The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-20
Southern Memories.

A cotemporary very reasonably
asks the question. "Will it evel
become burdensomeor annoying to
the people Of the South to read or
to hear of the Southern Confed-
eracy-its glorics, its triumphs, its
! defeats %
The question has more than
once occurred to us, and we some
times fear that, with a large class
! of our people, the records Of the
grand struggle for Southern in
dependence have become weari.
some.
We are all, moro or less. yield
ing to the influences which arc
operating to bury the memories
along with tho animosites Of the
! past. The age is decidedly mater
ialistic, and we are hurried c long so
rapidly as it were upon an iron
track that Of the old landmarks are
fading away in the distance. The
stories Of Southern yalor and de-
votion seem to be growing COM
mon-place and tedious a soldier
with an armless sleeve dangling by
bis side, or a wooden leg to sup
ply a lost limb, excites but little
interest; an appeal for charity
does not receive more attention
because it may come from a widow
and children who were left with
out support when an enemy's bull
let pierced gray jacket, or when
lingering disease consumed the
life of a husband and father in
some hospital, away from home
and perhaps friends.
And this disposition to ignore
so much that should be cherished
does not proceed from any excess
Of loyalty to the powers that be,
but on account of sheer Indifference
and that forgetfulness which is so
ungrateful, anditis becoming more
obvious every year. Our memories
are not cherished with the same
fondness that they were when fresh,
and, with but too many, the
affections which were born of the
war lie buried far deeper than the
heroes who fell in battle or died in
hospitals. This is seen by the
small number Of persons who gen
orally engage in the floral dceora-
tions Of the graves of our fallen
soldiers. 1t is painfully evident
in the uusightly condition Of neg
lected cemeteries whero hundreds
lie buried. But some complain
that it is a waste Of money to de-
vote it to the erection Of monu-
ments and the walling Of cem-
eteries. For this reason the bleach
ed bones Of the fallen have whiten-
ed plowed up battle-felds, and then
nouldered to dust and min gled with
the common earth. But such mon
have always pleaded against such
"useless" expenditures since the
day when the woman poured pre-
cious ointment on the Saviour's
head and disciple rebukcd her
for o waste Of what might have
been sold and brought money into
the treasury.
Let it be borne in mind that tho
South conteuded for a principle
which is itself Eternal, and although
the arms which 80 long and so
gloriously uphold it have been
conquered, yet this controlling
principle is an imperishable treas
ure which is beyond surrendcring,
and no earthly power can retrench
the smallest fraction from it. Then.
ought we not to esteem it no less
a privilege than duty to hold in
grateful remcm brance those who
freeley gave up life itselfin defend
ing what we yet believe to be
right ? And besides, right or
wrong, we should delight to honor
the memory Of every soldier be-
cause be was actuated by pure
motives. And, if that time shonld
ever come when we of the South
should cease to cherish those memo
ries:w we shall then show ourselves
unworthy to be called citizens under
any government, for he who de-
serts q living comradc or forgcts
fallen one, is fit only for treason.
Piedmont InteLliqencer.