Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-05-25
The Price of Victory.

I =
up the weapons on the wall-al-
though not for beating them into
ploughshares, as they may be want
ed again shortly-and resting after
the fatigues of war. The German
soldiers are marching home with
laurel wreaths about their shakoes,
and in the muzzles of their rifles /;
the cities are bursting out in fame
from basement to parapet; flags
wave out of the windows, crowds
throng the road below; there are
.triumphal arches for the returning
victors to march through; there are
addresses to be read and cheers to
be given, and all the paraphernalia
of rejoicing to be gone through be-
fore they settle down once more to
the old ways, and each man, his SOL
diering done, returns to his work,
his plowing or hammering, his lee
turing or writing.
The vanquished, who stands the
most in need of peace, makes no re-
joiceing, but the victor, because he is
the victor, and his heart is glad with
his victory, lights up his cities for
the reception of the welcome stran-
ger, sticks flaming emblems of peace
upon his buildings,and shouts lusty
greetings till he is hoarse. He puts
his sorrow on one side for the occa-
sion and glancing over yonder
where his late enemy lies, thinks
how sombre and sad every thing ap-
pears there, and determines that
there shall be nothing to mar his
own festival. He locks up the skele-
ton in its cupboard, puts the key
in his pocket, and goes out to look
at the illuminations, and drink
toasts with his neighbor, who has
doubtless a key of the same pattern
in his pocket,
Behind the gas-lights the sorrow
is kept well out of sight; but it is
there, nevertheless, and those who
have paid most heavily for the good
things are not those who rejoice
over them. De Quincy, in that
paper on Mail Coaches, wherein he
speaks of carrying the news of vic
tory down into the country, tells us
how they travelled decked with laur-
els, heralded by the blasts of the
guards trumpet. On one of these
journeys, when they bore news of
Talayera, they came suddenly in
view of carriage containing an old
and young lady in mourning; the
young one drew the others atten-
tion to the laurel deckings which
meant victory, but she shrank back
weeping at the sight, because to her
they meant the price we pay for vic
tory, and so, amid all rejoicings
there are those who mourn in secret.
Those who fighting and dying in
the field of battle, have bought the
victory with their life's blood, leave
a heritage of thankfulness to the
many, but heritage of sorrow to the
few who are most dear to them. The
city is bright with light, and alive
with busy throngs and men are
grasping each other by the hand be-
cause great battle has been won,
and brought peace in its wake, and
the mothers and widows of those
who did this good thing, in their
sad black dresses and in the COM
pany of sad and solemn thoughts,
try to be deaf to the sound of re-
joicing which is such a mockery to
them. The men have worked, and
the women must weep, but human
ity is not broad enough in its sym
pathies for one man to feel all Others
griefs. If it were, this would be a |
very sad world.-Erery .sotur-
dan.