Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-07-16
An army sometimes changing its base,

|
and often its commanders. but never It's
loyalty, its high resolve, its generous de-
votion! And in triumph. too, obedient
still, which is more difficult (; masters of
their enemies, ,--masters Of themselves,
which is more noble. No sacked city
cries out against them from its ashes no
violated innocence, no desecrated sancti-
ty, no outraged defencelessness, no need
less seizure nor wanton waste, accuses
their honor; but they bore themselves al
way as those that had mothers and sisters
at athome, and drsverenced God. Men whose
chivalry scorned TO do dishonor no less
than TO suffer it.
And when its work was done il muster
ed once more on the banks the Potomac,
not as Caesar with his victorious legions
paused on the brink Of the Rubicon, to
brace his resolution to seize the liberties
Of his country, but to return to deliver
ed nation hel standards dimmed and torn,
but bright and broad in newness and
wholeness ofmeaning,-tolay lay down their
arms ut the feet of the constitutional au-
thority, with as much respect, as much
sinccrity rs much humility, as they had
seen in the hostile host that laid at their
fee. the arms and colors Of its cause.
Self. denying old Army schooled in the
passive virtues no less than in the active
disciplined in patience, iortitude, self
control-the highest lesson of this life
cheerful readiness to try again, when it
had little reason to hope that any proper
results would flow from its best endeav-
or. Dear old Army. Its tents are struck
its fires are dead folded the banners
that lighted its swelling way silent the
| bugleS that beckolcd to fame across
Deaths abysses--vanished the embattled
hosts that shone in the morning sun
scattered the friendly bands. that shoulder
to shoulder stormed the gates of glory.
But though sometimes the heart will
yearn for the stirring duties and high COM
panonship of the field, yet when think
Of all the noble spirits passed in battle
and in storm" and how the lonely rivers
are still flowing on tonight, as they did
while those restless eyes gazed across
their sullen waters into the infinite OF
manly. glorious achievement, needing not
now how many hearts are still which then
beat stronger than their tide. / thank God
that no bugle at tomorrow's dawn shall
wake us to reveille Of blood.
So they sleep-hy thousands and tens
of thousands-and the message that was
wont to fall from 1ippant or taunting lips,
comes hushed TO deepest music now. "AH
quiet on the P0t0mac.'
There is beautiful belief that within
the mortal body there exists another,
spiritual; which, enwrapping the subtitle
essence OF being, preserves our rca!
Iidentity-llmmed and yelled to mortal
view, but clear and palpable in the realm
of soul. So rs gaze with swelling spirit
this living and hrm srray melts into the
vision of that other army which WaS the
Army ofthe Potomac rising like the mists
that once uniolded Us there, on the banks
of the Potomac, Rappahannock, Chick
ahominy and james, its right upon the
heights of Gettysburg, and its lett upon
the slopes that amphitheatre the sources
of the Appomattox. marshalled as for the
rol-call of the last great morning.
Aud hear voice, as OF mighty re-
deemed nations, sounding down the
comingye years. This is the Army ofLiberty
foreyerrnurem So il rises and stands be-
fore me-the glorious pageant-the ranks
all full; you the living, they the imm ortal.
swelling together the roll of homer; that
great company of heroic souls who were
and are the Army of the Potomac! Let me
borrow the Prophets tongue, rapt with
celestial vision: These are the living
creatures that I saw under the God Of
Israel oy the river of Chebar. And the
likeness Of their faces was the sane faces
which 1 saw by the river; and they went
every one straight forward"