The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1863-03-20
For the Post.l
Excuses for not Fighting.

And ihsy all began ri& consent to aeks
/ e1cHse."
A vile and brutA hand now desolaies our land,
And robs us of our rights with foul and bloody
hand;
Amercenary horde. they come with hrsand swarr
To burn our pleasant homes and scatter death
abroad.
Sure every on and sire vlib ps'-iatc IRE.
win meet the vandal foe inGarnod by black ,sire
And hurl him reeling back upon his bloody track
viii any now prove false, or proper courage iaes'
The Congress say indeed, If We viii but take heed
To OIL diminished ranks with new rseruie, sba
| speed,
Our land viii soon be purgol the syoiIsrsi,aiiy
scourged--
So every mothers sen shesii l,ssssad.le urs,.
Boz ~ before occurred IS told in Holy Word,
very lev Inclined 90 buckle on tls swords
he mos made some excuse, of winch they we're
psoiuse
"a 'rst4 unite many things thoy thought of
equa ase.
Some tbought Indeed and said-"ou ,oiaie.
mnst be fed,
Or not at all can they against the foe be led;
80, Jo''ths counirys sake We ought to try to make
Some Dread ard meat, OF which our army shall
partake." a.
Some said" the soldier trod cold winters frozen
clod
And therefyre he should be both warm and thor
orgbly shod;
And therefore they would rather furnish him with
leather,
Than go with him to camp and stay cut in the
weather."
Some said-"prny do excuse if we may also
choose
To take the soldiers leather and mako his boots
and shoes;
They Il keep him dry and warm-his feet will feel
no harm,
While passing safely through the Winters pelting
storm"
s ':ne said" the people must in 'skiNtM Drug
gists trust
To sell them drops and drugs and medicated dust;
Dispense both draught anu pill, no matter for the
bill,
Prepared by practiced hands with phaymaccntic
skill"
(And doubtless they are right; SO a small num-
Der quite,
Tins coylly psrap tho 1oucpr of Grh
AT home they snug remain, through fear Of beiay
slain,
Prete"dmgt to allay and soften human pain
Some seek thaI'a'e P,s'4 of every grade almost
From iio- sud 'coftfe sAop, % cicfesib sad iro.
gosf
These have a'..s.al charm Con bose Who dread
the storm
Of ca"isteconi gyape and battles rude alarm. /.
Some said they did believe munitions we must
have
lis no more use to fight than wo-k in Nitre Gaze;
Some did the question moot-('twas striking at
the root
Of teaching the youg idea the proper way to
shoof.
While s,mo it has been told, grew prematurely oid
Who, bmJor that would fight far they ,Oere pienty
botd(D
Others did closely scan, and make us understand
The rights Of him whose home is in foreign land.
But what does most surprise-ono scarce believes
his eyes,
How, in these times of wars, such grave disten,-
pers rise;
The strangest thing of all, how they do so befall
Those who alone refuse to heed their couutry's call
Some take it now, aack deep seated in the back,
lis equal to The tortures of the POpish rack
Some feel it in the face, but then it shifts apaee
They feel it after while in almost every place
Most apt does the disease the stoutcst coascripf
seize,
And nothing but exemption will give the patient
ease;
And th9, just at the start it !oled the learned art
'Tis now supposed to be ,oeokness ofthe heart.
1t cannot be denied, that many thus avoid
The dangers of the field and keep themselves
employed
AT every trick and trade, and shifts of every
shade,
To keep them from the place of which they are
afraid
But those who are so base, to seek an easy place,
To keep them out of ranks, wiz meet with sure
disgraee;
No art can hide their shame, they'll ever have the
name
OF COWARD and PoLrRooS, and win cowards
fame g