The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-05-31

Sud History pays tho tribute Of tear
Yaa. Theodosia. whose celestial breath
Pirate Prize S o Condemned e worse than deatl
In Barataria. aobbed her soul awsyl
Next boldly gldes Britannia's flotilia,
, Eager to conquer Blenvllle's wealthy villa
Crime tends Belona like q cringing kern:
Whirls with wild fury to the scene Of war:
But Jackson calm. withstands the fray.
And. like the chief o. earlier day
Directs ut ,Chalmettes bank another Engllsf
Iarkl news from Europel Gallia's purple
Trails In the dust Of Belgia's fretful border
And Albion. swift To profit from disorder.
n On Allied Powers ths light Of Peace is shining
Though nations held In from bondage bleed:
But throbbIug thought 10 rapidly dlyining
The star gemmed letters OF Columbas creed
And Emigration with herculean hand
Breaking Oppression . talismanfc charm
The pathway speeds to Freedoms promised
Resisting Vice with Virtues strenuous arm
With clarion note the vo,ee q Freed9m 1,' thrills
Hoists her bright nag DER Montezuma'a
And while old Nations nerveeiees stand aghast
| In proud fnfllment 1T the dreamy Paat
Unclaaps with Joy Eureka's golden zonei
| But hoidl with lightning flashes,
i On Party rocks the Union dnshes.
AnH Needom's land IL covered with Strtfe's vol
i canio ashesl
Dark Error clouds Colnmbia's beauteous brow
becesslon's flag confronts the Union banner.
! Madn- SIS prevails from Maine to louisiana;
Nor Heaven prevents the purifying blowl
Elijah like. Emancipation walt.
!, Whilst armies. led By eagle eyed Ambition.
Tramp the e,n broad fields q Death with souls
Time rolls along Peace heals the wounds Of
And yonaer, stream from halcyon skies Of
Mirroring Oharttys effulgent star.
Restores Orleania beauty. food and wealth
While foreign goods In heaps. prOfusefy laid
From countless market Of perpetual Trade.
Bespeak the great Emporium Of the West
Gay scenes surround meof Arcadian bliss
And as question whose dear land Il this.
BY Valor strenp thened and with Beauty blest2
Her colors bright SEQ unfuried.
- ~ prosperous gales with pleasure Whirled,
Fraternity's fair flag-the Banner Of the World
CHAs. 8. RICE, Esq,
the orator Of the day, stepped forward and
spoke as follows:
Comrades. Ladies' and Gentemen-M More than
fourteen years have gone by since the close OF
tho great struggle which taxed the utmost ca
paety Of this nation. Within this period the
custom has become established OF annually
decorating the graves OF those who In that
struggle sacrificed their lives ut the stern re-
dulrement of duty.
one. A few flowers are dropped on the places
whore these dead heroes liz. and you 70 away
this man to his office and that to his WO kshOp
# this were to be all and the end Of all II. hav-
Ing strewed your flowers and listened to what
s sid Or sung It passes out Ct your minds He
comes round. beautiful as IL the custom. It
would have little memory and soon cease to be
noticed.
In the dark days when tho New England
fathers, cast on d stern and rock. bound coast.
after winter Of suffering and privation. such
as men bear only when upheld By great princi-
plR when nHtIlrA SRHmHH have uuifaI atarilp
soil and bleak climate against them. and every
good thing to have abandoned them save their
prayer: but when the season had closed, and
the harvest had smiled upon them and their
little storehouses, were full, they named day Of
OF these days soon became regularly estab-
lished; and Ia the spring time, before his seed
PIT into ths ground stu the IVY Eng
Or long he has wandered from
versary OF Thanksgiving as one Of the holy
days OF his calendar. From far and near, on
that day.. the family gathers together-onee 2
The years adventures, Its efforts. Its sorrows
and Its successes are told gratitude returns its
thanks Tor the gifts which the year has be-
slowed; greetings are exchanged and god
speeds for the year to come Who will under
take to measure the effect OF this observance
religious reverence?
Already the Observance of this day has served
salntaIy purpose. 1t may become y day preg
ohservances 10 some OF these uses let US
give moments attention.
We know that time enough has gone by. and
and lacerAted wounds of the war, for US to rec
ognize that not all the virtue belonged to- nor
all the sacrifice was made by. those who fought
s a. they ionsht.to whom We to-day bring our
As the years have rolled by and We have come
TO know more and more intimately those on
ct Ia. hn~,s
more and more readily acknowledged that the
same spirit that impelled Us. impeiled them.
the N ID many alone
may strew them with flowers; other thousands
are buried abont The 4, prison camps and hospi-
Of those are 10 be decorated to.day-fit tribute
TO the spirit that sent their tenants forth to bat
tle-by the same hands that deck the last rpst |
Ing place OF The Federal soldier. |
generous numbers Their. presence speaks
1t too much to hope that 10 the not disian lime
when. having forgotten all save that they fell as
heroes fall. the same day will b. common for
great cause? One such day out Of the year 80
devoted will do much to heal the breaches that |
divide US. No man would dare to nurture
nay. no man would dream Of-enmty and bit- |
terness while taking part in such a day COM
memoration. ana the remembrance Of 1t would
iLstil 4 generous and tolerant spirit for many
o day thereafter.
is there not every reason why such spirit |
should be cultivated? Is there any why 1t should |
not? 1t may be said that 1t is too soon after the
struggle to expect the differentiation 10 be COM
plete Those are bad teachers that teach SO. |
II may be said that much has been accom-
plished already. Yes and we'll SO far as 1t has |
been accom- plished: but how much remains un-
done how much short Of what might and
ought to have been done2 This Is not the time
or place to point out his mans wrong or that |
ones shortening, but each one can ask him |
self how far short he has come II making re-
Cancellation. which Is the only sure foundation I
q this nations prosperity, complete. II sci.
hshness only We're the inducemens. it. would
sem as II this etfact should be produced.
You who make up the mas Of the great pub |
lie: you workers high or low. whose labors add
TO the material. moral or Intellectual achieve |
ments OF the time; you. who do rot ask for
place or position VIII love life for the sake of
home and family and the pleasures that spring |
from. .peace-have present interest In his |
question. and the answer you give to it is Of |
equal consequence to the children who shall |
TO low you.
You art strong ifyou but know It; effective, |
II you but put forth your strength, There Is |