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


your patience, as to attempt Anything
like disqusit'on OH the philosophy Of
government, or an analysis, of those
causes, which brought about the mighty
conflict through hich we have So re
Gently passed.
These | 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 eiFnrt shall be, only to
scatter few flowers, about the mem
ores of our dead
The causes, of the Reb lion, MS it is
termed are in general too familiar. to us
all, to require any further elucdation
at the present time, and as to the yigun
tic struggle itself there are too many
finger cr-boards, throughout our land point
ing us backward to its fearful character
But, although such is the case, feel
that it is necessary. in the course or m
remarks, to glance brief. at the c,u.es
of the war, for, if we ignore them, we
cannot fully meet the den.a of the
OCCASION on which we have assembled
h. re to-day.
The first duty, that we owe to our
9 yes, is 10 justify our course. Leave
hat undone, aud we must fail to send
down, TO comm. ayes. spntless record
of the ACHIEVEMENTS of our heroes For.
they sleep not in unsuIlici glory, who
have died to establish nu lrlyhtcou.
cause.
Master spirits, indeed, may r,e and
tower and soar, on che wings Of genius
TO giddy heighss of greatness aud We
newn, but, ifthe f 9, that urges them
upward, be au unholy ambition, then
shall the brightest A ,wcrs withcr in
the crowns they win.
Aye, human aspiration IN its St arr Ii
for glory, may scale sho very cloud,
but, hnn,nn virtue alone can brighten
Il e stars beyond.
h! then, let our obi act he to show
not Only that our heroes Fought | .e
hra'e men, long and WILL" but also,
that NJ r;gh'e US cause they fell
This alone eau roo the word Rebel of
its oduiln, when applied to us, and place
tie people Of the South, in the ranks,
ofithose who have been foun ready and
willing to lay the full, unStintcd Offering
OF their all, at the shrine of their devo
fion 10 principle. Aud to do this, let
us inscrlbe in characters OF living ii .hf. e.
and lift nn"n nnr tnwer- mad eur :::o;;;:
tains. the only safeguard which the
South has ever been willing to throw
about her libcrties-the only demand
she has ever been arrogant enough to
make-the ouly crime of which she has
ever been guilty-and all these are
embraced, in devotion TO the Constitu-
tion of our Fathers. If that be troasnn
then were the people of the South.
traitnrs---it 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 nor 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
Juhnson and our Lee, in the same cata
l"gue with the blackcued names Of tn So
who have lifted M rierous hand to
sulite their country's heart.
Traitors such as these, the names of
traitors-decds like theirs, the deeds, Of
tranors'-virtues like theirs, the virtues
of traitors-sacriices like theirs, the
offerings of traiturs-;hc noblest, purest
grandest X, mans, of them all. traitors
Shame! shame almost enough.
methinks, to render the bones Of Wash
ingtOD, uneasy in the grave.
Oh that the true manic j of the
North, could but rise, in its majesty,
high above it's passions and its prejuidi
ccs, and in spirit of true mag nanimi
~ and greatness, join in swelling tho
voice of the South, as, even 10 her desc.
lation, she hur!s back the charge OF
treason from her sons, and bows her
head in grisf, above her martyred dead
to lift prayer, to Heaven
"My children, Father, thy forgiveness need ;
Alas cir hearts have only place for tearsl