The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-03-15


stand
Clouds laden with all the terrors OF
the storm, were ready to burst upon
them. And then, from the oanxious
heart of the South, went forth, the ap-
Watchman, tell ms of the night -.
and from the watch towers back the
response-dark ness 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 talismanic virtues destroy
cd
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. that
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 nose
walls must soon crumble and bury them
among its ruins
And this too the temple Of our fathers.
this the temple of our freedom, this the
te" pie of oar glory, this the temple, to
protect which, the best blood Of the
South, had flowed on almost every bat
tie held of our country, to beautfy
which the treasures of the South have
ever been laid with lavish hands upon
the altar, and to prevent whose desecra-
ti"n. has ever been the granjcst object
OF the eloquence of the South. For,
we loved the old flag of our Uuion-
none ever loved it more than did
the people Of the South-braver,
or more willing hands, were
never lifted to uphold it, than those of
the South. And yet, tramplin: the
Constitution ofour Fathers, in the dust,
the North marshallcd her hosts beneath
that banner to carry dssolaton to tn /,
hearts and homes Of the South.
We loved it, because it had aoatei
over Bunker S Hill Eutaw Springs, a
Lundy's Lane, but VIC lovcil it not when
it hoa'ed over q hiloh, Ghickarau.,, q
shaacc'!orsvilIe, or an Appo.natt,x.
AS the emblem o.! our freedom, We
adoTed it. "s the emblem of oppression,
wc ador d It not.
/ lis -luries on the one hand. will Owe:
r"nlain the common heritage of the
North and Ct the South, its shame on
on The ";! or bcl"ngs not to the South.
The history Of the former has already
been written, that Of the latter must 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 vindicatian 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 pai;fu and yet sweet and holy
thought, that although all else, we are
went to love and cherish may be swept
By ruthless hands away, yet Ill tho
powers of earth cannot rob US of the
memories OF our dead And within the
precincts of this hallowed ground,
would enter not with bold and careless
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 them
on those silent mounds that rise above
our dead; we'd bring flowers, purest
flowers from the gardens Of our hearts
AMI 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 them bright and bright.
cning, adowu the course of ages, with
the record of a people, who although
overwhelmed in defeat, and forced to
bow beneath the rod, were not asha IN ed
to tell the story of their hcrores, nor to