The Pacific commercial advertiser., 1897-05-31

into the smoke OF the battle, marched
on, or returning, only came TO die. Who
of you, my friends, would part with
such a memory? What tales they tell
of devotion to country, of heroic en-
durance, love. faith and courage Bet
ter than all the tales of knightly cour-
age are those voices from the Spirit
land
And let us remember that the brave
ry was not alone confined to the boys
in blue, who went forth to do battle
for their country and for their coun-
try's flag; the mothers, wives and
sweethearts of the land bore equally
their part in the struggle. Woman's
love for defender is proverbial be he
that of the nation or individual; and
her hero-worship of the soldier is
touchingly sweet.
The grand old German poet and
philosopher, Goethe. has said; ''Woe
unto the land when women cease to
love it's soldiers" So it is said:
THE maid who binds her warriors
sash, with smile that we'll her pain
dissembles,
The while beneath her dropping lash
one starry tear-drop hangs and
trembles,
Though heaven alone regard the tear,
and Fame shall never know her
story,
Her heart hath shed a drop as dear
as e'er bedewed the field of glory,
''The wife who girds her husbands
sword, with little ones who weep
and wonder,
Then bravely speaks the cheering
word, that though her heart be
rent asunder;
Doomed nightly in her dreams to hear.
the bolt of death around him
rattle.
Her heart hath shed as sacred blood
as e'er was poured on field of bat
''The mother who conceals her grief,
while to her breast her boy she
presses.
Then breathes few brave words and
brief kisses the patriot brow she
blesses,
With none but her sacred God to know
the grief that weighs upon her,
Sheds holy blood as e'er the sod re-
ceived on freedoms field of honorl"
At each recurring anniversary of
this day we should unfurl the old
fundamental truths of national liberty,
and pledge our lives anew, our for
tunes and our sacred honors to the
cause which we fought, and for which
our comrades so gloriously died. For
experience has taught us that danger
menaces when treason is glorified and
disloyalty deified as patriotic virtues.
The future is not assured when words
designed to keep alive in the hearts of
the old, and kindle in those of the
young the fatal dogmas which made
the Grand Army of the Republic of the
United States of America possible; and
we should rebuke all such sentiments
vigorously, and impress upon those
who are to follow us the fact that when
seeds of sedition are sown with i'm
punity in any form, harvest of rebel
lion is very surely to be reaped
But let us at this late day be just
and generous, let us distinguish lest
we condemn harshly. Standing in the
presence of these, our dead, and feel
ing the electric thrill of those mystic
ties which stretch to every patriots
grave, and that bind with cords of steel
the hearts of men who endured hard
ships and braved dangers indescribable
in the camp, on the battle field and in
prison pens. We can appreciate and
sympathize with that kindly feeling
that brings together the boys who
wore the grey. We have no words of
for that true and noble
spirit which prompts to commemor-
ate in marble the courage, devotion
and heroism of those who fell in the
lost cause" Let our Southern broth
ers chisel in imperishable marble the
forms of virtues of those patient, grit
ty men who for four years looked into
our eyes and faced the thunder of guns
with unquailing spirit; let them treas
ure the old sword, the SCARED musket,
the cap torn by shot and shell, the
tattered blood-stained flag around