Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-04-09
Speech of Capt. HI q. sheridan'b before
the Survivors Association. :

- - 49, ~ASooSACASAOA.
Little more than half score of years
ago, the people of South Carolina and Of
the Southern Seates, were uunacquintetl
with occasions of this character From
our earliest recollection, it is true, that
families and communities met 10 shed n
tear OF sympathy, and to pay the last
tribute soffrespect and love to the memory
of the dead. States, too, in congregated
capacity have eulogized those honored
servants, who by q life of faithful Jand
devoted labor for thepublic good, had
won for themselves the love and merited
the iwell'done of those they served The
death of II McDdfie Ord Calhoun, Of a
Clay or n Webster aroused the great pub
litiheart of the nation; and d united but
stricken people met i'll solemn assemblies
to deplorc their loss, and to perpetuate
their memories. Monumental piles have
been erected all over this land bearing
upon their frces the testimony ola peo-
pies memory Of the salnted dead Hearts
have, indeed, shed great tears Of love, but
the bereaved ones mourned not without
hopc-their grief was ten pered by a
family and a State pride. We felt and
believed, when the grave received their
sacred remains. that they had ivcd in the
service of n country, which would remain
to us and to our children perpetual
inheritance; that they had died in the
defence ola government whose principles
OF States. rights and States sovcignty
would forever be Il bulwark of defense to
ours and our .hildrcn's rights. Consign-
ing them with mourning. to the mother,
dust, we returned TO homes to study the
lessons taught us by their lives, to prize
the purity of their characters and to love
the kindred, the homes and the govern.
ment they had left lis. We believe that
the fame of the dead was the glory ofthc
living. and the history Of the public SER
want was the history oflhc country; there
fee we bnw'le, submissively toall the
dispensntions piPfoyiacncc. But to-day!
w!.ercare our homes? Where our kindred?
and where is our government? There is
no.!.ing left save the precious memories
of the past, the bitterness of to-day, and
an anxious looking forward 10 the events
Of tn.morruw
And i'll this dark hour of our calamity
we arc iAet together with disappointed
hopes as the survivors not only OF our
brave comrades, who fell upon the battle
field, and'lie moulding in their graves,
but ofthe principles, SOC ial f, political and
religious they dicu to defend. The mem
ory of these like them, is consccratcd TO
immortal gratitude; because in the graves
OF the detendersslie buried the principles
they defended. As The one can never
again physically aid us, so the other can
never morally protect us: with the old
love is buried the old f,itls.
Were it possible for one, ignorant of
the events OF. the last dozen years. to visit
this country and see the homes once pros
porous, now demolished or decayne;
towns and cities once alive with thrift
and -trade,nowrin ashes or delapidateyl;
country once green and ripe to the
harvest with q united and contentcd pop y
ulation, now scared, and blighted, and
ravished with one race pulnderng an
other; and n government once admins
tered by honesty and intelligence, now
with ignorance enthroned and rascalty
rampant-a nation of thieves where an
honest people had been; he, would. .natu-
rally conclude that some terrible political
CONFUSION had happened to break Gown
the spirits and destroy the energies of
the people, Aor, that a long and bloody
war of eXtermination had devastated the
fields, burnt the homes, dcpopulated the
cities and left the country to plundcrand
repine. But what arethc facts? 1t is
true n political revolution did occur; but
it was for the establishment of inalienablc
right, and might lave been avoided by
honesty and fair dealing. 1t equally
true that q bloody war passed over the
land; yet the restoration Of peace and an
equal government would have returd the