The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-22
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GRATITUDE.

A writer in the Lynn Reporter, who
signs himself "Soldier'' has q severe
article upon the broken promises OF the
party who bounded on the young men
Of that city to go South, with the cry of
| sage the Union,n leading them to be-
lieye that their places should he kept
open for them, and work in plenty SUR
piled to every soldier on his return. but
whose promises have nroved AZ fragile
rs rope Of sand. We masa q few ex-
tracts: He says "a few niehx ago
lecture was delivered in this citv hy
non. Ihomas Russell, for the henaiit -
the Lynn Army and Navy Union Tha
weather was fine, the lecturer seldnn,
lalis 10 draw full house, the cause =
worthy one, yet scarcely decent audi
en ,, coiiected, and the number of tickets
solu barely paid expenses He con
tihues, III this had been the first or tha
only instance in which good en,aro
prise, undertaken on behalf of the snI.
diers, had failed through the ind;ftar-
ehce Oh the public, 1t might have n.ssad
as an exceptional case, or reasonshiv
oeen ascribed to any but the ri0ht ons.
put when every public effort made hv
tne soldiers 70 help themselves, and to
neeip each other, comes to the same nm
, ,,,t' end, when every appeal to
pubic generosity, or to public 0ratit,,da
meets with the same indifferenco Ia
neglect, the conclusion is ineyitahis that
.ne PuDilc has no gratitude to snare
ana that the soldiers cause-sava a.,
cheap talk or buncombe speechesS,n.
selves. s tnen-
we are none Of us too old to remembar
.ne Gays or terror, when the merchants
a a,i.,, u.anuiacturers of Lynn came to us
their lars ha IN their eyes, and purses in
Ups, and begged us to save the co,,ntr,,
rom ruin; to stand between them and
uanger; TO sacrifice ourselves that thav
might De free and happy and rich. "GoH
.ney said, you that are Young ard
strong and brave. Go, stand nv v ~u
country IN the field, and we will stand
~ YOU AT nome. We will provide for
yuua wives and your children while Won
are absent, and If you never ret,,r,, ,.,s
VIII see that they never want r We
Work which you leave now Won, sh..H
nave again when you come hack - ;f
you come sick and disabled. we will
provide for YOU" WIZ
We listened to these pIausihIe h.
CUES; we dried the tears of the oanara...
pariots we refused their purses. hut ws
accepted their promises, and we wsrt
low nave their promises been re-.
aed leu After four years of danger
| -AAooC vi US VINO SURVIVED
the battle field, the hospital and lsSa
sounnern prisons, returned to LYNN
Ioollshly believing that our suffer;na.
were ended, and that the good words
VIM sped our departure would blossom
INTO good deeds to welcome orr retrrn
No; still it was only words-good word.
anu plenty of them, but nothing but
months passed, and the able bodied
were were i f,,s for the places they had left
too ,,, m.eo 3y others, and soldiers were
100 100 much demoralized to be trusted
, Inc manned and crippled begged in
.neir ragged uniforms, or crawled to
some hospital, or were sent to the moor
mousse. The widows and orphans of
,ne en VINO slept on southern battle-felds
OF private charity, or suppliants to the
0verseers OF the Poor. "-Salem (Mussl
L