The National tribune., 1884-05-08


Prom an address bE Col X. @. -InGrsoH
The past rises before me like dream. Again
VIC arc in tie great struggle fer national lie.
We hear the sounds Of preparation; the music
OF bOistcraus drums; the silver voices OF heroic
bueles We see thousands Of assemblages, and
heaE the appeal Of orators. We sec the pale
checks OF women and the flushed faces Of men;
and in those asscmblages we sec all the dead
whose dust we have covered with AowerE. We
lose sight of them no more. We are with them
when they enlist IN the great army of freedom.
We see Them part with those they iOve. Some
are walking for tie last time IN Quiet woody
places, WITH the lnaiaCns they adore. We hear
the whispcrines and the sweet VOWS Of eternal
love a. they lingcrinalv pare forever. Others
are bending oyer cradles, kissing babes that
are asleep. Some are receiving the bless
ings Of Old men. Some are parting with
mothers who held them aDc press them to their
hearts again aud again, and say nothing. Kisses
and tears, tears and kisscs-d5Vine mingling
Of agony aud love. And some are talking with
wives, and endeayoring with brave words,
spoken in tho old tones, to drive from their
hcaEis the awful fear We see them part We
see tie wis standing ID the door with the babe
in her arms-standing in the sunlight sobbing;
at the turn Of the road = hand waTes; she
answers by holding high in her loving arms
the child. lie is gene-and J0reBcr.
We Soc them al IL they march proudly away
undeF the 1iauBting flags, keeping time 10 the
grand Wild ansic Of war-gnaTehing down the
streets Of fhc greet cities-through the towns
and across the pTaiTies, down 10 the fields Of
glory, 10 40 and to die fer the eternal right.
We 70 with them. one ana ali. We are by
their side on al the CORY fields. in ali the hos
pi.als Of pain, on all the weary marches. We
stand guard with them I'D the wild storm and
HDGeT the qriet stars We are with them in
the raFincs running with blood-in the burrows
ra#+ gFI ~ -.
c0pten1ing hosts, unable 10 move. wild with
thirst. the lie e5bing slowly away among the
withered leaves We see them pierced by balls
and torn with shells. in the trenches, by forts.
ana in the whirlwind Of the charge where
men become iron. with nerves Of steel
We arc with them IN the prisons Of hatred
and famine; but human speech can never tell
what they endured
We are al home when the news comes that
they are dead. We sec the maiden in the
shadow Of her FIRST sorrow. VIC see the silvercd
head u the ole man bowed down with the last
grief
The past rises before ne, and VIC see four MIL
lions OF human beings governed by the lash
we see them bound hand and foot: we hear
strokes Of cruel whips; wesce hounds tracking
women through tangled swamps; we see babes
sold from the breasts Of mothers Cruelty un
spcakabie! Outrage infnitc
-Four rnilIie.l bodies IN chains-four million
souls in letters. All the sacred relations o
wife, mother, father, and child trampled be
meath the brutal fcct Of might. Aud all THU
was done under cur own beautiful banner o.
the free
The PAST rises before MS We hear the roal
tDd shrek Of the bursting shell. The broker
letters Iall. These heroes died We look
instead OF slaves we See men, women and chill
drcn. The wand Of Progress touches the auction
block. tho slave-pen, the whipping post, and VIZ
see homes and firesides and schoo-ho and
books and where ali was want and crime and
cruelty and fear, we see tho faces of tho free.
These heroes are dead. They died for lib
erty-they died for us. They are ct rest. The,
sleep in the land they made free, under the fla.
they rendered stainless under the solemn pines
the cad bcInlocks, the fearful willows. and tn
embracing vines They sleep beneath tn
shadows of the clouds, careless alike Of sun
shine or OF storm, each in the windowles
palace OF rest. Earth may run rcd with othe
wars-they arc az peace In the midst of bat
tic, I'm the rear Of conflict, they found tn
serenity of death. i have one sentiment 70
soldiers, living and dead: Cheers for the liy
ing; Tears for the dead.
THE PAST AND TIE FUTURE.
lFron an address ~ Rec. SBrnuel FditofosI
Not TO raise dead issues, not TO keep scctio,
from section, not 10 raise single barrier be