Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-12-01
TIE SOUTHERN DEAD
Grafton by General Jubal Early.

The annual Grafton before the Survivors
Association of South Carolina, delivered
last Friday evening at the Baptist Church,
in Columbia, by Lieutenant 6, neral
Jubal A. Early, has been published in full
in the Colu bla Pr pnix by authority of
the Survivors, Association, and is veil
wOIth perusul After review Of the
principal events OF the war, Gen,r.l Early
said
"No man couIt 20 k upon that Sc ne at
ApEoEa;tCx Courthouse, aud for a mo-
ment, Ia b ht arr, believe that the fol-
lowers of Robert E. Lee were traitors or
rehes But my comrades, the victor on
that occasion hal not IL 9 remotest con-
ceptioQ f the true meaning OF the word
'magbanimity,' much less of the senti-
meut. Talk Of Grants mag1 animi'y on
that occ aston, in concedipg the terms that
he did to General Lees dem ands L rcoHt
the idea. General l. g went to that in
terview with the firm resolve to cut his
way out wi h the small remnant left, if
terms were not granted him deemed hon
| orable in war. Grant saw the blue noun
tains not far off-he had sad experience Of
what that little army was capab!e-he was
| af aid General Lee might make his way
into those mountains, aud then he would
lose the supreme glory of terminating the
war by the surrender to him of his great
antagonist, end he granted the terms,
without which he could not have procured
that surrender.
"Call you this magma nimity But it is
said he prevented General Lee from being
prosecuted for treason. He had, then,
fortunately for him, a mentor who forced
the idea into his dull brain, that his own
honor and glory were in some way con-
nectcd with that matter, in maintaining
inviOlate the parole grantedEGe 1eral Lee
and his soldiers, and he acted in accord
ance with the suggestions made to him.
That mentor has since gone, and what has
been mis- course. as the mead Of powerful
Government towards General Lee and his
followers Compared to what had been
done to our people, it would have been
mercy to have hung all our leaders, civil
and military, and then granted peace and
amnesty to the masses. Jeffreys, himself,
could not have devised m oreexquisite tor
ture and cruelty thanhas been inflicted on
all our people"
The Grafton concluded as folloH VS.:
"We must and will preserve, green and
fresh, the memories of our dead heroes,
while the noble and tue women of the
South will continue, from year to year, to
strew flowers on their gfaves, and teach
their fair daughters to perpetuate the pious
custom and we will adhere to the princi-
ules for which Lee, Sidney Johnso and
ages, that we were not unworthy to be the
soldiers of our great leaders, let US rear
monume1t CT monuments TO them, which
shall tower oRards the heavens, and testi-
fly, for all time, that the men who were
true 20 them in life dill not abandon them
in death. Sach monuments are not neces-
sary to perpatuate their fame. for that is as
wide as the bounds CT civiiz alton, and
will be as enduring a. the mountains, and
hills ana plains. ard valleys, and rivers of
heir own well beloved South. It is to
ourselves that We owe the duty o. fnrni b i.
ing al enduring witness of our fidelity to
cur cause and the memory of OR great
leaders.
my cJmrades, might and wrong cannot
always prevail just and righteous God
rules above and over all and however
gloomy and dark everything may now
appear around u, l have a firm and abb
ding faith that the time is coming when it
Will be a higher and more honorable title
Tor man to be able to say !: my ances'
tor wore the gray, and fought in the same
great struggle for right to which Robert
E Lee, Sidney Johnston and Stonewall
Jackson devoted Themselves. than 10 be
able to claim descent from one who fought
at Roncesvalles, or came over with William
the ConQueror.