The freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1886-18??, 1888-08-15


itself impotent to secure, while the
greatest party, by dividing the
white vote into two hostile camps
on the prohibition issue. is opening
straight path for the black man
to the polls? E
The women who uniformed their
sons in Southern Gray, and said
like the Spartan mother of old,
Come We as conquerors or come no
more" are here tonight with those
other women who belted Northern
swords upon their boys in blue,
with words as pitiless and brave.
The women who embroidered
stars and stripes upon the blessed
flag that symbolized their love and
faith, to-day have only gentle
words for those who decked their
'bonny flag of stars and bars" with
tenderness as true and faith as fer.
vent. The greatest party seats
these women side by side tonight
and we all wear our snowy badge
of peace above the hearts that hate
no more, while we clasp hands in d
compact never to be broken, and
solemnly declare, before high heav-
en-, our equal hatred of the rum
power and our equal loyalty to
God and Home and Native Land.
What hath God wrought Sure.
ly a winsome thing is the human
heart. 1t went against the grain
for us to hate each other, did it not
dear Southern friends and allies :?
Never in history was there war
involving so little personal animos,
lty. The French by nature hate
the English, and speak about "per-
fidious Albion" and we know that
Lands intersected by a narrow
firth abhor each other" but our
great answered continent was
meant for an answered people, and
imam breaks not the medal wher
God cuts the die" One Anglo.
Saxon race having one heritage of
queenly language and a heoric
history of hardships mutually
borne-it was hard for US to hate
each other. The soldiers learned
this first, brave and chivalric fell
lows, and they hel ped to teach US
stay-at- homes the gracious lesson of
fraternity. How often was the rude
wreath of leaves placed on a Con-
federste grave by the Union soldier
who had killed and yet who had
wept over him who lay beneath.
The fury of the noncombatant was
almost the only fury surviving
Grants brotherlv words to Lee at
Appomattox.
Devoted to the stars and stripes,
the sentiment of patriotism having
been, from childhood, like a FIRE in
the bones with me, | yet have wept
over the flag for love of which
great Stonewall Jackson and gal
liant Albert Sidney Johnston died,
Nor do | envy the Northern patriot
who can read without tugging of
the heart that wondrous poem by
Father Ryan, the Southern Catho-
lie priest, about 1.-THE Sword of
Lee" and lean hardly trust myself
to repeat his requiem of the South
ern flag:
"Fold that banner, for it's weary;
Round its staff tits floating dreary,
Furl it, fold it, it is best;
For there's not a man to waveit,
And there's not a sword to save 1t,
And there's not one left to lave it
In the blood that heroes gave 1t,
And its foes now scorn and brave it;
Furl it, hide it, let it rest.
Furl that banner, furl it sadly;
Once ten thousands hailed 1t gladly,
And ten thousands wildly, madly
Swore ii should forever wave,
Swore that foeman's sword should never
Hearts like theirs entwined discover,
Till that flag should float forever
Ger their freedom or their grave.
Fur that banner, softly, slowly;
Treat it gently, it is holy,
For it droops above the dead.
Touch it not, unfold it never.
Let it droop there, furled forever,
For its peoples hopes are dead"
Not that | loved that flag. Nay,
verify. l loved the slave too well
not to desire it's downfall ; but then,
so many brave hearts bled for it, 80
,>oo,r oap lo upnopp want that |