The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-07-15
The Egis 4 Intelligencer.
BEL AIR, MD, JULY 10Th, 1870
AN ELOQUENT SPEECH FROM WADE HAMp-
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The ceremonies of unveiling the statue
recently erected by the surviving members
OF the Washington Light Infantry, of Char
lesion, t. their dead comrades who fell ing
the lat, ivil war, took place Thursday, in
the presence of an immense crowd. Gen.
Hampton was the orator of the occasion,
and made q great speech How he an
swers the miserable creatures who in these
latter days are whining that the sword can
settle principles, and that therefore the
cause of the Conieder4cy was wicked
cause, and those who fought for it traitors,
is set forth in the appended burning
words:
Let us then, my friends and comrades,
cling with unrelaxing grasp and mistaken
not the angry threats of oppression OF the
syren voice of temptation drive OF allure
US to forsake it. Above all, be not misled
by that unmeaning jargon which tells you
that your cause was submitted to the
bitrament of arms, and that the sword has
decided that cause against you. The sword
has never, nor will it ever, decide prin-
ciple or establish truth. 1t can, as it
has often done, overthrow just cause and
make might take the place of right but
it can never revise the immutable laws of
God, ormake what is evil appear right in His
sight A noble cause upheld heroically by
honor, courage and patriotism may die
along with its supporters. A great truth
never died. but, eternal as the God head
from which it springs, it lives forever,
amid all the changes of dynasties, the
wreck of empires, and the death of ma
tions. it 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 civilization of Greece. Its
keen edge has dismembered Poland. 1t has
left Hungary bleeding at the feet Of the OPP
pressor. 1t has turned over Spain and Portu-
gal to the tender mercies of the Saracen,
and on this continent and in our day, di-
rected by inscriptions power against the
Threats of PROSTATE States, rocking with
paricidal blood it enforces the laws
which it alone has made, Tell me not,
then, that the sword can righttully turn
the scales of justice. 1t is the exponent of
tyranny, not the arbiter of truth--thc
badge Of the tyrant and the executioncr,
not the symbol ofjustice. 1t is not at all
inconsistent with these views that we, as
u conquered people, should observe scru-
pulously 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 acknow!-
edge that the cause for which these men
died is lost, but we should be false to that
cause, were we to admit that they were,
because Of failure, necessarily wrong. We
believe that they were right, and we there
fore honor and respect their memory. If
they were right, time will vindicate the
action and record their fame. If wrong,
at was grieyOus fault
And grieyously have they answered it