Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-17
ANOTHER SOLDIER WHO TALKS AS
HE FOUGHT.
rF,om the Portland Or,,oniau.l

ton, which has been received by him; -
PORTLAND, OREGON, May Ii ,ls7s.
DEAR SIR: i am instructed TO invite you 10 de-
liver discourse on the Sabbath preceding Deco.
ration Day. in commemoration OF The, services Oh
our fallen comrades, who gave their lives Tor the
maintenance OF this great free Government. III
consistent we hope thai you Will be pleased 10
comply. Nery respectfully,
y. 5. PIERCE, Chairman Committee.
The following reply is made through the
AdrOcdfe Doubtless there Is class OF
politicianS-men whose hearts were not
true TO the country in its agony-who will
condemn IL; and vet, let 1t be observed,
that the man who responded to the call or
his country, and fought as a soldier through
the war, has earned the privilege TO speak
his sentiments. In this instance they are
spoken with most thrilling earnestness.
1t is a voice in which feryeney and pathos
are blended with the sound of a trumpet
1--WE must respectfully decline. Nearly
Is years since, AT the call of the United
States Government, we took up our line OF
march for the bloody fields of the South
not as a commissioned officer with large
epaulets, large pay, and larger selt-appre-
citation, nor Yet a a chaplain, 10 nave, rs
many did, good, easy, renuneratve time,
out of bullet range-but a private sol
dier in the ranks, with our muSket and
knapSack. For three years We stood pick
Ct, lay I'm the trenches, wadcd rivers, climb
ell mountains, traversed SwampS, baked
our own beanS-when we had any-shot at
rebels. and in turn made for them target
OF our own person. We passed through
many bloody scenes, and some OF the most
trying battles OF the war. More than once
we narrowly escaped the bayonet Ander-
Sonvillc or Libby. We carried ammuui-
ton from the pouches of the dying and the
dead for some of these same comrades
whose deeds We are now called upon TO
remember, and helped with our own hands
To lay scores of them in their graves. When
the war closed, we Joined IN the nations
shout, and hung our sword upon the wall.
Many of our most valued friends were leit
i'm the south We tried to dry the tears OF
stricken fathers and mothers, by rcciung
the heroism of their dead, and then went
back into the ranks of the Master Ia pray
for the fatherlesS and the widows. But we
were happy. \ halo of glory hung over
these graves. We looked on the broad
acres OF this great land, and felt II was
enough We had spent as nation more
than -, OO0, 900, 600 and had sacrificed hun
dreds OF thousands OF precious lives, but
the cruel war was over, and our enemies
were ready to accept the situation.
To-day the men the Government paid Us
by the month for shooting at are our Con-
greSSmeu. Four Senators only who now
serve us were Union soldiers, while twenty
were in the rebel army SiXty-tvc rebel
soldiers are in the House Not solitary
man from all the South who stood Loyalty by
the Government with his life in his hand,
comes rs "A Representative. More than
two-thirtis of the whole number were IN
open rebellion and under arms, and yet in
six, II not seven States of the thirteen
which rebelled, the Union voters are In the
majority The tried soldier i thrust out
The freedmen who led the way through
dismal swampS, found hiding places and
carried a portion of their own scanty fare
70 our starving boys, flying from prison
pens, who bound mp their wounds and
picked the worms nom their 9angrcened
flesh. torn by bloodhoundS-thcse freed
men are today flying from their homes to
save their lives Insult stamps upon the
graves of our dead in the South. and rev
olution is complete in its violence only that
a solitary Union soldier who happens TO be
at the head of the Government stands
alone in the breach.
NO. we cannot preach over the dead
vet. other battles are 10 fight. II were
an empty Offering We do not wish to
mock their bleaching bones. They did not
bleed and die for few empty culogieS and
a handful OF halffaded flowers east upon
their graves once year They ask bread
and We give them a stone. They rot in
l. H. ssf safHI
and bullet and bayonet, aud the death stare
OF those who starved in prison pens Yet
traceable i'm the dust under their coilln-lidS.
We push aside their manned comrades 10
make room for the men who laughed at
their diving scream for food, and ordered
guards 10 shoot the poor crazcd maniac
who dared reach over the dcad-linc for q
half putrid bone, and now come In token
Of our appreciation with Wiltcd flowers
How these dead skeletons must appreciate
the co>tlc>s offering God forbid We should
approach their graves until we can carry
the old hag over a land united and free
such rs they dreamed of I'm their last
delirium. Let other hands carry flowers,
II j. meet that pure and lovely maidcnS
should do this IL Is AL they have. Let
those preach sermons pf eulugy who never
Shivered in the Wilderness nor heard the
roar Of the battle above the clouds. We
shall stand in silence over the old battery.
We are still on picket. The war is not
oyer. The distant muttcr OF the conflict
can still be heard. We are Yet TO lay other
treasures away in the gravc-murdcrcd on
the altar OF revolution. We cannot insult
our comrades. over their graves before
the God of the nation, we have sworn
allegiance To the cause for which they died,
and stand ready FOR the next buglc call,
but we have never scattered flowers, and
never will, until the right shall finally tri-
umph, and the enemies of our common
country are driven from the place Of pow
er. Let the dead sleep. We are ashamed
publicly u speak of their hcroiSm i'm the
history of today. They have passed be-
yOnd the stencil and corruption, the flies
and maggots, the hunger and thirst under
burning Southern suns, and No longer ask
aught of US our heart aches. II is all
huge farce; righteous Indignation con-
sumeS u. The Government i heartlesSly
cruel 1t called them to sacrifices thou
and times more terrible than the Jugger-
naut, and has forgotten the purchase price.
The enemies who followed them with
bloodhOunds now seek the life of the ma
ton, and crate the principles Of the rebel
lion in the Senate Chamber. No. we scorn
this empty offering. Turn out these reb-
els, Tear down their flags Send trail
tors where they belong; and God will car
~ the flowers in the deit fingers of the
sunshine and the raindrop, and will weave
wreaths and garlandS by the agency of the
winds, and will make melody by the or
chestra of all nature. Until then we shall
leave our harp on the willows, and con
tinue to cry out How long, O Lord, holy
and true, dost thou not Judge and ayenge
our blood on them
SECTIONAL TENT BOOKS IN THE