The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-04-01
4 Glowing Tribute to the South.


the ears of q people in whose hearts that
beautiful song awakened responsive
echo. This gentleman has recently re-
moved to Augusta, Geo, and has become
the editor OF u new paper entitled 1he
Banner of the South. The following ex-
tracts from an editorial in the first number
glow with the fire OF patriotism, eloquence
and principle, and will be read with an
absorbing interest by all with whom the
Lost Cause was dear and its memories
are kept sacred:
;By birth and sentiment we are of the
South Dcarer than all other interests, OF
this world, TO us, are those of our own
land Over these interests we shall watch.
Firmly and faithfully we shall defend
them, and more So now than ever when
those interests arc in such sore need OF
brave defence and true defenders. Believ
ing, as we do that the South had right,
and reason, and principle or her side in
the late war, VIC feel that we should not
let the traditions and memories and glo-
ries of the struggle pass into oblivion-
We must keep them alive and aglow-wc
must pass them down-wc must make our
children proud OF them. There is not IL
day nor deed of the struggle Of which
we may feel ashamed. We owe it TO the
past to preserve the story Of our struggle,
and tile future will not forgive us il we
fail to record it. And in recording we
must not use the words Of apology, as
| 4 - 4 ~, # paS
of our cause; but, plainly and fearlcssy,
true TO ourselves, TO our cause. TO our
country-truc to the dust Of the dead at
our tcct-true to the spirits OF those who
wcro so true 10 us-truc to the living and
their terrible loss-true to the Future
which is coming down to ask Of us the
vindicaton OF cur course and the story OF
our past-we must declare. and still de-
clare, and never cease declaring. i'll words
rs brave rs our warriors were, that in the
dread struggle in which our Flag went
down With not Il stain Of dishonor on the
virgin purity OF its folds Justice stood on
1.-The side oil the men who wore the Grey.
And Justice has not changed sides because
we have been defeated. Unconqucred
and unconqucrable, Justice is still with
the conquered The success OF our cause
has been lost-not its right. for failure
can never make right wrong; nor can
succcss transform the iniquity Of wrong
into the sacrcdncss of right. Brute force
roes down into battlrhcl,s not to test the
riehtfuucss OF causes, but to try the
strength Of combatants. The success OF
the sword is 10 argument in f!ror OF the
cause for which il las been uusheathed.
The surrender Of the sword is no argu-
ment against the cause which drew it
from tho scabbard. Shot and she'll do not
rcason-they Straightforward slaughter,
be it more or less is only slaughtor-it is
no argument for or against the rights Of
those who kill or are killed. Bullets may
mangle fesh-spill blood-say men-bnt
they can never reach the vital principles
for which men contend These principles
arc beyond the range of musket and can
non. Battle fields may be the burial
places of men, never Of rights. Above
the smoke and storm and shock Of battles,
unaffected by victory or defeat, calm and
immovablc, Justice sits on her eternal
throne, and in her eyes right is right tor
cvcr-wrong is ctcrnally wrong-and
tramplcd right is grander than trium-
phant wrong. From the decisions given
against lis in the court of battle, we thore
fore appeal and these decisions we carry
up to the high tribunal of Justice, for re-
versal. This and this alone was settled
by battle-that we were the weaker par
ty. We had less brute force on our side,
and we were obliged to yield TO the SUI
n
armies and government Of the Confcdera-
cy were but the mortal flesh and blood OF
an immortal cause. They are gonc-it is
living. Nor steel nor lead, could touch
its life or take it away. It's living in the
loves Of Southern hcarts-it is living in
the memories of the Southern dead-it is
living in the stories Which Southern moth
crs are telling their little childrcM-it is
living in the SORROWS OF our widows and
orphans. And we shall keep it alive.
The rinht of our cause did not fall with
Richmond. 1t exists today as clearly as
it did when the first boom Of our guns
sounded across the Carolina waters, and
when tho Palmetto nag-mid the ringing
of bells, and the rapture Of gladdcned
hearts, and the sounding Of cheers which
the shore sent over the sca-wavcd in
triumph over Sumter And on that a pril
day when Leo gave up his sword, bright
and unblcmishcd rs when he first girdcd
it on, he yielded merely, and onl y, tho
policy Of further rcsstance-not the prln-
cipo which had lifted that resistance
not the principle which had lifted that re-
sistance into n right and sanctiticd 1T as
duty. Right began our struggle; right
justified and onnoblcd it right animated
our soldiers; right made them strong to
suffer, strong TO endure; right made them
brave to dare, and, br;lvest OF all. to die i;
right marched with them, step by step,