Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-30
TWO CENTS.

before you insult the flag in the presence of the
| young man whose father was starved 70 death
M , ,he pen =. salisbury: Malign your country
| desoiated by the war. The blood will come "a
his colorless cheek and the fire 20 his lusterless
eye, ana the strength TO his palsied tongue, and
you shall feel all the consuming power OF an old
| mans curse. The nation, with its hand on the
brow OF Its slain fathers and brothers aud sons,
hath solemnly sworn before high heaven that
the institutions for which these men were mar
| tyred shall be defended forever. But LEI
us bring no partisan feelings i'm this decora-
uon OF graves. In other years, in some
/ places, denagogues have tried TO make capital
out OF such gatherings, but I do not believe in
oartering with the bones OF our country's
martyrs. They have done enough work Let
them sleep on until the last day wakes them
Let nothing be done TO stir up the Old fend he
tween the north and the south. Surely, there
has been blood enough shed and groans enough
nave been uttered and families enough de-
stroyed to satisfy the worst man on EARL and
the worst demon I'm the pit. and il around the
holocaust OF the dead any hand north or south
shall ever be lifted 10 tear down a peace estab-
listed at so much sacrifice, NAV that hand tnrn
white with the snow OF an incurable leprosy :
instead OF flowers upon such villains grave,
let the whole nation come and fling a moHntain
of nettles and night shade. am told that after
southern woman had decorated the grave of
southern soldier, a northern man wearing a
Uniform took up the wreath and tore it to the
winds He may have had on the epauletts bur
he was not worthy the name OF soldier | would
that all the wreaths that have ever been
l9 upon uhe graves OF the northern
and southern dead might be lifted and
linked together, each garland a link.
and that with that one long bright pleasant
chaln, chain OF rose and lilies, the whole
nature might be encircled IN everlasting unity
and good feeling. This is the only Kind OF
chain Americans viii ever consent to wear and
woe 70 the government that eyer tries TO forge
up your eyes and sec in all orr cemeteries from
San Francisco TO Canada, the whole nation
coming with garlands. They are from north
asst nd 81
the grand march. and the minute guns are the
heart throb OF the nations sympathy They
come with flowers in wreaths-these are sug
gesuve OF The conqueror; and flowers in Crosses
they tell OF sorrows that were born Flower
whlte-signitcant of victory. But there are
also flowers crimson and red, the seed of them
planted at Antletam, Shiloh, and Hatcher
run-planted in trenches covered with the iron
rake battle, putting forth their red and fiery
olo0m to-day, suggestive OF the blood spilled
and the ruddy fash of the musketry The
superstitious are afraid of grave wards 6y night
but think the most timid child would ncf he
afraid to walk o-night at IL O'Clock IN any OF
our cemeteries, so fragrant are they
But some OF the soldiers graves will be missed
,o-uay, Notwithstanding ten thousand hands
have been busy stripping gardens ami hot
Louise LOT Ihs magnificent Offering; 80 bring
three or four garlands of my own. The first
let down into the rivers and seas above the
coral pillows OF those whose bodies have never
eeen found. They fell from the gunboats and
fre-rafts. They dropped from the cavalry
horses crossing the Potomac They went down
in the storm OF Cape Hatteras They were shot
Gown from the ships rigging going into New
orleans. they never come home. They were
buried without shroud or funeral psalm: the
hoarse thunder OF the battle their only ltany.
There Is nothing more delicate than the saroo-
phagus OF coral in which they rest, or more
beautiful than the sea weed that lies above
their lowly pillow. But that IS not enough.
They shall not be missed to-day. With loving
hands We let down into the wave this garland
OF or affection and gratitude, commencing
their bodies to Him at whose command the sea
shall give up its dead.
Another garland The most suggestive in
scription above thousands buried in these
national cemeteries il the word Unknown"
Even their names have been lost-unknown,
though father and mother and wife and child
waited long for their coming. Unknown, though
they gave their life for their country. Unknewu
to man, but known to God. who hath made
record OF All their wounds and tears and sacrifice.
The head OF the government they died to save
mas strewn those graves. But let 60 along
by the swamps of the Chickahominy and throu gb
the Wilde rness and along by the western rivers
and Jungles, where men died and received a
hasty burial, perhaps no burial at all-no one
70 close the eyes; No one 70 hold the dying hand.
No one to take the farewell message. Unknown,
Let us search him out. We find him to-day
and cry, "hail resting place of the patriot dead
The garland OF nations thanks we place upon
the tomb wet with q nations tears. Another
garland we put upon the graves Of the women
who died in the service OF the sick and wounded
soldiers Let not their graves be missed to-day
among the altering soldiers-nOt such work as
the woman performed who i'm a hospital gave a
tract on the sin Of dancing to a man both of
whose legs had been amputated. but practical,
commOn-sense work. What would these brave
fellows have done i'm the last hour il the
women had not come into the hospitals?
want to die at home. The roof NAV he VERY
humble and the face that look into ours NAV be
very plain; but who cares for that. Loving
lips TO read the promises. But those shows in
Ubaf
would become Of them had not women m the
name Of Christ bent over their couch in the
hospital. Men forged the cannon. Men fash
Toned the musketry. Men mounted the guns
Men unlimbered the batteries then lifted the
wounded into ambulsnces; but women scraped
the hnt Women administered the cordial Wo-
men wrote the last message to the home circle
women wept at the solitary burial attended
only by myself and four men with a spade
line story can never be taliy told on earth of
Mary Brady among the sick at Chickahominy.
OF Anna Ross at Cooper shop hospital {, of
Mrs. Ricketts, at Bull Kun, OF Margaret Meck-
enrnge coming 10 men u lao had three weeks
lald on one side part OF the time frozen to the
earth When she turned them all who had A
whole arm left waved il and hurrahed until
o me an rang again; or OF Mrs. Hoge
coming down from Chicago with blankets, and
pillows, and sheets and stores, until the men
cried, % Three cheers for the sanitary commits
SION; God bless the women at home" and then
sitting down at the sick pillow to hear the diving
message and write it, " Tell her not TO fret
about me: we shall meet i'm heaven: tell her n
wds All TiXnt tLat came; tell her to tram the
two little boys We love ~ wal To 20 to heaven.
with US, and tell her to bear nv loss like a SOL
diers wife and christian.r or the story OF good
Mrs Shelton, into whose face the conyalescent
soldier looked when she said, Are YOU M %
and he replied, Yes, your grapes and cologne
did the business for me- Men did the work
with shot, and slen, and howitzer, and carbine:
woman hers with socks, and slippers and ban.
dages, and warn drinks. and q chapter of scrip-
ture, and stroke of the gentle hand across the
hot temples, and stories of heaven, where thew
are never sick. Men asked Of the suffering,
(which side did you hight on? To what regi,
ment do you belOng?" Women inquired,
Where are you hurt? What nice thing can
make for you to eat? What makes YOU cry %,
Some Of these women for whom have twisted
the garland may be living yet. II so, they have
had the pie asure Of hearing their own obituary
and well know how beautiful We will make the
ground blossom above them when they really
get under it. bring another garland. Let II
be of the richest and most aromatic flowers.
Let them be in IL amaranth and green branches
Let II be brighter than ever placed on the brow
OF Roman COnqneror, and We will place it not
on the graves or the dead-but on the brows If
the living soldiers and sailors, the Grand Armv
of the Republic. 1t Ia high time in this country
that We stopped postponing until AFTER death
the praise We owe to men while living. We
cannot pay you for the privations Won inferred.
for the arms that was shattered or the Eve ~ ~