Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-02-09

ICONMUNICATED,


Let circumstances OF the utmost favor sur
round us; let relatives and those bound to US
by the golden ligaments Of friendship or love
cluster around us, ard yet to die is, beyond all
feeling or imagination, inexpresSibly terrible
Death is royal summons which snatches US
from sublunary scenes, and in an instant pre-
scnts us before God who shall Judge In
righteousness the quick and dead. y
Perhaps when hoary hairs and totterlng
footsteps when feeble energies and trembling
tongue when disease, the fell inheritance OF
flesh: and troubles lash to foam the billowy sea
of lite when these sad harbingers of death
are sent, they may ameliorate the bitterness
and sorrow of the tomb. Or it may be that a
Christian, already tired of life whose vlclssl-
tudes have made him weary OF his own endu,
rance, can find sweet comfort In TINS dread
abode, in expectation OF home OF light anu
love in heaven, above the grave.
But, in a strange land, miles away from
home and kindred, when no mortal eye is there
to pity and no arm to save when mother, sis
ter. father murmur on the tongue and lind al
answer only in their sad aud silent echo; wheI
not a loving heart can stoop to hear farewell
word, or speak note of cheer; when all around
presents the solitude of death the soul ia an
guish may essay to speak, but the lips com
pressed, refuse to utter forth its sad refrain
oh here it is, the grave looms up 10 all it!
horror and common intuition makes Us feel ar
inward shudder.
Reader, have you friend or Acquaintance
whose spirit left its fieshly house on some hare
fought battle-f field? Was his life given as
sacrifice? Did he perish at his post OF duty II
the midst OF many dangers in defence OF you
and what he believed to be your liberties2--
| Are his bones now bleaching upon the hill tops
or have they lent sustenance to the valleys Of
our land?
Perhaps he was the staff of an aged father
| the support Of his mother or the protector 0
his now brok en-hearted wife and helpless or
phans Did he die in your defence, and arr
his bones allowed by you to remain undisturbe(
in their scanty sepulture? And We rich, whose
patriotic overtures sent TO the army thousand
Of gallant men, whose shoe latchets you wer
not worthy to unloosc, did you stay at h0m
and neglect their families? Are you deaf t
the necessities of those to whose death you
were thus plainly accessory?
Can you repOse calmly on your pillows ant
remember that brOodlng over you Is the spin
| you have wronged?
| Surely it is the manifest duty Of all Virgin
ans to contribute to the cause OF those VIII
periShed on our SOIL IN defence OF what we re
garded as our rights. | have SAID the cause o
the dead The dead have no cause The protect
ing egis of heaven is spread around the dead
and their interests are wrapt in the mantle o
divine memory. No one can invade the sacreC
precincts of the dead without infringing OF
Gods holy domain, and He has said, "Ven
geance is mine.
The beautiful cemetery erected by the untir
ing exertions of the Ladies Of the MANASSAS
MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION is not yet finished
More funds are required to have it properly ar
ranged, and to have the remainder of the dead
in the neighboring fields placed within it it.
viii our citizens who have begun this praise
worthy enterprise suffer it to fail now it is SC
near completion?
The United States Government, in consider
alton of its boundleSs resources, has taken care,
in most elaborate manner. of those of the
Federal army who died 1t is our duty tc
make such arrangements for the proper preser
walton of the Confederate dead as our ablitie!
will permit All contributions to the Prcsden
of the Manassas Memorial Association will be
gratefully received and properly appropriated.
TYRONE
BRENTsvILLE, Va, Feb. 7, 1869.