The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-06-29

OF the w aSnlnSIOn LiSHI 1u4dulIy
Monument, at Magnolia Cemetery,
Charleston:
Let US, then, my friends and
comrades; cling with unrelaxing
grasp and mistaken confidence to
the faith that is in us. Let not
the angry threats Of oppression or
the syren voice oftemptation drive
or allure US to forsake it. Above
ali, be not misled by that unmean-
ing iargon which tells you that
your cause was submitted 10
the arbitramcnt Of arms, and that
the sword has decided that cause
against you. The sword has never,
nor will it ever, decide a principle
or establish q truth. 1t can, as it
has often done, overthrow a just
cause and make might take the
place Of right; but it can never
reverse the immutable laws Of God,
and make what is evil appear right
in His sight. 4 noble cause, up
held heroically by honor, courage
and patriotism may die along with
it's supporters. \ great truth new
err dies; but, eternal as the God
head from which it springs, itlives
forever, amid all the changes Of dy-
! nasties, the wreck Of empires, and
the death Of nations. 1t is too, as
false in fact as in logic to assert
that the sword can or does decide
justly between right and wrong,
With the sword the Goths and
Vandals drenched the fair fields of
Italy with the best blood of her
sons. 1t gave nearly half the
world to Mahomet. 1t allowed
the Turks to trample out the civ
ilization Of Greece. Its keen edge
has dismembered Poland. 1t has
left Hungary bleeding at the feet
of the oppressor. 1t has turned
over Spain and Portugal to the
tender mercies of the Saracen, and
on this continent and in our day,
directed by nnscrupulous power
against the throats Of PROSTATE
States, reeking with fratlicidal
blood, it enforces tie laws which
| it alone has made. Tell me not
then that the sword can rightfully
turn the scale of justice. 1t is the
exponent of tyranny, not the
arbitrator Of truth-the badge of
the tyrant and the executioncr,
not the symbol Of justice. 1t is
not at all inconsistent with these
views that we, as a conquered
people, should observe scrupulously
the terms dictated by the sword
and accepted by us. We can do
this, and should do it, in perfect
good faith; but we should claim
and exercise the God-given right
of freedom Of opinion. We &C
knowledge that the cause for which
these men died is lost, but we
should be false to them, false to
that cause were we to admit that
they were, because Of failure, ne
cessarily wrong. We believe that
they were right, and we :hcre-
fore honor and respect their mem
DRY. If they were right time will
vindicatc the action and record
their fame. If Ifwrong.
''It vas grievous fault,
And grie7ously have they answered it."
at is right and proper that you
should preserve the memory of our
dead heroes. Would that we could
erect to them a monument whose
foundations should be as eternal as
the great truths for which they
died lofty as their fame; pure IS
our love lasting as our gratitude
rising proudly from the earth that
holds their clay, and pointing with
it's spotless shaft to that heaven
where we devoutly trust that they
arc now at rest, 1t is a touching
and beautiful article Of beliefin the
creed Of that strange system of
theology, which takes its name
from its foundcr-one ofthe most
wonderful men Of the last century
that those who fail in battle
fighting honestly and truly for
their country, are Immediately
transported TO heaven, to partake
of the highest joys of that blissful
abode; and though no such prom
isc is held out by our religion to
it's votarics. it surely is not incon,
sistent with its holy spirit or d.
vine teaching, that this may be
the case. The trust ofthc patriot
and the faith of the Christian may
then unite in hope so full of joy and
consolation, that our dead patriots
-"God's soldiers rs''-purifcd by
the great obIation OF their lives
for their couDtry's liberty standing
now in the presence OF the Eter'
nal God, looking down with CRATE
full hearts on this solemn scene,
bringing their prayers for you,
who are now manifesting your re-
verence and love for them, to the
very foot-stool of the Throne Of
Grace, are invoking with devout
supplications from the Father ot
Mercies, for you, all those rich
blessings which He, and He alone.
can bestoW."