Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1868-04-08
before re- the era grand head Of the Ku Klnx Klan
& Sentinel. S.,...J
x Glowing Tribute to the"Lost
Cause.,,

- %. .''''.' Cause" -.
We take the following eloquent, (and beau.
tiful as eloquent extract from an editorial
in heirst issue OF the I" Banaer of'tae So'.th," {"
from from the pen Of its Editors Rev. A. J. RYAN,
the Poet Priest Of the South. The words of
the distinguished editor glow with the fire of
patriotism, eloquence and principle, and will
find q . responsive echo in every true Southern
breast: ,G,a gDJc sii.;ios
By birth and sentiment we are of The South.
Dearer than all other interests, Of this world,
70 u.s., are those of our own land. 1Oversthese
interests we shall watch, Firmly andaaith-
fnlIYyw shall defend them, and more so now
than ever when chose interests arein such sore
need,of brave defence and true defenders
Believing, as we do; that the South had night,
and reason and principle, on her side IN the
late war. we feel that we should not let the
traditions and memories and glerles OF the
struggle pass into oblivion. We must Keep
them alive and aglow-we must pass them
down-we must make our children proud OF
them. There is not day nor 6 deed Of the
struggle of which we may feel ashamed. We
owe it to the past TO preserve the story of our
struggle, and the future will not forgive us if
we iail to record it. And in recording it we
must not use words of apology, as though We
doubted of the righteousness Of our cause; ;
but, plainly and fesrlessly, true to ourselves,
to our cause, to our country-true 70 the dust
OF the dead at our feet-true tothe spirits OF
those who were SO true to us-true to The
living IN their terrible loss-true to the tu-
tire which Is coming down to AK Of US the
yindication of our course and the story of our
past-we must declare, and still declare, and
never cease declaring, in words as brave as
our warriors were, that in the dread struggle
in which our Flag went down with not stain
of dishonor on the virgin purity OF its folds,
Justice stood on the side of the men who
wore the Grey. And Justice has not chang
ed sides because We have been defeated. Un
conquered and unconquerable, Justice IS still
with the conquered. The success OF our
cause has been lost-not itsright; for failure
can never make right wrong nor can success
transform the iniquitY OF wrong into the sa
credness of right. Brute force goes down in
To battlefelds not to test the rightfplness OF
causes but to try the strength of combatants.
The success of the sword is no argument ID
favor of the cause for which it has been un-
sheathed. The surrender of the sword Is no
argument against the cause which drew 1t
from the scabbard. Shot and shell do not
reason-they slaughter-and slaughter, be
it more or less, is only slaughter-it, is DO
argument for or against the rights OF. those
who kill or are killed. Bullets may mangle
flesh spill blood-slay men-but they can
never reach the vital principles fer which men
contend; These principles are beyond the
range of musket and cannon. Battle-helds
may be the burial-places Of men-neyer ol
rights, Above the smoke and storm ano
shock of battles, unaffected by victory or de
feat. calm and immovable Justice sits on hei
eternal throne, and in her eyes right. is right
forever-wrong is eternally wrong-and tram
pied right is grander than triumphant wrong
/ sErou1 the decisions given against us IN tint
court Of battle, we therefore appeal; and these
decisions we carry up to the high tribunal o
Justice for reversal. This, and this alone
was settled by battle-that we were the weak
er party. We mad less brute force on ou
4 side and we were obliged to yield to the su
pcrior strength CT our assailants. Fhe ar
mics and government of the Confederacy wer
T hut the mortal flesh and blood of an immorta
cause. They are gone-it is living. No
steel, nor lead, could touch its life or take
away. 1t is living in the loves OF Souther
,hearts-it is living in the memories .oi tn
\ Southern dead--it is living in the storle
4 which Southern mothers are telling their IL
tie children-i. is living in the SORROWS an
tears of our widows aud orphans. And v
shall keep it alive. The right of our caus
aid not fall with Richmond. 1t exists to da
= as clearly as it did when the first boom OF OF
guns sounded across the Carolina waters, an
when the Palmetto Hag-midi the ringing
bells, and the rapture OF gladdened hearts M
the sounding Of cheers which the shore sci
over the sea-waved in triumph over Sulnte
AID on that April day when. Lee gave U
his sword bright and uublemished as when
first pirded it on, he yielded merely, and OF
IL. the policy OF further resistapce-not II
principle which had lifted that resistance ln
a right and sancti6ed it as duty. Right b
can our struggle, right justified and ennoble
II. right animated our soldiers, right mac
them strong to suffer, strong to endure; rig!
/ made them brave to dare, and, bravest OF al
totiie right marched with them, step, BY ste
info every CORY field rightifashed in the shee
If their swords. and tEundcred in the boo
!; of their cannons in every fray; right wreat
ed glory around their" banners wherey' e'
their banners were borne; right consecrate
, their victories and consoled them in their d
feats; right lit in their hearts the hames
,b.t herosm which bazed out into deathle
deeds right nefved them to every sacrih.
,, thew made, to every hardship they endured
right lit beacon.fres Of glory on the plains
: Manassas, on the heights of Fredericksburg,
the swan ps of the Chckahominy, in the trencl
Of Richmond, on the mountains of Tonnesse
T i, the battle. places Of Kentucky, on the soil
Gre reia on the eseaboard of the Carol;nas, in Il
8 wilds beyond the Mississippi; and, now, rig
) stands amid our ruins and graves, and pom
: ing to the glories of our cause and waiting
Il hope for the terrible retributiou of the futut
+ lifts towards the heavens the manacled hane
i which. there at least, have never pleaded
+ vain, and solennTy protests against the
u pressions of victorious wrong; and we, !
: one. ioin now and always in the protest. "
: stand by the Past of our country aud caus
: and we accept no Future which will not
: cent tba. Past. There are men who bel
!. their principles before the bayonet. The
. are men who deser. the altarsof a Lost Cau
round which they once stood with tao olo
,, in their hearts painting for libation, sna VI
Il kneel to offer homage at the altars OF Succe
o full wrong. There are men who tramPie U
e der foot the very standards that once tioat
II proudly over them. There are men %
enough to lift their hands against the We
:. rights for which they once uplifted swor.
y We are not such. For us, principle, is pr
:. j. ciple, right is right-yesterday-to.day-'
y morrowoforever. Submission to might
g not surrender Of right. We yield to the
>. but shall never yield up the other.
II We shall do our best, therefore 70 SO
a from oblivion the memories and tradltlo