Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-02-01
"EOnOris FirEfnfte ;,
editor ofthe alexandria Gaz.ttc,

hoTer d'cked walls CN.ssreO, Phi!ippi. ard
uttered 'hes, ever memorable w.r's. Ages
have relied aSey. 10 day, with toe Same blue sky
aboV; cur hc.dy, The SIN, bcsu!iiul earth BE-
meath cur tict. the slmc Dobo Liberties With? cur
grasp, rspest sgsin that exalted Dostrophe-
Virsnlans | appeal unto you Fsr three
c!nu'its }ou ha7o bteo tho living bulwl,k CT
this In gbtg land, tho minds in which we're
ncurishcd the precepto Of constitutional liberty;
tue souls 10 which wtro terded tho delicate
| germs of inDar;ia freedom For three cen
turtles you have borne cleft tho radiaot ensign
| ct patriotic Valo,; uran every field and every
| tl)od your proud cscutohoon has tloated with
uutatnished lusrc. Who untold thousands
| haV, tighcd Wi.h regret over tho halioWed
graves OF your departed dead Fer three ccu.
| turtles you have preserved upb!emshed the ina
lestic glory OF ursallled honor; but alas, 10 day
Virg!ria's proud boad crocps. The rcd GLOSS
| flag that has h)ated With imperial grandeur
over 20 many fields DOW lies trailing 10 the
Dust The bretzas sigh with mou;piul sorrow
| among lis tsttered folds, ADD nalioD's heart
lies bleeding at its fec. Weep. widowed moth
er-hapg your head in perpetual shame Let
| the VOC, of man DO husbet; let the hoavsrs
! send forth their darkness Hide thy face 0
Glorious Light for Virginia-thc trsVo, the
beautiful vireloia-is lighting her last noblo
| fight Already the dark thurders of despos
ism ore rdmbing 10 tho midnight gloom; a.
ready the dismal ratings of dishonor arc Shrek.
ipg with tsnGish delight; already the wierd le
glons OF death arc ernnpg with daboiicll Iii.
lerium over the CORY oirnival Aud shall this
be Shall Virgirla, the homo OF the noble and
the brave, tho land Of tho hero and the states.
mar, sink forever 'neath the traitors heel Z?
Rise. q dead List tho immortal chieftiaus
onoc more lead forth their bands Lat tho un.
dying politicians orcs moro stand withio tho
halls OF legislation !! Ie, who have fought at
Saratoga and ct New Orleans Ye, WAC bavs
bed ct Chtrubusco and at Gettysburg V,
who have thundered amidst tho walls of dip!o-
mal!c splendor once moro rally around your
sacred banners, tor the honor ct pour country
is departing
Aud your nativo land lies waeuiag;
Weeping for her fallen fame
When tho venerable orator, With supsthu
man d'sccrnDaot, pred cied tho corruption of
an Unlimited uoiop; when, with commanding
| penerstlop, be ioretold tho calaniics of 40 To-.
ordinate pCwjl; whom the imperial bettenen;s
OF heaven poured ftrih THEIR Inevitable decree
and the lurisd Lightning and rolling thunder
c,rlirmCd the direful decision. TEen, tveu
then, tho Great jehovah Himself must have
trowned on the evils of humanity, apd, like the
dark iorebodioes of tho caamtous clements,
followed the scenes of erc,cedipg ages Vir
eltlaDs. you have witnessed those events !
That union 90 longer survives. -Four bloody
years yon hldeCus monster has poured his fierce
leR'ons Lv!r your happy land, ard thousands CT
her bravcst soos lie resting 10 her bosom
Sleep ca immortal dead NJ s,ulptured
stone need pe!peuate ytu: fame; On memorial
shtft need ctercaIiz, your memory Not oue
stale; not enc tarrlSh sucs your regal honor |
| On, c,uld the shade CT Tho immortal Henry
orco mere revisit tho Garth aud stray through
those scenes he has immcrializ ID ia clcuuetc :;
could DO but realize the u6lment Of hia predic
ton, how would his aged heart bleed With
what untcli sorrow would he mCuru over the
graves Ct mngnanimous heroes, nId with what
baUg !rapralc, would he sootho tho breast Ct
weeping Virginia But slas, aas, this i; not
all! y Truth y Virtue spare Tie agrniz-
Jog thought Could DO but know that !hcsa
| Il ustricus patriots have, perhaps, fought aoG
| bled 10 vail; that thGse goiiCu, tights are to
be torcRcr entombcd 10 disgtcc, Thcu. III y
thloks, il ever The departed weep, tears CT al
gulah W,uli t.lcklo dowl hose hoary checks.
|
with sorrow to his tomb
- righteous nasver, cfo homer lads Il grave.
Why sleeps Immoral vir!u, umnipole.t 10
! ssyel'
! And shall cur sunny land then with 3r meath
a curse Shall the pride CT her arms. and tho
Valor OF her sons flrever psss away? God Of
Heaven forbid Soldiers. patriots, statesmen :;
yGu' VINO nave fought in common cause; ytu.
| VINO hsVo blcd Tor nations rights-sgsin ap
real unto you'll Shall Virginis's debt b, psid
| Shall her fair name once moro be rescued from
| pollution; or shall tho last CLEAN + her honor
t,nk forever in disgrsce? For shames. for
shamel Men, if 20 are mon soldiers. il cur
sao still is yours Hcroer, if tbe last lingo CT
humanity still thrills within your bosons-rise
up. and hand in hand guard round tho bulwarks
OF her gloryl
And what is this 10 the gerry debt sho his so
| July paid What can bD tho reckoning of a
few millions Of dollars to the shreks ard eroens
of dying mortsls; tho cries and wsilines of for
ssken widows and orphans; and the torronts OF
| Il g red crimson blood poured Cut on Tho war
t:od ground Virginians havo you forgotten
the lound Of these old drums bestng tie 'long
| rolr' in the days Of the 'GDs'-Cr the corr
proWl oftte cannon booming the death reveiilt?
| An there were heroes ihenl Need l tel you
| how they ralliod around their floating bsnnsrs
TO do IN The csuse of Freedom Need l Tell
you how they fought? Tho very land, Itself,
can snsHot? From the lowlands and The noun.
| NOAA
the banner OF the South, and c,rrod it forward
with unshriok!hg hearts TO ihs frery baptism of
blood They fought as we'll rs soldiers ever
fought, did they not? Answer Cold Hsrbor,
| Malvern Hill Cedar Mountain, Manassas
Boonsboro, Shsrpsburg and fredericksburg
| Yer, every foot of her soil. from he Potomac to
| tho James has been drenched with tho noblest
blood OF her sons And the trenches ali the
! trenchts Thousands will tell you of their ter
Tors! There an historic army was guarding the
4 "a n O n FoD fNrio paI;o &c 81,
Virginia And how they guarded il! In
hunger and c)d aud nskedaess they gusrded it
still. In the bright days sad tho dark they stood
| at their posts unmovcd. Father" come homeI
| incurred the children. "Hueblnd" come home,
| mourned the poor wife, with tho hall dead ia.
| FAINT in her arms And the mothers, al tho
| mothers; they did notssy como home'i 10 their
| brave boys in the army; they only knott and
| prayed Cod cad this cruel wsrl "Only give
ne back n y boyl' The army alone kept heart
of tope. Lees old soldiers deted the enemy 10
The last Day after day, week after week,
month sfter month they stood in the trenches at