The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-03-29
From the augusta Con,titutionalist.
The Southern Dead.

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From the augusta Constituionalist
The Southern Dead.
We take great pleasure in copying the
following beautiful tribute to the South
ern Dead from the Columbus Sun and
Times. Its suggestions are worthy of our
heroic women and the loved ones that
they propose to commemorate. 1t would
be "gilding refined gold" to add single
word to this touching appeal, and if We
dare say ought further, it is that the
ladies of Columbus may not be alone in
this holy undertaking. Let the ladies Of
Augusta, and of the South at large, emu
late grand duty SO worthiIy inaugura-
ted:
COLUMBUS, Ca, March 10, 1866.
Messrs. Editors: The ladies are now,
and have been for several days: engaged
in the sad but pleasant duty of ornamen-
ting and improving that portion of the
city cemetery sacred to the memory Of
our gallant Confederate dead, but we feel
it an unfinished work unless a day be set
apart annually for its especial attention.
We cannot raise monumental shafts, and
inscrbe thereon their many deeds of he
roism, but we can keep alive the memory
of the debt we owe them, by at least
dedicating one day in each year to en-
belishing their humble graves with flow
ers Therefore, we beg the assistance'of
the Press and the ladies throughout the
South, to aid us in our efforts to set apart
q certain day to be observed from the Po
tomac to the Rio Grande, and be handed
down through time as religious custom
of the country to wreathc the graves Of
our martyred dead with flowers. (We
would propose the I'd Wednesday in May,
as at that time our land may be truly
called the Gland of dowers.") Let every
city, town and village, join in the pleas
ant duty; let all be alike remembered,
from the heroes of Manassas to those who
expired amid the death throes of our hal
lowed cause. Well crown alike the hon.
ored resting places of the immortal jack
son, in Virginia, Johnson, Of Shiloh, Gle
burne, in Tennessee, and the host of gal
CANT privates who adorned our ranks-all
did their duty, and to all we owe onr graft
tude. Let the soldiers grave, for that day
at least e the Southern Mecca, to whose
shrine her sorrowing women, like pill
grims, may annually bring their grateful
hearts and floral offerings. And when
we remember the thousands who were
buried with "their martial cloak around
them" without Christian ceremony Of in
terment for their beloved bodies, we
would invoke the aid of the most thrilling
cloquence throughout the land, to inau-
gurate this custom by delivering on the
appointed day, this year, an eulogy on
the unburied dead of our glorious South
ern army They died for their country.
Whether their country had. or had not,
the right to demand the sacrifice, is ne
longer a question of discussion with us.
We leave that for the future nation to
decide That it was demanded, that they
nobly responded, and fell holy sacrifices
upon their country altar, andare thereby
entitled to their country's gratitude,
none will deny.
The proud banner under which they
rallied in defence Of the noblest cause for
which heroes fought, or trusting woman
prayed, has been furled forever. The
country for which they suffered and died
has now no name or place among the ma
tions of the earth. Legislative enact
ments may not now be made to dc honor
to their memories-but the veriest Radi-
cal that ever traced his geneology back
to the deck of the May Flower, could not
deny us the simple privilege of paying
honor to those who died defending the
life, honor and happiness of the
SOuTHERN WOMEN