The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-03-15
men of the South, could not misunder-

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stand.
Clouds laden with all the terrors OF
the storm, were ready TO burst upon
them. And then, from the ooan1ious
heart of the South, went forth, the ap-
peal-Watchman, tell MS of the night ~.
and from the watch towers back the
Representatives. and danger, ahead
Whittier, should we fly? There was
but one place OF refuge, and that within
the ark Of our covenant But, alas
alas the ark itself had been invad d
the covenant mutilatcd by ruthless
hands, and its talsmanic virtues destroy
ed
Thus were the people of the South,
not only left, but forced by outrage and
injury, "Out in the cold, amid the
mutterings, Of the tempest and the
storm.
And yet better far, they thought, tn at
they should be there, than within that
temple, whose foundation had be- n
mincd-the keystone Of whose arch had
been almost knocked away, and hose
walls must soon crumble and bury them
among its ruins.
And this too the temple of our fathers.
this the tcmple of our freedom, this the
te" pie of our glory, this the temple, to
protect which, the best blood of the
South, had flowed on almost every bat
tie field Of our country, to beautify
which the treasures of the South have
ever been laid with lavish hands upon
the altar, and to prevent whose desocra-
tl"n has ever been the granlcst object
of the eloquence of the South. For,
we loved the old flag of our Union
none ever loved it more than did
the people of the South-braver,
or more willing hands, were
never lifted to uphold it, than th1se Of
the South. And yet, tranpliu. the
Constitution ofour Fathers, in the dust,
the North marshalicd her hosts beneath
that banner to carry d,solation to th
hcarts and homes of the South.
We lived it, because it had foated
over BunSer's Hill a Eutaw Springs, a
Lundy's Lane, but we loved it not when
hhoated over Shiloh, 4 Chickanau.., a
Charlottesville, or an Apponatt,x.
AS the emblem o! our freedom, We
ad"rcd it as the emblem of oppression,
we ador d It not
IT., -iurcs on the one hand, will cvc:.
r"nr'in the common heritage of the
N"rti and Ct the South, its shame on
on tho o,! or beings not to the South.
The hi story of the former has alrcady
been written, that of the latter mus, be
left to the coming historian, who shall
be able, with unbiased mind, to tell the
story of the mighty struggle of the
South, for constitutional freedom, and
of the North for political supremacy.
With him the vindica,ion of the
Sorth may safely rest Blu; there is
something which we cannot leave with
him alone, and that the memory of our
dead.
This at least is the peculiar heritage
Of the South: Here at least no bastard
hand can rise and rob Us Of our own.
Sad aud painful, aud yet sweet and holy
thought, that although all else, we are
won't to love and cherish, may be swept
by ruthless hands away, yet Ill the
powers OF earth cannot rob US Of .he
memories OF our dead And within the
precincts of this halowed ground, |
would enter not with bold and clreless
tread, but softly aud gently, bearing
flowers, affections Offering to our dead
Yes we'd bring flowers, choicest flowers
from each garden bed, and strew tn EN-
on those silent mounds that rise above
our dead we'd bring flowers, purest
flowers from the gardens of our hearts
and twine them tcnderly about the
memories of ou- dead. Aye we'd bring
flowers, brightest, richest flowers, fro n
the gardens of our minis, with which
TO garland, the deeds of valor of our
dead, aud send then bright and bright
cning, adown the course of ages, with
the record of people, who although
overwhelmed in defeat, and forced TO
bow beneath the rod, we're not ashan ed
to tell the story Of their hcrores, nor to