Daily national Democrat., 1861-07-26
MARYsvILLE, July, 1861.

the modest speech of the historian Motley,
presenting the American flag to Col Gorden's
regiment, Of Massachusetts,;
wisk that some worthier and more ex-
perienced speaker could have performed this
service. And yet could not find it in my
heart to deny myself the deep qualification
of associating my namc,in however subor-
dinate degree, with this noble regiment
and this most interesting occasion. | implore
your forgivness for my inability adequately
to express the emotions which are filing all
our hearts. You will not value the less this
gift from the fair hands ofyour countrywomen
from those who are near and dear to YOU,
because of my deficiency. Never in my life
did | so covet the divine gift of eloqutnce as
| for had the tongue of angels | could not
hope to match the mute eloquence of those
stars and those stripes Nearly century
| ago, there, beyond the green hills, in the fair
and ancient town Of Cambridge, the seat of
the MUSES., on the lst OF January, l77G, that
banner Of stars and stripes was first unfurled
to the breeze by the great hand Of Wash
ington. The Continental Congress, eighteen
months later, added the cluster of stars
Then rose that glorious constellation never
more to set. The starry symbol of our Union,
respected abroad on land and sea, and idol
lied at home, was never degraded or trailed
in the dust till 1861, and never by the hands
OF foreigners Never shall living man forget
how the hearts of all loyal Americans,
whether dwelling OF this or the other side OF
the Atlantic, were thrilled as by the sound
OF The trumpet, when We first caught the re-
sponse to the call of the President icr volun-
teers-the voices of twenty millions whose
bosoms we're one. To your hands, Col Cor
don, to your tried valor, to your signal abili-
ty, to your fortunate military experience on
the field Ofhonor, we gladly intrust these our
most precious possessions, the hcne and mus
Gle Of our most ancient Commonwealth, and
the ASPIRATIONS and the ardor of the youth
iul chiyairy Of our State. We know that in
your hands and in those Of our brave COM
panions in arms the welfare and honor Of the
whole country are spfe. Our hearts are too
full for words Our hopes, cur prayers, our
pride, everything but our fears, go with you
In the name of your country women | pre-
sent you with this flag We know that It's
folds viii never be stuined-that they will
ever wave foremost among the foremost
where duty and honor calls As | place it
in your hands, | will only add the brief and
simple phrase of the herald in the early days
Of warfare and of chivalry,
"Alay God defend the right"
TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.-On pine wood
shed, in an alley dark, whore scattered moon
beams fitted through a row Of totteriug
chimneys, and an awning, torn and droop-
ing fell, strobe back and forth, with stiff
and tense-draWn muscle and peculiar tread
Il cat.
His name was Norval. On yonder neigh
boring shed his father fought the cats that
came in squads from streets beyond, in search
of food and strange adventure.
Grim war he courted and his twisted tail,
and spine uploaving in fantastic curve. and
claws distended, and ears natly pressed
against head thrown back dehantly, told
of impending strife.
With eyes agleam, and screechng blast of
war, ard steps as of the falling dew, young
Norval crept elong the spliutered edge, and
gazed moment through the darkness down,
with tail away triumphantly
Then, with an imprecation and a growl
perhaps an oath, in direst vengeance
hissed 49, he started back, and, crooked in
body like letter S-or rather like a U in
yeeted--stood in fierce expectancy.
Twas we'll. With eyeballs glaring and
ears aslant, and open month in which two
conformity, slow up a post, from ont the dark
below, II head appeared A dreadful tocsin
of determined stlife Young Norya uttered
then, with face unblanched, and moustache!
standing straight before his nose, and tail
flung wildly to the passing breeze, stepped
back in cautious invitation to the foe.
Approached the other and with prepara-
tions dire, each cat surveyed the vantage off
the field. Around they walked, with tails |
uplifted in the air, while from their mouths
in accents Kissing with consuming rage drop |
ped brief but awful sentences of hate
Thrice round the roof in circle each with
eye upon the foe ntently bent; then, side
wise moving, as is wont with cats, gave one
long dlawn, terrific, savage VOW, and buckl
ed in.
Too fur hew A mist of hair hung Der thoa
battlefield High above the din of pass
ing wagons rose the dreadful tumut of sirug
Cling cats. So cleaned their eyes in frenzy
that to me, who saw the conflict from win !
dow near, naught else was plain but fiery
stars that moved in orbits most eccentric. !
An hour they struggled in tempestuous
night then faint and fainter grew the squall
of war; until all sound ives hushed. Then
went forth with lamp in hand, and by its
ghostIy light the field surveyed. What sa W
|? Six claws-one ear-of teeth, perhaps
a handful-and save fur, nought else except
a solitary tail. The tail was Norvars by
aing | knew't. The ear was. But wen
let thematter rest The tail will do without
the ear.
An UNREASONABLE REQUEST hen the
United States army started for L tab there
was scarcity of transportation; or, in other
words, there were too few baggage wagons
Now, every soldier knows how like the apple
of ones e5e are these same baggage wagons