Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-05-31

were thought to be particularly acceptable
and gratifying to the dead. They were
accordingly repeated in the same public
manner once year. And how very es-
sentlally ceremony of this kind must
have contributed to keep alive a martial
spirit and that patriotic feeling, SO neces-
| sary to the support of popular govern
ment must be manifest.
This grand national ceremony attained a
ore imposing magnificence among the
fined and intelligent Athenians, than
in any of the States. The historian,
| more important details, Introductory to the
funeral Grafton of Peric1es over those who
persisted in the first campaign of the
PeloponnessianE war. The relatives and
friends of the deceased, women as well as
men, citizens and strangers, any one who
chose, brought offerings the boughs Of
trees, ribbons and flowers for the decora-
ton of the remains, which were deposited
in the ceramicus within public monu-
ment dedicated to the men who died in
war. In this all were constantly inferred,
except those who fell at Marathon. For
them, on account of their extraordinary
| prowess, a tomb was erected on the spot.
| To no more Ilustrious orator could the.
memory of the nations dead have been
| intrusted than to Perieles, eminent alike
| for eloquence, for statemanship, for con-
summate valor and military skill, under
whose administration the Athenian Com
| monweath attained the INCEST pitch of all
her greatness. The history Of Athens and
the fame of her constitution are the prin-
eipal topics of the discourse and to the
valor and wisdom of the commemorated
dead are ascribed the glory of the one and
superiority of the other. The profound
policy which perpetuated this observance
appears in the closing sentence: For those
states which held forth to their subjects
the greatest rewards of valor, always pro-
duce the best citizens" = ~ IgYlC4
The orations of Plato and Lysias, COM
posed for this annual pageant, and also
preserved among the remains of Hellenic
letters, proved clearly the general rever-
ence for the men who shed their blood in
the service of their country.
. Leaving the men who died their thou
sands of years ago, and whose deeds
ofpetty States by the shores of the aegean
sea, we turn to our own dead, who lie in
thousands before us, and whose graves are
hardly yet green II lis of Little moment,
except to themselves and their families,
that they persisted. The race must all pass
away. Nor yet, whether they met swift
destruction in the field, or succumbed to
the piecemeal rayages of disease in the
crowded wards the hospital. Less, or
the same, suffering and the final agony.
Immeasurably above such CHASTITY con-
temptations, rises the inquiry: Wherefor |
died they? What was the cause, for the |
defense or the defeat of which, in the |
midst of dreadful carnage, with unparal- |
leled bravery and matchless feats of arms, |
or with incredible fortitude, enduring the
prolongation of their torment, they sur
rendered their lives? For, upon the 1ulti-
mate answer of this question. viii depend
the irreversible judgment of mankind,
whether they deserve to be held in perpet-
ual remembrance by grateful world, or
to be dismissed into the gloomy, inglori-
GUS catalogue of thesee whose misdireeted
energies made them the scourge of their
race. Tell me, was the course righteous,
or was it not? And on which side of it
did they stand? s}Victor and vanquished
alike may challenge our respect but not
the champion of right and the champion
of wrong.
Y The events are too recent, we lived too
much in them and many of us bore too ac-
tive part in shaping results, to give our
impartial Judgment. Our opinions are
formed long since into settled convictions,
which are not likely to be disturbed. we
have smade ap our case and hayepresented
it with confidence to posterity, content to
await their verdict. Meanwhile, it is not
improper to restateit, that we MAY see ex-
actly what it is.
Ten years have gone rushing by since, a
revolution broke upon a peaceful land
Any reasons for it will be sought in vain
in the declarations preceding or attending
its outbrake. Whatever were the mo-
tives and objects of the authors beyond
the overthrow of government of admit
ted excellence and the disunion of these
States, they were not avowed. Nor was
3 shock. So little, indeed, that in the war
which followed, vast as were the armies,
and earnest as were the conlbatants, not
only were battles fought, but whole cam
paigns were concluded before the number
Of slain Indicated any considerable skill
in the military art upon either side. Still
they rushed to arms with an alacrity which
proved that, i'm their minds at least, there
was something worth fighting for, if, need
lions, their armies were composed of the
substantial elements of society, precisely
those who had the most to gain by a
stable and we'll ordered government,
and the least to gain by anarchy, turbu
ence and violence, and they placed them
selves Voluntarily in the ranks of death
and took cherfully the irrevocable VOW of
.he soldier. Home, friends, trade, bust
ness profession, family ties, social and po-
itica1 relations were discarded for the 1
more urgent duties of the field. 1t was
great popular uprising, such as the world
has shown but few examples. Had the
war been invoked by foreign enemy
here conld not have been greater zeal in
he defence AS confirmation strong of
he deep heartfelt and eyer-abiding love of
he American people for their country,
heir whole country and its free govern
nent those early demonstrations of the
lnwarlike and peacefully indicated citi-
sens ought seem to be forgotten. 1 well
remember remark at that period, at {
ributed to Mr.. Alexander III. Stephens, to
he effect that the men who begin revo-
ntions are seldom the men who end