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General Horace Porter delivered under the auspices of the Harvard Memorial Society the annual Memorial Day address in Sanders Theatre yesterday noon. The guests and students, led by the Sons of Veterans and Loyal Legion of Boston, marched to Sanders Theatre from University Hall. After the singing of "Fair Harvard" by the audience, which nearly filled the theatre, General Porter spoke in part as follows: "We gather to pay our respects to our comrades who died in the field. It is profoundly touching, it is inspiring, the thought that a great government instituted a great national day on which the feeble and young weave the flowers of spring and place them on the graves of the dead.
"We go forth today to decorate the graves of all heroes no matter in what war they fought, but the Civil War is naturally uppermost in our minds." General Porter than gave a short account of the war, stating the feelings which the progress of the struggle created throughout the North.
"It was not a war of aggrandizement. It was entered on as a solemn duty. The soldiers entered the ranks reluctantly and left gladly. They served in the spirit of the Shakesperian soldier, who said 'Cheer me on that we may reap the harvest of peace from this one act of bloody war!' They found treason and left loyalty, and made the name of American citizenship the proudest passport that a man can early throughout the entire world!
"The soldiers who fought in the war were those who first made the attempt to solidify the Union, and foremost among these was one who took for his motto, which is now indelibly engraved over his tomb at Riverside, 'Let us Have Peace!'
"The war has passed into history, but the great lesson should always be with us; it taught men how to command, and what is more difficult--how to obey. It taught patriotism and the appreciation of liberty, not unbridled license, but that liberty which recognizes obedience. It taught the earth that the American flag is not just a piece of bunting which can be bought at any time for a song, but that it is the emblem of dignity and power of a great Republic, which can never be insulted but millions will spring to its defence.
"If the time permitted, we should love to recall many of the alumni of this great institution who laid down their lives for their country. The chivalrous Devon, Wadsworth, and the gallant Shaw, for although he never graduated he deserves to be ranked among the alumni of this University. When the sergeant, in calling the roll, comes to the name of Latour, his comrades in the ranks salute and answer--'Dead on the Field of Honor.' So should we rise when the roll is called and answer not for just one comrade, but for scores of thousands of comrades--'Dead on the Field of Honor!'" The exercises closed with "America" sung by the entire audience.
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