The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-03-26
OUR LADIES.
1,aooste's Hall Blaze of Beauty-They
Welcome the Boys
Homo.
PRESENTATION or A BEAUTIFUL BAN
NER SPEECHES BY PROM
INENT GENTLE
MEN.

From the Natchitoches Vindicat'r.
Lacoste's Hall was blaze of beau
ty and manhood on Tuesday night
last, when our ladies presented to
the returned, vindicated patriots a
beautiful banner, wrought by their
hands on which was inscribed APP
propriate notices.
Miss Hertzog, on the part of the
ladies', presented the banner, made
of handsome material, on one side
of which was worked in golden let
tiers "WgLcoME TO. Our PATRIOTS,
MARCH 7TH, 1879" and on the re
verse "SEprEMBER 21sr, 1873" Miss
Cecile Hertzog, With the following
appropriate words, rendered the
flag
Citizens, Relatives, Friends Chosen
by the Ladies' of Natcilitoches, | ex-
press their united sentiments in say
ing.9We are rejoiced to greet your re-
turn again to your happy homes with
womau's true and heartfelt welcomes
Although her hand could not aid you,
her heart was with you in your patri-
otie and successful efforts to crush a
foe whose career for years that. are
passed, has been oppression, degrada-
tion. and corruption. With you have
our. hopes clustered in your every eft
fort; with you and for you have our
anxieties, our sympathies and our
prayers been blended during the try
ing ordeal through which you have
trfumphantly passed. In the sacred
cause of liberty we are alike interested
with you. IN its preservation and
perpetuation we with you are equally
identified, and for your noble efforts
in its cause which ia alike the cause of
woman, her garlands of affection shall
minsle with the gratitude of her heart
over cherishing your memory as no.
BILE defenders of the right and brave
avengers of the wrong. You-you-
brave men, true to your trust were the
marked victims of corrupt and par
titan government. You were the tar
gets 1t which power, corruption aud
persecution aimed. But you were too
high to reach--tiiere was not enough
strength in the bow to bring the arrow
to the mark. Mental and perjured
hireiings have failed to attach to your
houored names the stigma of crime
and to your persons the odium of pm
ishment. The fair daughters of our
loved Louisiana may well boast o.
snch noble defenders Of her character
and her rights. Throughout the length
aHd breadth Of our land, freedom !,
battle is again begun and it's victory
is already recorded as though writer
with sunbeams upon the sky.
Welcome, welcome-countless welcome
are yours,
We greet you with the best offerings Q
the heart,
You need no decorating chaplets from
wOnian's hand;
You need no laurel wreath for her t.
e twtae upon your brows
The laurel and che wreath are substitute
by woman's heart,--
and within that heart, that laurel an,
that wreath shall never witlier 40
fade 80 long as woman loves the. noble
the patriotic and the brave. In beha
of the ladies' of Nafchitaelses, wit
pleasure and with pride, this banns
10 presented to you and through yo
80 nnr patriptic friends as token {
their highest respect, their true re
gard and their exchanging confidence
Mr.. Cosgroye, for the returnin
prisoners, accepted from the haut
some donor, the banner as follows
MISS Herteog and Ladies You bone
ia overmnch II bat valor, ii ma
claim such virtue for my comrade
needs no nobler incentive, no create
reward, than the crown of woman
love, woman's devotion, woman's al
plause. After a struggle from 1867
the 9TH of March, 1879, In which 80
acted o generous part, victory al
peace have at last crowned our e
forts aud old Natchtoches may say
''The rule of the Goth and the vandal=
-Tu DER, gfsEtlts5
Aud each feels the tread Of the Roms
once more"
This banner I receive in behalf
my comrades from your fair hands
q token of your applause. promi
you in their name it shall never
dishonored nor unfurled save in Il
cause Of liberty and justice, and I TEL
der you their warmest and deepe
gratitude for your efforts IN their Sc
vice. | beg to give in conclusion 9
sentiment which is echoed from q
hearts of every one Of us-May u
paeserue cur noble tuonsen.