The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-03-15
BY T. B. BOYD ESQ,


your patience, as to attempt anything
like disquisit'on on the philosophy of
government, or an analysis, of those
causes, which broush, about the mighty
conflict through which we have SO re
Gently passed.
These l shall leave to older heads
and more experienced minds, whose
opinions are better entitled to your re.
gard and confidence, while the humble
object of my ef!nrt shall b., only to
scatter few flowers, about the mem
ories of our dead.
The causes, Of the Reb lion, rs it is
termed are in general too familiar, to us
all, to require any further elucidation
ut he present time, and as to the gignn
tic struggle itself there are too many
fngcr-boards, throughout our land. pon,
ing us backward to its fearful character
But, although such is the case, feel
that it is necessary in the course OF M
remarks, to glance brief. :, ut the c,u.es
of the war, for, if we ignore them, we
cannot fully met the dena of the
occasion on which We have assembled
H. re day.
The first duty, that we owe to our
YES, is TO Justify our course. Leave
hat undone, aud we must fail to send
down, TO comm. ages. Il spntless record
OF the achievements Of our heroes Fur,
they sleep not in unsullici glory, who
have died to establish au ulrlshteou.
cuusr.
Master spirits, indeed, may rise and
tower and soar. OH thr wings OF senus
to giddy heighss of greatness aud We
newa, bur, II the f ., that urges them
| upward, be an unholy ambition then
shall the brightest f,wers withcr in
the crowns they win.
Aye, human aspiration IN ita 5, arl,
for glory may scale the very cloud,
but, hun,nn virtue alone can brighten
Il e stars beyond.
h! then, let our object he to show
not only that our heroes Fought | .e
bra men, long and wsll,' but als,,
Tint ia rghtc US cause lh"y fell.
his alone can rob the word Rebel of
Its odunm, when applied to us, and place
tie people OF the South, in the ranks,
ofthose who have been foun ready aud
willing to lay the full, unStintcd Offering
of their all, at the shrine of their devo
tion 10 principle. And to do this, let
us lhscrlbc in characters Of living i.hi
and lift upon our towers and our noun.
talns. the only safeguard which the
South has ever been willing to throw
about her libcrties-the only demand
she hus ever been arrogant enough to
make the only crime of which she has
ever been gulty-and all these are
embraced, in devotion 20 the Constitu-
tion of our Fathers If that be treasnn. J..
then were the people of the South
traitors--ii that be rebellion, then, were
people of the South, rebels. But if
that be treason, then patriotism is no
longer, eloquent-than virtue, itself, i,
no longer, eloquent.
If it be NOT treason, then do we pro.
test, with all the power Of outraged
innocence, against that verdict, which
binds the names of our jackson and our
Johnscn and our Lee, in the same cata
logue with the blackened names Of h So
WHO have lifted m rlerous hand to
smiie their country's heart.
Traitors such as these, the names of
traitors-deeds like theirs, the deeds, of
trait like theirs, the virtues
of traitors-sacrifices like theirs, the
offriings of traiturs-the noblest, purest
prandest Il mans, Of them all traitors .
Shame! shame almost enough.
methinks, to reader the bones of Wash
ingiOD, Uneasy in the grave
Oh /! that the true manic i of the
North, could but rise, in its majesty,
high above it's passions and it's prejuidi
ces, and in spirit OF true mag nanimi
~ and greatness, join in swelling the
voice of the South, as, even in hor desc
lation, she hurs back the charge OF
treason from her sons, and bows her
head in gri,f, above her martyred dead
to lift prayer, to Heaven
"My children, Father, thy forgiveness need
Alag their hcnrts haYa only nlnna Inr te.r IL