Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-06-04
MRS. LEASES ADDRESS.

MRS. LEASES ADDRESS.
The following is the text of Mrs. NJ.
E. Leases address. delivered at the
cemetery on Decoration day, of which
mention was made in late issue:
When the story of . nations strug-
gle is to be told, when the deeds of
nations heros are to be recounted,
when the yalor of a mighty host is to
be dwelt upon, we listen to hear it fall
in burning words from the glowing
lips and the feryent heart of man. But
today we NEE; to pay the tribute OF
our tears, the tribute of grateful
hearts, and loving hands to our coun-
try's dead. IT'S not, then, inoppor-
tune that woman who gave her hearts
best love to the cause of freedom,
whose hearts have shed for Unions
cause as holy blood IS ere was shed on
field of honor, should lift today her
voice ia grateful love 10 the living in
loving remembrance to the dead.
Year after year you have fought
your battles over again, have gone
oyer again the weary march, aud
| lived again the days of toll and danger
in the times that tried mems souls.
Year after year You have listened to
the recital of herolc deeds, and remin-
isceDces of the war from the gifted
and patriotic lips OF such men as Gov.
Martin, Adjulant General Campbell,
Corporal Tanner and others; aud yet
after all these years Of loyalty and de-
votiOn to the cause for which you
fought and bled, the ears of loyal
north were insulted by the arch
traitor, who a few short weeks ago in
one of the capital cities of the south
dared to ring out with brazen lips
tina: the spirit CT seccssion or south
ern liberty as he pleased TO term it,
was not dead in the SOUTH" and ask
history to revoke the verdict of our
late national struggle. Surely, even
at this late day the people of our ma
ton must realize that terrible mis-
take was made in sacrificing awoman.
the unfortunate Mrs. Surratt,
q holocaust, to public opinion, and
permitting the man who represented
the suppression of human liberty and
the traffic in human souls, the man
who more than all other men living
represented treason, secession and re-
bcllion, to walk the earth untramelied.
When 1 tell you that my father and
uncle were starved TO death ut Ander-
sonyille, the torture pen Of the con-
federacy, and two idoiized young
brothers fell in defense of the Union
at the Wilderness, You will pardon
me for saying that | believe it is not
yet too late to chang jeff Davis to a
sour apple tree" or any other tree
available.
But now let me bring you back to
the old farm house in the east. Wars
wild bugle has sounded through the
peaceful valleys, ana over the ALE
ghanics laureled crest, the reverberat-
ing roll of Freedom's drum has wax
encd the echoes from their slumber.
The csll for arms has been answered
BY the sturdy sire and the STRIPPING
beavdiess boy. The hour of parting
has comc-mothers, wives and sisters
come weeping to imprint farewell
kiss upon loved lips, perhaps Tor the
last time. and as the long line
marches away, then goes UP sobbing
argushed cry from the women left
behind. That cry, that parting plant
i've cry reached The ears of fathers,
sons and brothers; il followed them
Oh the long nights march and the
lonely sentry's beat, the tired soldier
dreaming of home and loved ONE,
hears again that parting cry, and
starting from his -lnmbers he cries
aloud TO the God of his fathers TO
crown his arms with victory, ami re-
store him To his home. That cry rang
in their ears when driving back the
long lines Of gray at the battle OF the
Wilderness; when drowning The rebel
veil with the VIM of victory's note on
the plains Of Shiloh, and while thirst
ing for victory aud eager for revenge
they charged up the bloody slopes OF
Fredericksburg. They heard it on the
BLOODY deck and above the din of con-
ffic,, and il was the memory of that
cry that nerved their arms to deeds of
valor. and crowned with victory so
often the hard fought battles of the
union. The woman he loved was the
faithful soldiers last thought on en-
tering wars red field, and his first
thought when the booming of the
bloody strifa was passed,
And what did we? Did we return
TO orr .lesolsie lonely homes and ST.
down in the shadow and and dark
ness of our loss with folded Idle hands, |
and useless repining? No, the des-
pendants of Mollie Starks and the he !
role daughters of revolutionary fame |
were made of sterner stuff. We had |
sent our sors and brothers forth to |
battle for the right; We knew that if
they fell they fell in the cause of God,
of freedom and humanity, and we
would not il we could, have called
them back, Sin the beauty of the
l;lies.'
Christ was born across the sea
With > cross in his bosom
That trsnsfgures You and me,
As He died to make men holy, and |
loved ones died to
Make men Free
So we sent them forth with tears
and prayers. tears more eloquent than
words, and prayers more potent than
the sword, aud though our tortured
hearts we're wrung with kcenest, dead
lest depths of human woe, we babe
fho,n Gn1sneaJ for tho I-uinn