The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-05-17
eCOkAtaOm q 0foveS - Bos0 III
Cemetery.

liberty to 60 as they pleased. This was
sensible, and we trust in the future &c
: programme will be made out. The
evening was as blustery as first-class
March day, which prevented many Ia
dies from being there. The Female In
stitute and the Atheueum schools
graced the occasion with their presence,
and many other fair ones. Hon; w. D.
Gordon ,introduced Evan Y. Pillow to
: the audience, who delivered beautiful
|, and eloquent address. He spoke of the
occasion that had brought the intelli-
gent audience together, and paid glow
ing tribute to the memory of the gallant
dead who lay beneath the fair flowers
that had been spread above them by
fairer hands. Mr.. Pillow closed his
speech with personal "Reminiscences OF
| and a brilliant peroration upon the
character ofGen. II. Il. Lee, whose pu-
pill he was for several years.
Capt. w. J. Whitthorne then intro
duced Col. John V. Wright in his usual
ly delicious style, and in very compli-
mentary terms. Col. Wright's speech
was philosophical, eloquent and SUI
blime. Our limited space forbids us
from publishing both of the eloquent
speeches delivered on this occasion, and
below we give the one delivered by Col.
Wright. Mr.. Pillows address is also
worthy of publication, and we regret
| we have not room for it. 1t did Mr. p.
| great credit, and gives his friends rea-
son to predict for him a brilliant and
distinguished career among the future
orators Of our land. The graves were
covered with beautiful flowers and ey-
ergreens, and presented neat and tidy
appearance, thanks to the ladies app
| pointed by the Memorial Association.
j. I. l.. Cochran, Esq, who was chosen
to prepare the temporary monument,
performed his task in creditable man.
Der
| HON. JOHN V. wRIGHT's SPEECH.
Ladies end Gentlemen:
The effect produced upon the world at
large by great aud glorious deeds is in
calculable. Besides the example pro-
| duced, which, stimulates us nobly to
emulate the deeds of mighty men, and
| learning lessons of wisdom andgreatness
and goodness, make our own lives use
| full, and in so doing, add to the sum of
human happiness, there is, in the con-
| temptation of the lives, characters and
| deeds of those who slumber beneath
those green graves, degree OF mourn
| full pleasure which we could n0s will
| ingly yield.
They were our own countrymen, OF
| kindred blood. They thought, as we
| thought, and felt as we felt. Side by
| side some of them played upon the same
| hill-sides, sported DER the same fields,
walked in the same paths OF manhood,
| marched in the same columns, burned
with the same noble courage, worship
| ped the same cause, were inspired by.
| the same martial strains, and at last,
| fell beneath thesame flag which once so
| proudly waved DER southern hosts; but
which now is forever turled, and sleeps
| in the graves with its dead heroes.
Great deeds and undaunted courage
| fail not to excite In the human bosom
| emotions of admiration, even though
| performed in a cause which is regarded
| as not entirely just in itself, but when
| the actor is inspired with belief in the
| Justice of his cause, as were we, and
| those beneath the sod, (for we do not
| believe our cause was treason, nor our
dead brothers traitors) then great ac-
lions can never fail to excite the highest
| degree of respect aAd admiration.
IL is said that no particle of matter
which was created in the beginning is
ever lost. The dust and sand of the
earth, though driven from place to place
| by the restless winds, or its form
changed by time and heat and cold, in
some form or other remain Of the earth.
| The waters which flow from mountain
| top through winding meadows to creeks
and rivers and lakes, though lifted to
| the clouds by evaporation to float for
a while in mystic forms, at last reaches
the sea, and is water again, and aids in
| floating on its bosom the active COM
merce of the world. Even the perfume
| offIowers, which floats unseen through
| the air and delights with its fragrance,
| though seemingly it disappears, is not
| lost nor forgotten In the wise dispen-
| sations of Him "who seeeth even the
sparrow's fall" end who tempeth the
| wind to the shorn lamb" nothing is
lost, but all is preserved, and SO it is
with great and noble actions.
The great and glorious deeds of the
Southern Soldier, however men may
differ as to the justice of his cause, will
continne to live in the memories Of
mankind, and a due need OF praise
will flow even from the magnanimous
braves whom he met amid the raging
pillows of war.
He never dies who falls in great cause,
His bones may sodden in the sun,
His head be hung on city gates and -
Castle halls, but yet his spirit walks abroad.
Many of us have felt that the treat
ment WHICH our countrymen have re-
ceiyed since the var at the hands of
the victors has been marked by selfish
ness and cruelty, and the Sc conclusions
are not without reasons. But to-day
i 1 feel that in spite of disfranchisement,
| in spite of the heavy burdens of taxa
ton, in spite of unlawful arrests and
cruel Imprisonment, in spite OF the
| seeming decay of constitutional liberty,
| if our victors had granted us nothing
else than the privilege of assembling
| annually, with the return OF spring, to
commemorate their deeds and virtues,
and drop a tear of love and sympathy
| upon their hallowed dust, and with fair
| flowers scattered by fairer hands, moved
| by an affection ''soft as the momory of
| buried love and pure as the prayer
| that childhood waits above, ''embalm the
| memories of our soldier dead forever in
| our heart of hearts. / say this would be
| enough to thank God for, and inspire us
with some gratitude to our conquerors.
There may we meet and say in truth,
| How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
| BY all their country's wishes blest;
| When spring with dewy fingers cold
| Returns to bless their hallowed mould,
| She then shall press sweeter sod,
Than fancy's feet have ever trod.
By fairy tongues their praise is sung,
BY hands unseen their knell is rung,
Then honor comes pilgrim grey,
| To bless the sod that wraps their clay,
And Freedom shall awhile repair,
| To dwell weeping hermit there.
! In coming hither to-day we but too
| well know that our ceremonies cannot
resch the narroW beds of our sleeping
friends. We know and feel that,
They sleep their last. sleep, have fought their
| last battle,
No sound can awake them from their glory
| glsry again.
| Neither can our praises of their heroic
deeds SOotbe or fiatter them
Can storied urn or animated bust,
| Back 10 its mansion call the aeeting BREATH
Can honor's voice provoke the silent dust,
Or sattery soothe the dull cold ear of death!
No. They are beyond the sound oil
praise or the fragrance ofthese flowers,
and in coming hitler to-day We come
not to flatter or to praise them; but to
| honor their memory, and keep alive in
the hearts OF our people that love and
affection so due to those who gave their
lives in a cause which they believed TO
be right, and which we cherished as
the cause of constitutional liberty.
! And liz coming thus we honor our
| solves by a recognition of the great sac
rifices they made OF their suffering and
| trials in behalf of great, bull fallen
| cause.
| la all time, in all ages of the world,
| whether barbarian or christianized, the
living have paid honor 10 the dead.
And these ceremonies of respect and
honor for the dead are alike, the actions
which follow whether tie object of affec-
ton comes from the lowly cot of the
! peasant or the decorated home of the no.
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