Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-08-16

streams Of our own land; amid fields and
waving grain; amid the songs Of the reaper
and the tinkings of the shepherds bell that
were nurtured those rare virtues which
clustered starlike in the character of Wash
inSton, and lifted him i'm moral stature a
head and shoulders above even the demigods
of ancient story. " ".
There is one most striking and distinguish
ing feature OF your mission that should never
be lost sight OF. You are not about to in
wade the territory of foreign enemy, nor is
your purpose that of conquest or spoilation
Should you occupy the South, you will do so
as friends and protectors, and your aim will
be not to subjugate that betrayed and dis
tracted country, but to deliver it from the re-
morseless military despotism by which it is
trodden down. Union men, who are your
brethren throng IN those States and will listen
for the coming footsteps of your army, as the
Scottish maiden of Lucknow listened for the
airs of her native land. 1t is true, that amid
the terrors and darkness which prevail there,
they are silenced and are now unseen, but be
assured that by the light of the Stars you
carry upon your banner you will find them
all. 1t has been constantly asserted by the
conspirators throughout the south, that this
is war of subjugation on the part of the
Government of the United States, waged for
the determination OF Southern institutions,
and by vandals and miscrcants, who, in the
fury other passions, spare neither age nor
sex nor property. Even one of the Contede-
rate Generals has so far stepped himself in
iniamy as to publish, in choice billing gate,
the base calumny, through an official pro-
But when you meet in battle array those
atrocous conspirators, who, at the head of
armies, and through woes unutterable, are
seeking the ruin of our common country, re.
member that since the sword famed over the
portals of Paradise until now, it has been
drawn IN no hOller cause than that in which
you are engaged. Remember too, the millions
whose hearts are breaking under the auguisl,
OF this terrible crime, and then strike boldly,
strike in the power of truth and duty, strike
with bounG and a shout, well assured that
your blows will fall upon ingratcs, and traitors
and parricides, whose lust for power would
make this bright land one vast Golgotha,
rather than be baked of their guilty aims,
and may tho God of your fathers give you
victory. " * IS 81
| am grateful to you all, but especially to
our fair country women, for this distinguish
ed reception. 1t can never be forgotten that
it was from Spartan mother that came those
words of heroic patriotism which have never
been cqualed by any that have fallen from
the lips Of man. For more than twenty cen
tures the deepening shadows have fallen
| upon the rivers and the seas, upon the noun
| tains and plains Of the past, and yet from the
midst of all this gloom these words still CLEAN
out upon us like lightning from Summer s
cloud For more than two thousand years
! the earth has been convulscd and shaken to
its moral foundations nations and genera
tons of nations have risen and perishcd by
slow decay or amid the shock of battles and
the wall of our stricken race has gone up over
the scpulchres alike of men and Of empires.
Yet above all, these words have hoatcd
down TO us, and still float abroad upon the
airs of the world like some kindling strain OF
music, ever caught up and ever repeated
with flashing eyes and heard With wildly pull
sating hearts. Such is the power of patriot
ism, and such the spell its truthful express
ion exerts over the great spirit of humanity
To woman, ever timid in the sunshine, but
ever brave in the storm, we offer our thanks
| for this, and we feel that we must shut our
ears to the voice Of her love, and veil our
souls from the Examinations of her presence,
| before we can cease to be willing to live and
to die in defense of those institutions, which,
more than all others that have existed. have
given to her that position of dignity and
moral power which the shining impress she
bears from her Creators hands so fully
entities her to occupy.