Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-24

arms was sounded. Louisiana, sittinl
here ut her ancient capitol, caught nj
the strain and chanting her hattie song
summoned her sons to rise to her defense
From the banks of the great river, iron
the teeming prairies, from her primeva
forests, they came rushing to her call
Here they came, and kneeling at thei
mothers feet, they swore a mighty oath
that by Gods help no stain Of pollutio,
should touch the hem of her royal robe
and then, when at her bidding the,
went forth to battle, never did the sui
from Heaven look down array more gal
gallant. Five long years have passed
How has that oath been keptS Let til,
roll call after Shiloh and Belmont. afte]
Murfreesboro and Chickamauga, aftel
Mansfield and Port Hudson, after Fred.
ericksburg, Charlottesville and Gettys
burg, after many another GLORIOUS and
well foughten day" tell the story. Let
its witnesses be the silent mounds rear.
ed on the crest Of many q hill, in many
green valley, by the war-worn hands
Of s0rr0wing survivors to show where
our brothers fell as warriors of their
breeding-ever fall with backs to the
earth and feet to tho foe.
It's a sad, sad record, but very glo-
rions. Where is she whose honor they
swOrc to defend T.
''The Niobe of nations there she stands.
Childles and crownless in her voiceless
An empty urn within her withered
hands,
Whose holy dust was scattered long
as ago." .
But that VOW has been we'll redeemed.
Beaten, vanquished, fettered, captive
though she be, no dishonor attaches to
her fair fame. Through the fierce Or
deal of sword and flame she has come
as stainless and as pure as her own fair
daughters. Well may the mother then,
when time shall have dried her tears Of
blood, and memories of her dead come
clustering around her, we'll may she say
OF her hero martyrs, as did that high
hearted old Irish nObleman of his first
born slain in battle. II would not give
my dead son for any living son in Chris
tendom." In us, Comrades, their survi-
vors, years have wrought no forgotful-
ne@. Now as memory recalls. the names
Of our dead brothers and conjures up
their form and features uncOnsciously
the heart goes out in the mournful aspi-
ration
"Oh for the touch of VANISHED hand,
For the sound of a voice that is STILL"
But we mourn them not as those with.
out hope. For though dead, they live
live in many tender, fond recollection
live in our pride in their lives and
our grief in their death. The same pious
hands which came to many of them like
the touch of spirit of light in their dire
need, which bathed their gaping wounds
and closed their eyes in death when all
Of earth was over, are busted now to
rescue their memory from oblivion.
Shall we not Join then heart and hand
in that holy endeavori Shall we not
see to it that here above the mighty
river shall tower a stately column to
greet the rising and the setting sun
and telling the ages yet to come the
story of their heroic
deeds' It will tell, my comrades, an
other story just as holy. 1t will show
how woman's faith in her dead has
known no varying, no shadow of doubt.
1t will show how through long years of
sorrow, anguish and despair that faith
has known no faltertng in its self-impos-
ed c0nsecrated task. As the way-wOrn
traveller sees afar cleaning through the
gloom of the forest and the darkness of
the night gentle taper-light bidding
him to be Of good cheer, for there await
welcome, shelter, home, SO that faith
through all its dark surroundings has
,hone clearer and clearer; and so as time
wears on it will shed its blessed light
steady pure bright serene, until the work
we'll done, the sacred contamination
it will be trimmed .afresh "by
angel hands and placed among the
stars in heaven"
SKlRMISHER.
Capt. John McGrath was called on to
'espond to the toast, "Our Mothers,
Wives and Daughters" which he did in
handsome and appropriate manner.
70 the Southern women werc due in
,reat measure the brilliant achievements
# the Southern soldier. They were
ruer to the cause, more steadfast in
purpose and made greater sacrifices than
wen those who went to meet the foe.
The wife in giving her husband, the
Mother in giving her son and the fair
Maid in giving her lover, did SO with a
irm voice, it is true, but a breaking
leart. It was q sacrifice that required