Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-07-10

rope, they stu kept trimmed and burning
the glorious hear;-fres of their Hope, in
whose magic light. shaekles changed TO
wreaths of immortality. and sesffolds to the
aitar-piles of an illusirious martyrdom. But
handful 10 numbers. aud unused to any arts
OF war, except those needed in TIE rude hand
to-hand conflict of the border-tbey met in
triumphant conflict. the drilled and skillful
veterans of the mighiiest nation on the globe.
In the times that tried mems souls, they were
supported, because they remained true to the
souls which were tried-true to the valiant
honesty of their own hearts
He is poor discerner of the human spirit,
who can fancy for moment, that they were
Impeiled by any sordid or mercenary motive.
The acquisitions of the stamp Act were as
nothing-the tax on tea was the merest fTI-
f1ie IN their consideration; but when obedi-
ence TO such DEGREES was tainted with igno-
mioy, though all the cd Is were against them.
tney rose up IN their indestTuctible manhood
to cut for themselves clear, clean path
through every impairment, SO condensing
their Intelligence into heroic will, that they
thought in deeds aud found language in
events, upon which History has delighted to
dwell. Hazarding evprything-life itself,
devoted first, If ne be--they went forth
the unnamed emigods'-delighting to suf-
fer and bleed for Right the principles of seif-
government and the independence of the hu-
man mind. They knew that those principles
aud those alone. had thus far, amid the vicis-
STUDIES of the years, pre- .erved and redeemed
the Anglo Saxon race from destruction and
from vassalage; that those principles, under
God, had been mighty in saving the world
from the debasmeut of the Many by the un-
natural despotism of the Ten.
They dared to throw down the gauntlet of
defiance to an Empire, regarded as invincibic
they dared to assail principles, well-nigh
as old as humanity itself, and to leap with
unawed and unrespecting foot upon the
proudrst ramparts of monarchy, though all
fes,ooned with the moss of ages and all frown-
ing with the Fashioned defences of Tyranny
Heaven blessed them in the act. The entrea-
ties of Washington were not in vain, and
God, in answer to the f,rvent, effectuai
prayer of a righteous patriotism. let loose
His proudest eagles of victory to perch upon
the standards of the Men of 70
The conservation of their blessed fame has
been the pride of their descendants. Genius,
Eloquence and Art have combined to canon
ize them and the cause which they defended.
For US they toiled and fought-for us and
our good, many of them went, willing. to
untimely graves-sinking to their rest, like
suns, whose light made even the dark noun
tain-tOps of Death look beautiful for awhile
Leaving behind them names and memories.
around which shall ring the fine music OF
praise and blessing forevermore. The inberi-
lance, transmitted TO US, was worthy of such
givers. A country was Oequeathed whose
prime of martial might. by rare felicity,
conceded with the period of her unrivalled
civic splendOr; In whose heart was tumul
tuous swelling. at the magnificent dream OF
empire, which was opening, slowly yet
grandly to her view. Her attitude was bold,
erect, fearless and towards the Future. The
stand I'd, which symbolized her beauty and
her power, fioated 10 the free air from the
farthest post of leadership, along the noun.
tain-pass OF Progress and her advancing car
of State was the one, whose STATELY roll re-
sounded first and loudest ''down tue ringing
grooves of Time"
On each return OF the Nations birthday.
decrepit Age OF gleeful Childhood, fair women
and brave men, coDjoined in p9eans to the
Heroes of the Fist Revolution and their
crowned accomplishment; and the whole
American people, SO united in thanking the
great Arbiter of the affairs of men, for such
sires and such legacy, that their Inscriptions
of praise rose, like the sound Of many wa
tiers 'when deeu answered. unto Deep" You
know what rejoicings, in The times that are
passed AID gone, you greeted the recurrence
OF this day. In almost every town and ham
let of what was once our fair and happy
country,-embracing in its wide encircling
reach, the bleak Glands of Maine and tht.
sunny glades of Florida, the gold hearted
hills by the Pacific and the blue heights 0
Allegheny, the woody depths of Oregon and
the grassy pampas of Texas and the vast in
Iervening space-in almost ev9ry district OF
this immense expanse, proud ciiiz nship
observed with worthy cereDouials, the b. nor
ed Sabbath of Freedom. Glad hearts thrill
ed and bright eyes shone The brighter, on this,
the fesIal day of the Republic.
Amid the exuItant laundering of guns,
and the wave and hutter OF starry bannrrs-
amid rending cheers and choral bursts of
melody, panegyrics to American greatness
aud recitals of American renown betokened
the nations gratitude and the nations hope.
Our assembling to-day, however, is far from
being one of such unminged joy. 1t is now
rather time for memory andStOr tears. In
only one fast-hOwn year, what momemtuous
changes haVS been wrought aud with what
marvellous quickness has the overruling
ID, Stiny stricken our former hopes, all dis
TIMED and shattered. to the earth! The lesson
Is a terrible one and the punishment is
most servere. Let US receive it in
proper spirit. National vanity is grevous
folly; but if national pride be a fault it is
certainly glorious fault, and it is no marvel
that we chung with proud trust and proud
courage to our country presenting as it did,
the finest and most truthful embodiment of
popularwill and intellect and power, the world
has yet seen. In the old flag, we beheld with
poetic passion. the symbol which marshalled
the steps OF our lives as citizens. Each star
of that solemn and radient emblem was
mirrored in the depths of our souls. As the
gods of antiquity are said to have brooded
over the chosen cities of their affections, so
we folded our America to our hearts, with
the yearning of an especial love. With her
glory and her success, our hopes were linked
and no wODder-for we knew nothing else.
When the oldest man before me stepped into
the arena of active life, he found his country
blooming with the glow of her revolutionary
triumphs. No one of us beheld her first Sc
we're strugglings Tor eXi-tence. Our eyes first
saw her in full being, as suTmounted with the
hard won, but confident crown of her indie
pendence; "glittering with life and splendor
and joy-she cheered and adorned the eleva-
ted sphere, in which she bad just begun to
move" Her promise lay unrolled before US.
like a boundless panorama of delight. The
messengers of her commerce sped fast before
the gales of every CLINE and v'xed with d.
viding keels the waves of every sea, while on
the field, each man Of her soldiery seemed to
be himself, the advancing column of Victory.
Thus in supreme lovliness she stood, the calm
image of youth fulfilling a peerless destiny
Some of our most far-sighted men men fan
cied that they saw, erimsoning upon her
cheek, the flush of Immortality itself, nor
would admit even the possibility of Deaths
pale flag advancing there.
Under such influences, tho Statesmen of the
Union trembled with fine phrenzy, as
thousand inspirations leaped and poured
along, to feed for them the bculptured Urus
OF Eloquence; and as they themselves went
20 the shadowdy realms of Oath, they put
up to the throne of the Eternal, those splen-
did invocations for their country, which are
worthy to stand with the great oath of the
Greek, who swore to his comrades sby Mara
thon aud Salamis;" such final prayers, as was
bis, who asked that his last earthly look
might fall upon the gorgeous ensign of the
Republic, still full high advanced-not
stripe polluted. nor star obscured, bearing
all over its ample folds, that sentiment so
dear to every true American heart. .LibsrtY