The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-10-29
For the Standard

MEssRs. EDITORS When we take into
consideration the amount oflabOr and money
that is being expended in the South by the
different associations of rebels to adOrn,
decorate and memorabilia the graves of the
unfortunate men who died during the re-
belion, one is led to conclude, 1st, that the
dead thus honored were martyrs in the
greatest cause ever battled for under the sun,
and that they offered up their lives willing
sacrifice for that cause. end, that those who
are taking so much interest in resurecting
these poor men, moving them about, and
raising lasting monuments OF fame over them
are above all Others the greatest philanthro-
phists of the age, and the sole dispensers of
goodness, mercy and charity.
But what are the real facts in the case,
and from what cause so much devo-
ton and unexampled patriotism?
One half at least, if not twO-thirds, of these
men were dragged away from their homes
and families by CONSUMPTION. sent to the
camp of instruction and distributed from
thence Just as inanimate merchandise all
over the South, TO suffer, fight. languish and
die for a cause that they detested from the
inmost researches of their hearts; and if
they could speak to-day they would bear
witness to what write. An almost unani-
nous voice would come up from those richly
decorated grave yards saying, take away
from me and from over my grave all this
rebel paraphanalia and disturb not my sleep
with such hollow mockery and hypocritical
cantings; for VIC know from whence you are
and the design YOU have in view In making
such display of love for US now. We have
left families In yonder's world whom we
loved and cherished and who were dependent
upon us for all their comforts, but alas a! We
were not allowed to minister to their wants
IL
the ruthless hand of despotic power-sent
to the front to he murdered or languish
away our lives uncared for in some loath-
some and forsaken camp Hospital. Your
hands so SIMULTANEOUSLY raised to Heaven
in our behalf are dripping with our blood
You are our mWrderers. You shouted a
hearty amen everytime poor conScfiPt was
sent to the field. Our wives, children,
suotters and sisters are left desolate on your
account Their fears, means and signs are
registered in Heaven as witnesses against
the black treason of your guilty souls. You
plotted and planned OR destruction to the
last moment, and ROW you come here TO
pollute oHr graves with that same deep
seated treason that planned our destruction,
and say TO the world, by your actions, that
these all died in the faith - that they were
all willing martyrs upon their cOuntrys altar;
when it should read thus: We were un-
willing eonseripts in tile hands of despotic |
power, MURDERED to perpetuate slavery and |
TO place our nseks under yoke of bondage !! |
sag this would he the spontaneous ex- |
sciamation of at Least one-half of those muir
dered Een. This great show Of love for
them is all heA@w and hypocFitical. The |
very naen engaged in all this display are
biack-hearted rebels who are doing all in
their power to Keep the fires. OF treason
burning especially in the minds OF the rising
generation
This is no thine to talk naeaty-mouthed
and to withhold from the public. anything
that savers ef treason. Treason should be
anet and pHnished in every instance, no mat
ter in what garb it may come. whether in
the hahiinentsef the grave or in the panop-
~ of war.
Hundreds of these poor naen,s wives and
children are living in our midst-a great
many of tbemin very destitute circumstances;
yet we never bear of anything being done
by these cantrpg rebels to- ameliorate their /
condition. i doubt whether many of them
would even he admitted into their richly
decorated parlors should they. with their
train of little orphans, try it. No matter
how respectable they might be they would
not look 1poD them as, their equals. Yet
their poor murdered husbands were such
heroes, and died in such a glorious cause!
The hatred of these rebels to, the govern
ment of the United States is so intense that
they do not leave stone unturned, but
work in every conceivable manner to keep
up prejudice and hatred, and to keep the
heiery of the dead Confederacy alive. -.
If swift and summary justice had, been
dealt out 10 them at the close of the rebellion,
as they promised to infiict upon you, Messrs.
Editors, and other loyal men of the South
when they got their Gnnfeeferacy, the country
would doubtless at slais time have been more
United. But the Government was lenient
towards them and spared their guilty neclSs,
and now they have become arrogant in the
extreme. The more ignorant. of them are
looking forward to- the day when the gov
erhment of the United States will be pulled
u .. and the great Confederacy built upon
LIS ruins Such traitors deserve death. ~