Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-07-03
Soldiers to the Front.

communication suggests TO our mind some
thoughts which we desire to present for
the consideration of your readers, espec-
tally those Of our parish. In the year ls6l
when the storm cloud of war was hover
ing over our then prosperous and happy
country, politicians, sires, matrons and
maidens united in the grand and potent
effort to fire the heart Of Southern man
hood, promising pecuniary and moral sup
port lifetime if not an eternal happiness,
urging upon brothers and sons to go for
ward in defence Of their homes, institu-
tions, liberties and all else that was worth |
living for. The stranger within the gates |
was especially appealed to TO join in the |
holy crusade; he WAS told that having |
neither home, family ties nor friends, he
was designed by almighty God to immcr-
talize himself by his deeds Of valor in the
battles of his country. A number of this
class Of individuals were in the country
at tina, time following trade or profession
who responded to the first call for volun-
teers having merely common interest i'll
democratic institutions, States rights local
self. govcrnmeut and nothing more. On
the occasion of the departure Of the first
company that left Claiborne for the war, n
flag was presented by the ladies, bearing
the following motto: Return with il, OF
die under it." Judge j. S. Young in his
response on the part of the company said
that "thc beautiful ensign, so strikingly
emblcmatic of the virtues Of the fair la
dies, should never trail in the dust 30 long
as it might be holden up by strong arms
and brave hearts" And all the people
said amen.
How truly that little band kept their
vow, the broken and emacatcd limbs Of
the living attest, to say nothing of the no.
BILE Leak, Cotton, Gwinn, Lesueur, Thorn
ton, Robinson, Taylor, Blythe, Choat, and
the score Of others whose graceful forms
lie Wondering beneath the sod on Malvern
Ill., Manassas, Charlottesville, Gettys-
burg, Spottsylvauia, and other battle
fields. We arc not disposed to ask
whether or not our home people kept their
vows made on the occasion alluded to,
knowing that none of us could anticipate
the finale There is, however, little part
yet undonc to which VIC respectfully in
} vite the attention Of our home people,
viz There are numbers of disabled SOL
dcrs among us who with cnfeebled con-
stitution and broken limbs, are eking ont
barely a support following the plow drawn
, perhaps BY an old mule or q mustang pony
= Men too. in some instances at least, with
talent bciitting higher sphere Of public
usefulness. We would not be understood
~ favoring the filling Of every Office, high
and low, with an ex-soldier simply because
: he was n soldier, to the prejudice Of othe'
: good and talented gentleman, but we dc
/. insist-takiug competency and good NOR
1 ais as our standard-that discrimination
4 in favor of disabled soldiers ought of RICH
y 10 be made by the people in the distribu
ton of official patronage. If orr brav'
but unfortunate friends are to be neglected
and remain in obscurty because they hav
:, not n pedigree to boast-worn out all be |
" or be rudely jostled aside when they es
- say to claim an interest in the public pat
y ronacr, to make room for those who, at tn
" beginning of the trouble, wore the badg
of secession and talking war to the knli
y ard the knife to the hilt: nudged and e.
bowed everybody forwa ard that came in hi
reach. and at the first news of real wa
seized his double barrel gun, fired salut
of and whooped hurrah for Dixie, and ut tn
es first scent of blood, like the wild beast
We the forest became furious, and rushin
@ wildly TO the rear, fell brcathless behind
h. civil office, an overseership OF chron
il case of dysentcry, and with his vile digit
Is upliftcd in holy horror, shouted SOLDIERS
tn the front, soldiers to the 'front.'
His pilgrimage to the rear having b
". come permanent success he devotes
:, leisure hours to the hell born purpose
ipsinuating himself into the society Of nj
endeavoring to ALLEVIATE the affections
IN the wife of his neighbor who is at Il
er- front nobly fighting the battles OF b
country. Time grew apace and the W
ended, and scarcely had the sound Of Il
cnomy's guns died away in the distanc
u than these vultures in human shape saiii
"' forth to look after the spoils, and in mai
instances have attained to degree OF gu
o. cess 1--WE say it with all due rcpect to t
aw pcople) not very complimentary to big
rse toned constituency. We expect, if Il
"'' selfconstituted elite of society, but W
. in fact arc loathsome scabs upon the DO