The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-09-23
PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Monday Morning. sep.ember 80, 1857


The lyrics of the war are as dead as the songs
of Solomon or the martial music OF Tyrtseas
That their names haunt worn-Out hand OF
gans, and occasion numherlsss curses upon
the heads OF peripatetic musicians who are re-
sponsible for their temperance, is in nc
wise contradiction of our proposition; for
their ghosts are such wheeling, shrieking,
stertorous, inharmonious phantoms, that on
ly their most intimate friends detect any re-
semblance to the originals. II statistics were
not so notoriously unreliable there would be
strong reason to expect great prominence CIV
en- to these unappreciated melodies in the
record of the causes OF insanity for the cur
rent year; for it is common occurrence to
see choeric middle-aged gentlemen thrown
into state which is curious compound OF
appop,exy and madness from no other rear
son.
The war literature is sharing the same fate.
Once eagerly purchased and devoured, the
histories of the great conflict are fast passing in
10 that stage of their existence where they are
reckoned merely as books which no gentle
lldi lDldiy onOulu bC WlthOut, 'iNiA VAiiSh
there is but one step to oblivion. Mean
while the old regimental flags are passing hy
easy stages from their exaltation in the ro-
trmdas OF public buildings to less pretentious
quarters in glass cases, thence to obscure cor
ners in out OF the way places. and finally to
unknown receptacles from which they will
be periodically withdrawn in future years and
announced as Interesting discoveries"
All tIis is inevitable. 1t seems hard, but
it is human nature. Johnny has got home
We have become accustomed to seeing him
here. We know how many times he was
wounded, where he was hit, who his Officers
were and how he liked them, how he felt in
his first battle and where ne got his first pro-
motion. But because the novelty of first i'm
pressons has worn off, it would be wrong to
conclude that there is not a deep, underlying
gratitude and respect for the preservers OF the
nation in the hearts of the American people
feeling that will constantly grow stronger
and iadicate itself by more substantial tokens.
Many soldiers are keenly sensitive to the
obvious abatement OF the popular enthusiasm
which greeted thnm upon their return from
the front. But the more observing OF theft
number can but mark the universal recOgni-
tion of this truth-that a debt is due to The
soldiers to whose efforts our national exist
ence must be credited, which no offerings of
their fellow citizens can adequately compen-
safe, and that nothing less than the use of
all available means for the promotion of
their welfare can satisfy their just demands.
The citizen soldier is by 40 means in sit
uation to be the recipient Of patronage or of
gratuitous favors. What he receives from
his country or from individuals is absolutely
due, whether it comes in the form of official
distinction or of pecuniary assistance. He
has lien upon his country and all its re-
sources which is even more sacred than that
OF the national creditors. III wei forget him
may Heaven forget us. Time may take from
his achievements something of the romance
and something of the personal interest which
have invested them, but in all the essentials
of gratitude there must be a constant in
crease of intensity as the grandeur and value
of those achievements become more perfectly
raalizad