The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-10
THE LOVE OF COUNTRY
Some Bright Examples Patriotism
the Reliance of the Republic.
IBy Rcr. c. O. Hanmer.*l

By Rcr. c. O. Haamer.*]
The custom of using wreaths and flowers on
memorial occasions dates back at least to Ro-
man times. Whenever Roman city was
| besieged, and general by superior tactics and
! exceptional yalor succeeded in raising the siege,
green leaves. and even weeds, were gathered,
and, being woven into a crown, it was placed
upon the conquerors head in the presence of
ali the people This was called the crown of
! the siege For the soldier who had saved the
| life of another, the " corona ciyica" was pre-
pared. For victorious general the corona
| triumphalis," made of laurel; for his subordi-
nate generals, the corona ovulis," woven OF
the myrtle: for the other officers and privates,
the corona oliaginR," formed of olive leaves.
| Thus was every living soldier who had escaped
| the death missile honored by grateful people.
And not to the living alone were honors paid,
| but the dead were not forgotten. To the liv-
! ing were offered crowns and wreaths of leaves
| but for the dead there was mingled with the
| leaves the fragrance of flowers On the ami
versary of their death the living gathered
around their graves, and recountiDg their deeds
of valor, chapets of leaves and flowers were
scattered upon their mounds. This custom
prevailed also among the Greeks. Christians
too adopted this method of generating the
memory of such as had become martyrs to
| their faith and their answering fidelity to
religious principle. During the great per-
! secution and reign of martyrdom. between the
years 100 and 200 A. d., the Christians gath
cred at the graves of the martyrs on the
anniversary of their DEATH which day was
called their " day of nativity" or g birth day
| in heaven" and offering prayer and reading
and expoupding a portion of scrip tures and
relating the heroic deeds of their dead, they
| then scattered flowers over their resting place,
| and when they had sung psalm they retired
! quickly, and often stealthily, TO their hiding
4 n IL DIT
we have done more: we have united the GUS
! tom of the Roman and Greek with the custom
OF the Christian and made them do service to
| the American soldier who hath given up his
! life for us. No longer those crimson stripes in
/ the flag signify the trickling blood from slavers
| lash on the black mans back. They speak
now of his blood commingled with that of
! the white on many field of battle in defense
of human right, of universal freedom, and
equal citizenship,-a patriotism underlined by
any line of color: unlimited by any quality of
seryitude.
A STORY OF FRANKLIN.
| After American soldiery had effectually
! proved their proves as against English regi-
ments and French legions, Benjamin Frank
| lin CHANGED to dine with couple of ambassa-
doris from those countries. The feast over and
! the customary toasts being in order, the En-
/ gIishman first arose and gave the following
/ "England-the sun by whose bright beams the
renlotest corners of the earth are fructified and
enlightened"
Then arose the Frenchman, glowing with ma
tional pride, but too polite to dispute the
previous toast, and drank the following:
.Franee-the moon, whose mild and cheering
rays are the delight of all nations, consoling
them in darkness and making their dreariness
/ beautiful"
| Now it was patriotic Ben Franklin's turn,
and rising-the fire of an American flashing
| from his eye-he gave the following: Amer
| ica-the Joshua who commanded the sun and
moon TO stand still, and they obeyed."
AMONG THE ANcIENTs.
| Now, patriotism was an exalted virtue among
| the ancients -"Dulce ct decorhm est pro patria
mort pleasant and becoming it is for ones
! country to die,-was a sentiment universally
encouraged, and especially inculcated in the
/ youthful mind, and you doubtless recall how
! Hamilcar led his youthful son, who after
wards became Hannibal the Great, when but
nine years of age, TO the altar and there made
him swear eternal enmity to the Romans On
/ the other hand, when the Roman SylIa saw his
\ troops retreating from the field of 0rchomenas,
he quilted his horse and seiZing an ensign
rushed into the very thickest of the fray and
cried to his troops: AS for me, Romans,
/ think it glorious to die here Even the
women of these times emulated this spirit of
patriotism, and exhibited the most marvellous
nerve and herosm, as when Asdrubal was be-
sieged by Seipio, at the temple of lEsculapius.
/ For the better protection of themselves the
| besieged betook themselves to the uppermost
story of the temple. While they were doing
| this, Asdrubal secretly fed TO the enemy and
/ begged for his life. On observing him n a
| suppliant attitude before their enemy fScipio)
| his comrades gave vent TO imprecations upon
him and then set the temple on fre-preferring
! to die rather than surrender. In this extrem-
| ity his wife, learning of her husbands perfdy,
attired herself in her most gorgeous apparel
and taking her two children, stood in conspic-
uous view of the multitudes around, and thus
| addressed the Roman Scipio: / call not down
curses upon thy head, o. Roman; for thou
j only takest the privilege allowed by the
laws of war; but may the gods of Car
/ thage, and thou in concert with them, pun
! ish according TO his deserts the false wretch
/ who has betrayed his country, his gods. his
wife, his children" Then, turning to her hus-
| band, Asdrubal she poured forth this singing
! inyective: Perfdious wretch Thou basest of
creatures! This fire will presently consume both
me and my children but as to thee, too shame
full general Of Carthage go, adorn the gay tri-
umph of thy conquerori suffer in the sight of
all Rome the tortures thon so justly deservest:'
and, deliberately cutting the Threats of her two
| clinging children, she threw their bodies into
/ the flames and then leaped into them herself.
| her example being followed by the entire gar
rison.
ACTS OF DESPERATE HERoTsM
| The barbaric terribleness Of such ar act of
desperate heroism is shocking to our 10Th CEN
tury civilization and yet the spirit that melted
the Grecian matron to such an astounding act
was exactly akin to that which
On that pleasant morn of early fall
When Lee marched over the mountain wall
was displayed at Frederick, Nd, as related by
| the poet:
Up rose old Barbara Frietchie then,
Bowed with her fourscore years and ten
Bravest Of all in Frederick town
She took up the flag that men hauled down.
And then, after Jackson's men had "rent it.
scam and CASH."
She leaned far out on tx window sill
And shook IL forth with royal will
Shoot, If you must this old gray head
| But spare your cOuntrys flag, she said.
A shade of sadness, blush of shame
Over the face of the leader came.
| The nober nature within him stirred
To life at that woElan's deed and word.
Who touches a hair Of yon gray head
Dies like a dogl March onin he said.
1t was love of conntry-patriotism Like all
other loves, the love of-country is sometimes
immoderate in its expression, injudicious in It's
/ methods, and liable to censGrable excuses
| When Cesar was assassinated at the base of
Pompeys statue, among those who led the FRAY
was his ayowed friend, Brutus, and so perfdi-
Gus was the act in the eye Of the populace that
they ventured the most emphatic Indignation
and clamored for revenge. But notice how