Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-05
flag! Tn the center Of that grand constei-
lation is the Star Of old Virginia MVfr-
giaia; the mother of States, the home saBd
ibifthDlace, OF Washin 6tof- tso,,-, -,.,-,r :,

flag! In the center of that grand constei-
llatiOn is the star of old VfrginiaAVfr-
lgiaia, the mother Of States, the home sand
birthplace, OF Washington. 1ijs9np yt4tg Il
Il But what iS heFeondition of Virginia to-
night? Reduced to the condition of con =
qnered PROVINCE The descendants of
Washington troddehuunder foot by the
negro: y Now lmyI eountFymen, in Justice
TO violated truth, should we not restore to
Virginia her rights under the Constitution:
remove fromithe grave Of washington the
mark ofethe negro's heel, or blot from, our
flag the grand and lustroqsf star which,
Sent her tfuee eondifi5Id Il 6y pfacing, ~ instead STEAD
of the star, the form of ,alhuge negro with
hisZfoot Iplaitedl son the brsast OF pros,
trate white man ?-,... . ,o,.+ n.
But we are told that Virginia and. al her her
sister seeding States did wrong in ats
tempting CO. establish atf Independent con-
federaey OF their Sowno Granted; so be-
ual in this. concotiiIrse of .thousands WHO
never did wrong, and will agree that the
Southern people should; not be sforgivens
Would it not be well for u.s. my country
men, to remember the. divine. precept
taught In the Lords prayer, wherein we
are told to pray that we may be forgiven
our sins as We forgive those who have
isinned against us? And how dare; we
hope for forgiveness from Almighty God,
while we refuse forgiveness to our fellow
ceuntrymenP nt -1fln 1i3dt 2fi-ol
d But is ho1one to be punished9 Punish
ed? Does that question, emanate from. q
human heart, or is it an inspiration from a
fiend OF hell? Punished Why, my eoilnf--
trymengnever in the history of civilized
warfare was such dire punishment infiiets
ed upon a conquered people as that ENDURE
ed by our cOuntrymen of the South.
Towns and cities sacked and burned.
Whole districts eharred and desolated as if
by the demon of destruction, and millions
who were reared in af1uence reduced BY
the shock Of war to peniiry and want. -
but is no one to die? aIs no blood to be
shed? Almighty God 7 No one to liel Let
the five hundred thousand Southern graves,
around which the melancholy cypress
stand as spectral sentinels mourning over
the victims of a fallen cause, answer the
byena cry for blood Five hundred thou
sand graves, the sad monuments of the
error of a heroic but defeated people Five
hundred thousand Southern homes are
draped in mourning for the loved ones who
slHmber in defeat beneath, the crimson sod.
Five hundred Thousand Southern homes
are desolate, and the night wind as it
sweeps across an hundred ensan nguined
battlelfields, is still burthened with the
greaRs of anguish and the signs of despair
which comes from the graves of those who
\ hundred thousand Southern mothers, Wild
owss orphans, are the living monuments of
the blight of fratricidal war. -a -5.ti
And who asks for vengeance more than
/ this? What demon in human shape cries
for blood My countrymeni the very
earth is still red with. brothers blood, by
brothers shed, Oh, then, let us stanch the
gaping wounds of war, and check the
cIimson tide as it e5bs away. .. "i'-ise1
0i And our own dead heroes what of them2
The laurel blooms upon their graves-the
starry banner, under which they nobly
died, waves over them. Their bodies are
dead, but. their names and glorious deeds
will live forever. They died for the Union
they loved, for the flag they adored. Oh,
my countrymen, let it not be said that they
died in vain! But1upon their tombs, to
copsecrate their. deeds, let the temple of
the Union be restored. And let as all,
Northmen and Southmen, join hands over
their graves and swear that our free Con-
stitution shall endure forever. ad, .t ,.ai