ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 233 



dead past and its dead actors, we bring forward today 

 for the emulation of, and as an example to the living. 



The prophet Ezekiel twenty-five hundred years ago 

 called upon the dry bones in the valley to rise and live, 

 and lo! they stood before him; and the Lord said unto 

 him, "Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and 

 say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God ; come from the 

 four winds, breath, and breathe upon these slain, that 

 they may live. So he prophesied as commanded, and the 

 breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon 

 their feet, an exceeding great army." 37 Ezekiel. 



We cannot perform the miracle of Ezekiel, but in our 

 minds on this occasion, let us bring back, as far as pos- 

 sible, the memory of that great army of the dead who fell 

 in our own war; or who have since its termination gone 

 down to their graves in peace. 



The comrades who are here may recall forms and faces, 

 and clothe their souls again with flesh, but to the younger 

 generation that army is as much a thing of the past as 

 the dead army of Israel. The average human life of a 

 generation is thirty-three years, and a generation has 

 passed since the period that we now recall. In those 

 dreadful days grief burned faster than tears could drown. 

 And, after this lapse of time, instead of grieving that 

 these men are dead, we rejoice rather that they have 

 lived. 



The Grand Army of the Republic feels no vindictive- 

 ness after all these years; it is full of fraternity and 

 charity and above all it places loyalty. The Grand Army, 

 however, will always recognize the merit of having fought 

 upon the right side in that contest. 



The old soldiers who are here today are not what they 

 used to be. Not long ago I witnessed a soldiers' gather- 

 ing where the veterans formed in line, with drums beat- 

 ing and colors flying, and saw a young mother with her 



