The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-10-30
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-
bellion, 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 q willing
sacrifice for that cause. 2nd that those who
are taking so much interest in restricting
these poor men, moving them about, and
raising lasting monuments of fame over them
are above all Others tile greatest philanthro-
phists of the age, and the sole dispensers of
goodness, mercy and charity. W
But what are the real facts in the case,
and from what cause so much devo-
ton and unexampled patriotism2
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 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 saving, take away
from me and from over my grave all this
rebel paraphanaia and disturb not my sleep
with such hollow mockery and hypocritical
cantings; for we know from whence you are
and the design you have in view In making
such a 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! We
were not allowed to minister tn their wants
then, but were snatched away from them by
the ruthless hand of despotic power-sent
to the front to be murdered or anguish
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 murderers. You shouted a
hearty amen everything poor conscript was
sent to the field Our wives, children,
mothers and sisters are left desolate on your
account. Their tears, means and signs are
registered in Heaven as witnesses against
the black treason of your guilty souls. You
plotted and planned our destruction to the
| htSt mouiSAt, dhO INV yOu NOiAO hSiS wv
pollute our graves with that same deep
and say to the world, by your actions, that
these all died in the faith y that they were
willing martyrs upon their country's altar;
slain in behalf of liberty and independence
when it should read thus: We were un-
willing conscripts in the hands of despotic
power, MURDERED to perpetuate slavery and
to place our necks under a yoke of bondage !!
Isay this would be the spontaneous ex-
clamation of at least one-half of those mur-
dered men. This great show of love for
them is all hollow and hypocritical. The
very men engaged in all this display are
black hearted rebels who are doing all in
their power to keep the fires Of treason
burning especially in the minds OF the rising
generation. f.l 81 u tss 5-s
This is no time to talk mealy -mouthed
and to withhold from the public anything
that savors of treason. Treason should be
met and punished in every instance, no mat
ter in what garb it may come, whether in
the habiliments of the grave or in the panop-
| ly of war.
Hundreds of these poor mems wives and
children are living in our midst-a great
| many VI IA NOA
yet We never hear of anything being done
by these canting rebels to ameliorate their
condition doubt whether many of them
would even be 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 upon them as their equals. Yet
their poor murdered husbands were such
heroes, and died in such 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
memory of the dead Confederacy alive.
| If swift and summary justice had been
dealt out to them at the close of the rebellion,
as they promised to inflict upon you, Messrs.
Editors. and other loyal men of the South
when they got their Confederacy, the country
would doubtless at this time have been more
united. But the Government was lenient
towards them and spared their guilty necks,
and now they have become arrogant in the
extreme The more ignorant of them are
looking forward to the day when the gov
eminent of the United States will be pulled
down and the great Confeleracy built upon
its ruins Such traitors deserve death.
N.