Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1861-03-02
Prom the ohio State Journal.
DYING AT THE FLAG STAFF,

DYING AT THE FLAG STAFF
We are sorry to learn from the telegraph that
the garrison Of For. Kearney have given out that
sooner than let the stars and stripes be hauled
down, every soldier will die OF the foot Of the flag
staff.
To die at the feet of aag-sts1s is indeed sublime
and beautiful, and we do not find fault with the
abstract idea. Neither does the patriotism Of tho
yirtuous determination offend Us. We think that
e few deaths at the feet Of H~ag-stafs would be
good for the Union, (which certainly needs some
shing) if they were deaths, in fact, and not mere
rhetorical associations.
But we have noted that the expression Of be-
roic sentiments is often not followed by perform
ance.
1.-THE Eighty purpose never is o'ertook
Unless the deed go with it,"
And as the probability Of an attack upon Fort
Kearney by the seceEsionists is yet remote, why
let fly the purpose of dying OF the foot Of the flag
staff
There has been a great deal Of this sort Of de-
votion to the country shown, since our troubles
began, and perhaps familiarity has bred contempt
for the prevalent virtue.
In Congress, an hundred speeches have been
made mot to mention those undelivered speeches
which still clog the brains Of wembers), and every
speaker has expressed a wish TO die in some form
or other, if his death will at all assist to keep tho
Union going. All over the country, the already
dead--and this we consider a remarkable sacrifice
have resuscitated themselves, and offered 10 die
over again for the Union. But so far there has
been very little dying done. The orly case which
has come to our knowledge 10 that Of on unhappy
- A;.a.,a.1o; ,.LD - Ls....lf 2. - A.
cave his country. III would occur to sone Of
our osher devoted patriots TO follow 'ha, bright sz-
ample, who knows but the country might be
savsdf, For ourselves, we will no. die. il reason-
able exertion can avoid it, for any Union whasso-
ever. But We will nobly offer up our friends, and
we think this is oil that could be asked. For the
soldiers Of the regular service, indeed-if they
perish in our defence, we take no merit in the act.
They were enlisted for such q length Of time, for
so much a month. If any die at the feet of flag
stats, in preference to having the stars and stripes
hauled down, that is no honor to us.
We fly to serene and selfish philosophy, because
we believe that it says all other people mean, while
they soy q great deal more. But however We in
sist upon our cakes aud ale, we do not demand
shat other people shall indulge in sinful luxuries,
publicly. They can still drink wine privately and
preach water to their fellow men. Only We give
them warning that we do not think their way Of
, saving the Union is any better than ours.
An aged politician has twics shed tears-tsafg
Q salt as the saline boilings Of bis youth-over the
u pangs of the Union. That was very good, and 90
were other effusioLs Of sentiment and sympathy,
n which have been common. But in the meantime
State after State has seceeded bandits have sci.
d zed the federal arsenals in CottOnland, and thieves
have plundered the mint at New Orleans. Ii 90
ours to ssk-wbether all this weeping and vail
ing, and yearning to die has done more good than
the cheerfulness Of honest persons, who have not
appeared unto men to fastf
We long, in effect, for o little expression OF the
sincere selfshness which anima.es people in re-
gard to the Union. Nobody, this side of dotsge.
rsveres the mere idea Of a Union. We love the
Union, because it has assisted the developement
of American individual greatness. II the sggre-
gate manhood has outgrown lit is dissolved. IL
We are better without it, it ought to be hated, not
loved.
Nothing illustrates more thoroughly the utter
hypocrisy Of the cant Of Unionism, than the fact
that the most blatant Union entimentalizer in
the North, are the men who have fra.ernized in
:, principle with the secessionists, and have dsnoun-
ced every atttempt to execute the laws, in the Vir-
: tue Of which the Union alone exists.
: Regard for a moment the devotion Of our Demo
cratic brethren to the UnionI What n noble, sin-
cere and logical thing it isi II.
Let us have no more talk about dying around
:. 6~ag-stafs and all that, for nobody will really d.
anything Of the kind for the UDion--DobOdy from
the soldiers in the beleagured forts down to James
Buchanan in the cabinet. Each will try to do
what is safest and hest for himself. IL the mem
. be-s Of the garrisons are killed, ii will be as sol.
ciers and not as patriots, particularly. II any
UniOn-saving civilian is offered up. il will be a. q
victim and not as q martyr.
nal