Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-03-20


career, than the sight of the "old flag"
He heralds it with delight; he directs
his moistened eye with complacency to
its majesty and alternate stripes. and
his reward the floating wind conveys to
his ear, in low but meiodious MUIR
muir, the perennial words-one country,
one flag and one government.
How often have not the cool breezes
of the morning air kissed its soft folds
floating on high, as he carried it tri-
umphantly through the city and vii
lage, through river and valley? How
often have not its beautiful colors
sparkled like thousands of diamonds as
the first transplendent rays of the ris-
ing sun crept through space, and were
intercepted by the myraids of downy
dew drops which enveloped its surface.
How often have not the mellow
beams of the moon touched its waving
folds with an endearing caress and an
| assurance of victory? Oh! all-power-
full protector, thou hast been carried
among the living; thou hast been ele-
waited by iron hands whose life-blood
saturated and purpled your magnifi
cent folds; thou hast been embraced
by noble hearts over whom the dust of
years has been laden; and thou hast
received within thy rent Enclosures the
tears of an immortalized hero, of the
greatest of Generals, Ulysses s.
Grant. Emblem of united country.
representative of sixty millions Of
people. thou hast enshrouded the re-
mains of Logan, thy folds have waved
DER the ivy mound which contained all
that was mortal of Hancock, and the
border of thy invulnerable stripes
have dipped in the precious blood Of a
Mcpherson.
On the battlefield, when the storm
was raging high, when the dark clouds
were rent asunder by the lightning's
stroke; when the awful peals of thun-
der intermingled with the cannon's
roar; when volley after yolley re.
sounded over hill and dale; when it:
leaden showers flew down upon the
foe; and when daylight was converted
into darkness by the buoyant and arti
fetal clouds of smoke, then the stars
and stripes show forth in all theil
beauty, urging them on to victory
gaining for them the crown of martyr
dom and immortalizing their name.
forevnrmore.
When the means Of the suffering ant
dying soldiers from the battlefield hai
; penetrated the misty atmosphere, &C
celebrated in their motion as the prayer
and supplicating of kind and indulgen
nurses, till they reach the dazzling
foot-stones of Heavens golden gate
then appealing to the great Judge t,
send mitigation; then thy superb colors
never losing their luster, trippet
lightly through the breeze as thou wa
carried on by true and patriotic hearts
! who loved them so much Us to sacrifice
their lives for thy protection and pres
ervation. The lucid orbs of Heave,
paled before the established ray of tn,
, unvarying stars.
The blood-like hands of the west
!, which cross the sky at sunset, becam,
lurid before thy scarlet stripes of trutl
and freedom.
: Never did nation possess NOR
beautiful and significant trophy neve
did a Caesar elevate more sacred EN-
blem; and never did Charlemagn
; fight for the honor and vindication of
nohler flag.
Posterity will ever regard the col,
flag" as the choicest gem in the daz
cling coronet of American liberty; a
the re-establisher of peace and tran
, guilty, and as the promoter of ibert
and prosperity.-Picket and Guard