The Opelousas courier., 1894-08-25
OFELOUsAs, PARISH OF ST. LANDRY, LA, AUGUST 25. 1894.

-- -o ~
from the face of the earth. Alread
the sacred soil of the South has bee
polluted by the tread of these wors
than Goths and Vandals; and the sacre
tomb OF Washington threatened wit
pillage.
1t ls, Ladies. to resist this war of in
vas'on and subjugation to protect tn
%sanctlty Of IL heartils and firesides t.
shield yon from the insults of al
Infatuated soldiery /; to roll back thi
wave of invasion flowing upon us, tina
we stand before You prepared to tax,
the tented field, at the call of on,
country. And when We look around N
and behold your ardent sympathy, YOU
self-sacriticing devotion to the cause O,
your country, we feel thrice neryed fo]
the mighty struggle in which We are
Q Q to become active participants
When we consider the lively interes,
you have manifested in our organiza,
ton when We behold your readiness
to offer up those neares and dearest tc
you, as voluntary sacrifices on the altar
or your country when we know that
we go forth to battle, clad in garments
made by your own fair hands !; we feel
as if the genius Of 1776 was lowering
over US and appealing to us to prove
ourselves worthy of our revolutionary
slres. Depend upon it, Ladies, We will
90 so be assured that in so dong we
Will but prove ourselves worthy of
you.
1t was Spartan mothers that made
Spartan heroes; and as long as the fires
OF patriotism glow as ardently in your
souls as they now do, we feel thai We
are invincible f; that though our country
should be overrun by our foes and turn.
ed into O desert /; that though the proud
est monuments of modern civilization
should be levelled with the earth, and
only ruin and desolation mark the
track OF our foes, that we would still be
unconquered.
whatever fate may await us, Ladies',
rest assured that this your last and most
precious gift will ever be guarded by us
With more than reverential care and
affection.
Associated with it will ever be all
that Is pure and lovely of our native
and. In the long and tedious march.
all the latent energies of the soul will
be revived as the eye of the wearied
catches its silvery CLEAN. In
hour OF victory, as we'll as in the
hottest passions of the strife, it will
us of the mercy due the yield
ny. In the awful hour of battle, when
he death angel spreads his wings on
he blast, when Kissing bullets are
lying thick and fast and singing the
tquien OF many IL noble heart when
teel clashes against steel, and squad
is hu'led against squadron in tile
leadlopg charge that is to decide the
ate OF II hotly contested day, ever then
IS h soldiers eye catches the CLEAN
# that banner through the smoke of
he will close in deadiier conflict
With the foe: around it he will see
like guardian angels, the
ovely forms of the fairest daughters
f his native land, beckoning him On to
victory aud hear them appeal
ne to him to
"Strike for his affairs and lis fires:
For the green graves of his sires
God ana his native land"
ln the name and on behalf then of
he Oprlousas Guards, | pledge you that
hat banner associated as it is with all
hat is near and dear to us as Southern
rs and as freemen, crowned by the
ands OF u countrywOman as patriotic
8 she is fair, with the wreath of the
I'd, white and blue, bearing upon it's
Ilken folds the glorious motto Of God
nd our Rights, shall never be dis
unored or disgraced in the hands of
hose 10 whom you have entrusted it.
La the name OF our most holy religion;
! the name of u sacred cause, in the
OF our country, ! pledge you that
round it shall be gathered a band as
as ever drew the sword in
of everything dear to freemen:
nat where blows fall thiekest and
food flows fastest, there it shall be seen
oreading its graceful folds on the hot
reatfl OF battle and that if it should
yer grace the trophied halls of a VIC
,rious foe, it will only be when the
list one OF us shall have been cut down
round it and when its tattered and
folds shall stand living
illnesses that those who bore it to bat
e were men, who might be exter-
mated but not conquered.
When the storm of war shall have
wen place to the sunshine Of peace:
hen the gates of the temple of Janus
aail nave been again closed and we
iall have sheathed the sword and re-
Urn to tie peaceful walks Of life, |
edge yon that that banner, tattered
40 torn though it may be by the
1emies' bullets, though thickly enter
with cypress, for the brave
carts who bled around it, may be- the
reatb Of red, white and blue that now
,%circles it, will still be cherished by ia
the memento Of a period the most
of our existence when tha
dies of st. Landry with a heroism
orthy of the past, invoking the
l0icest blessings 0f heaven upon ms.
mt us forth to conquer or to die in a
the most GLORIOUS in which sword
as ever ~unsbeathe1.
Ladies, but a few more days will have
apsed when We shall take our depart
e from amongst you. We know that
The viclssltudes of war many Of us
III never again behold the loved faces
NV gathered around us. But we 20
nth to battle, "soothed and sustained
!, an unfaltering trust" tn the justice
oar cause !; knowing that life at best
but uncertain and that no death is SO
orlOus as that met On the battle field
a just cause-aye We know that
"To every man upon this earth
Death cometht soon or late:
And how can a man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes OF his fathers,
And the temples OF his Gods,
And for the tender mother
Who has dandle him to rest,
And for the wife who nurses
His baby at her breast,
And for the lovely maiden
To whom he hath pledged his troth.n
When Mr.. Hudspeth had concluded
s address, Rev, C. A. Frazee of the
ethOdist Church invoked the blessing
God upon the banner, which was
taken to the Catholic Church and
ere received q b%enediction from Rev.
+. Raymond. On their return, the
yards saluted the Convent as a testi-
pny of their gratitude for the kind
.co tho l dsCc - ALs. .