The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1866-08-29
a Northern Editors Comments o.
the Memorial Flowers.

How touchingly beautiful must have been
the sight of thirty thousand Southern women
and children in Richmond, strewing the
graves of their fallen dead on Memorial
Day! Truly tits sweet for ones country
to die, when the hand of beauty, the tear Of
sorrow, and thesweets of the floral kingdom
are brought to the last resting place Of the
loved who died in defence of their land,
their loved ones 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 dosor to die for their
country, North or South.
Who is there with a heart in him that
would not rather be dead soldier in that
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, Curtiss, Washburn,
Prentiss, schurz, Burnside, Hurlbert, and
others OF that class Of patriots who fought
for spoils and not for principles, and who
were the most active when the enemy were
in their rear?
There is not a soldier grave in all the
South filed with him who wore the faded
cray, but is before God and The true world
more of a man and a patriot than the
political tool oftyranny who uses hisofficial
position to win wealth instead Of honor,
and whose most successful warfare was
carried on against women and children,
alone and defenseless. Who will strew
flowers over the grave of thief Butler, or
demonstrating Banks? Who will with
roses perfume the air over mule-loving. Cur
tbs or piano-loving Prentiss !? Who will
shed tears over the graves Of hundreds of
Northern officers, who robber, bu n ID and
|pillaged the homes at innocent parties :?
Angels may weep over their virtues.
And who will weep over the graves of
the tyrants, cowaIds and tools Of tyrants
who went about the country mobbing men
for an opinion, imprisoning men for their
belief, and beating their brains out for not
shouting lie in praise Of tyranny, coward
ice, 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 of the sorrow CT
those of your sex Of 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 fought for them,
let your hearts warm and soften for those
who never wronged sou. As you SIT down
to run your jeweled fingers over pianos,
harps, and guitars, if these instruments be
the ones your sons or husbands stole from
Southern homes and sent North as trophies
Of their bravery q let your fingers draw
forth at least one strain of sadness and
sorfowful melody in remembrance Of the
ones your stolen instruments rightfully be-
long to. And 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 mementoes
you SO glory over.
And when you siTeeten your tea from
silver spoons sent you from Southern homes,
think for one moment on 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 disgraeed
the name Of American soldiers, and who
splundered defenseless Southern homes I'M
der the sanction of Lincoln and Stanton,
had not the power TO beat back the God
given right to shed tears, and TO hold sacred
in memory the ones who were to them dear
and worthy. They have lost their homes,
they have lost their loved ones, they have
pillowed their heads on tear-wetgraves, and
given us renewed faith in the purity and
goodness of woman.
And then, was itnot kind in our Govern
ment to send but two regiments of troops
to guard against any rebellion . on the
part Of these thirty thousand weeping
women and children? We do not know
whether they were colored or not, but it
seems they were sufficient.
"BRICK !" POMEROY,
Editor La Crosse (Wis) Democrat.