The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1866-07-07
Memorial day in Richmond.

the people OF hicnmona unanimously
refrained from business and the ordi-
nary employments of everyday life,
hocking to Hollywood Cemetery, all
animated by common purpose, to do
honor to the heroic dead therein sleep
ing, with floral tributes and testimo-
mails. We find the following COM
ments on the description of the oere-
monies contained in the Richmond
Times, from the pen of the editorof the
La Crosse Wis., Democrat:
"How touchingly beautiful must
have been the sight of thirty thousand
Southern women and children in Rich
mond strewing the graves of their fall
en- dead on Memorial Day! Truly it
is sweet for ones country to die, when
the hand of beauty, the tear of sorrow
and the sweets of the floral kingdom
are brought to the last resting places of
the loved who died in defense of their
land, their loved and their liberties.
'"The women may weep
The mothers may pray
The heroes may sleep
There cometh day
when history will do full Justice to
those who went forth to do or to die for
their country, North or South.
"Who is there with heart in him
that would not rather be dead soldier
in that sacred cemetery, watched by
beauty, covered with tear-wet flowers,
and shrined in memory as they are by
those who admire bravery, than to be
one of our Northern vandalic generals
like Butler, Banks, Curtis, Washburn.
Prentiss, SEIZURE, Burnside, Hurlbut,
and others Of that class of patriots who
fought for spoils and not for principles,
and who were most active when the
men were in the rear
"There is not soldier grave in all
the South filled with him who wore the
faded gray, but is before God and the
true world more of man and patriot
than the political tool of tyranny who
used his official influence to win wealth
instead of honor, and whose most sue
cessful warfare was carried on against
women and children, alone and de-
fenseless. Who will strew flowers
over the graves of thief Butler or cot
ton-stealing Banks I Who will. with
roses, perfume the air over the graves
of mule-loving Curtis or piano-loving
Prentiss Who will shed tears over the
graves of hundreds of Northern officers
who robbed, burned ana pillaged the
homes of innocent parties! Angels may
weep over their sins, but mortals never
will over their virtues, and who will
weep over the graves of the tyrants
towards and tools of tyrants. who went
about the country mobbing men fol
an opinion, imprisoning men for Their
belief, and beat their brains out for moi
shouting lie in praise of tyranny,
wrong and usurpation.' God bless the
good women of our land, be they North
or South. God bless those who are
true to themselves, and who honor the
heart which alone makes women lovely.
Women of the North as you read the
sorrow of those of your sex in the
South, those you have been taught to
hate, those who have suffered beyond
their strength. as you read of Their
love for those who have fought fol-
them, let your hearts warm and soften
for those who never wronged you. As
you sit down to run your jewelled fin
gers over pianos, harps and guitars, il
these instruments be the ones YOU,
husbands or sons stole from Southern
homes and sent North as trophies Of
their bravery (!l let your fingers draw
forth at least one strain of sorrowful
melody in remembrance of the ones
your stolen instruments rightfully be-
long to. As your eyes rest on rings
pins and other jewelry stolen from
Southern women, let your hearts GO
down to the land of ashes and graves,
and ruined homes and see from whence
came these momentoes you so glory
over.
"And when you sweeten your tea
from silver tongs, or sip it from silver
spoons sent to you from Southern
homes, think for one moment of the
bitter tears shed on Memorial Day by
the ones whose initials are on those
things. or were on before you had them
made over to hide the ugly marks.
.'Thank God the vandals who dis.
graoed the name of American soldiers.
and who plundered defenseless sol
diers' homes under the sanction of Lin.
10 Ii