue to speak dowr through the ages to generations yet un- born. How little we realize that we are dey making history; yet we o have to look back a few short years to know that it is so. It has not been given to us to Write our part of the world’s history with bayonet and punctuate it with rifle and cannor shot, but we have our parts to do. Patriotism Needed, “The spirit of the fathers is in the chil- ren of the south, while among you people northern descent I have found a most woeful supineness in all that pertains to patriotism ard love of country. They pre- fer to make this day a holiday instead of a holy day sacred to the memory of patriots who sacrificed even life itself that the life of this nation might be preserved. A pic- nic or excursion is more attractive than participation in hcnoring a nation's heroes, Ah! ye dead. and ye who yet live, your work has only just begun. Father, have you done your full duty by your son; has he been faithfully instructed in his coun- try’s history and in patriotism? Will he take his place in that grand organiza- tion which must in time succeed to the duties and in some degree to the place of the Grand Army of the Republic? Mothers, will your daughters take their places beside their brothers and with all the ene.gy of the new woman of the com- ing days aid them in peace as you and all the gran¢ patriotic women of thirty- two, thirty-three and thirty-four years ago aided your brothers and husbands in the dark days of war, both at home and in the hospitals? All the great things of this age are accomplished through the medium of organ‘zation and co-operation. Are you and your daughters holding up the hands of the Grand Army of the Republic in uni- son with the Woman's Relief Corps or the Ladies’ Aid Societies? If not, you are fail- ing in your duty as you may find to your sorrow. Though the days of chivalry are said to be over, the men of this day are as fond of the plaudits of their fair ones as the men of yore were of theirs. We need you and we welcome you to the ranks = the teachers of and leaders in patrio- tism. Paying the Interest. “The war is over and in peace we here assemble to pay one year’s interest on the debt of gratitude we owe, and shall for- ever owe, to the departed who have pitched their tents on Fame's eternal camping ground. Reverently we call to mind the divinely appointed leader of the nation, the sympathetic yet majestic Lincoln, the devoted and persistent Grant, alike a sol- dier or a statesman as his country might demand; the steadfast Sherman and the deshing Sheridan, with all the other bril- Meat leaders of the time. “But there are some whose resting places, like that of Moses, cannot be pointed out. They are not, for God has taken them. And so we stand with bared heads bowed beside the unmarked grave and the tomb of the unknown dead, unknown to us, but known to the God of battles. The lives of these in their sphere were as essential to the life or the nation as the others, and in the great hereafter I doubt not we shall find their names engraved, each in its appro- priate place, in Fame's temple. These dead, to us unknown, have died that we might have the heritage of freedom, with a na- tion united, knowing no north, no south, no east, no west, for all coming time. Their services and sacrifices are appreciated, though we cannot call their names. “To the comrades of the great Union army who are with us, with whom we today join in memorial service, we of the yourger generation would say: “Your la- bors are appreciated, your lessons are heeded, and when you shall have been called to your reward, your memory, like that of these who have gone before, will be held dear and the work you have so well commenced will still be carried on.’ ” Master Ed. M Webster recited in a very taking way “There is No Flag Like Our Own Red, White and Blue,” little Miss Jo- sephine Faulkner making quite a hit with her song of “Old Glory.” Then, after the gathering had sung the Doxoiogy, the ex- ercises were concluded by the invoking of the Divine blessing by the Rey. John L. Walsh, pastor of the Douglass Memorial M. E. Church, OAK HILL AND HOLY ROOD Exercises Had Under Auspioes of George U. Morris Post. George U. Morris Post, No. 19, G. A. R., of Georgetown, had charge of the decora- tion of the graves of the Union soldier Gead in Oak Hill and Holy Rood cemeter- ies. On account of this detail, the post did not march in the regular parade to Arling- ton, but assembled at the headquariers in Stohlman’s Hgll, on N street near 324 street, shortly after 9 o'clock, and marched to the two cemeteries named, where the special services were held. Last evening the post assembled at its headquarters, and marched in a body and in full uniform to the Gay Street Baptist Church, corner of 3ist and N streets, where Rev. W. 8. 0. Thomas, the pastor, de- livered an appropriate memorial sermon. The post this morning started on its march, headed by Caldwell’s full band. The champion Company H of the Western High School followed, and acted as an es- cert. Then came the post. The march was made to Oak Hill cemetery first, where the special exercises were had. A’ committee of the organization, consisting of Messrs. B, T. Janney, chairman; J. W. Kirkiey, George W. Fietcher, Martin B. Lichty and Henry Williams, was in charge of the cem- etery, where there are, in all, 290 graves of known soldiers, and about 100 unknown. Quite a number of distinguished survivors of the war rest in the beautiful place, and not one grave was neglected. The wives of the members of the post turned out, and assisted m the decoration of the graves. In all of the public scnools of this section a special collection of fiowers was made for the purpose, and several wagon loads of floral tributes were sent to the two cemeteries. The post entered the grounds by the east gate, and proceeded first to the grave of Commodore George U. Morris, after whom the organization is named. While the band grouped on one side, the members of the jt were on the other, and the “Star ngled Banner” was played. I: is related that the deceased, when he commanded his boat at Hampton Roads, just before going into action, hoisted the American flag, call- ed the crew together, and ail sang that in- spiring battle hymn. ‘The main services of the cemetery were held in the chapel, with a large throng on the outside. The opening remarks were made by Mr. B. T. Janney, the cnairman of the committee and past commander of the post. He stated that this was ‘he free- precious the Grand Army medals that were ‘worn on the breasts of the survivors. He moped that our M« lay may be to the dead their coronation. At the conclusion of his remarks he read the celebrated ident Lin- coln, delivered on the fieli of Gettysburg. The band played “Bweet Land of Liberty,” after which Rev. W. 8. O.