The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-05-16


and whose unfaultering devotion 10
their, couutry's cause in The darkSss
hours of its struggle, illustrated 'tEe
fidelity of the sex which was last at
the cross, and fret at the sSpplcGrys.
/ am profoundly thankful TO them
for inviting me to be present, az their
orator. on the approaching occasion.
Had it been practicable to accept
their request would have been, to me,
command, obeyed with no other
reluctance, than the consciousness of
inability to do justice TO the theme.
Thanks to the merits Of our Con-
federate dead, they need neither ora
tor nor bard to commend their deeds
to the present generation Of their
countrymcn. Many fell far from
home and kindred, and sleep 10 an
marked graves; but all are gathered
in the love OF those for whom they
died, aud their memories are, hallow.
ed III the hearts Of all true Confed-
erstes. BY the pious efforts of our
people, many humble cemeteries.
such as, in their inpoverishment,
were possible, have been prepared,
and the Confederate dead have been
collected in them from neighboring
ha'tle~helds. There annually, with
reverential affection, the graves,
alike Of the known and unknown, are
decked with vernal flowers, express
i've OF gratitude removable forever
and typical Of the hope of a resurrec>
ton and reunion whcre tho wicked
cease from troubling and tho weary
are at rest. TO be remembered, hon.
orcd, beloved by their people is the re
ward bestowed on our Confederate
Dead. 1t is the highest which good
q purely patriotic man could desire
Should it be asked why then build
this monument2 the answer 10, they
do not Iced it, but posterity may. II
is not their re ewar1; but our debt. If
the gift hero gives his race, is to
have been hero, in order that. this
gilt may be utilized to coming gen-
eraIions, its appreciation by contem"
poraries should be rendered as 'visi-
bic aud enduring as possible. Lss
the monument, rising frotn earth 20
Heaven, lift the mindS of those who
come after us, to a higher standard
than the common test of snccess.; Let
it teach that man is born for duty.
not for expediency; that when an at
tack is made on the community to
which he belongs, by which he is
protected, and to which his allegiance
is due, his first obligation is to defend
that community; and that under sucll
conditions it is better to have '.fouRht
and lost, than never to have fought
at ALL" Let postetity learn by this
monument that you commemorate
men who died in a defensive war:
that they did not, as has been idly
stated, submit to the arbitrament Of
arms the questions at issue-quee-
tions which involved the 'inalienable
rights inherited from thei r ancestors,
and held in trust for their posterity;
but that they strove TO maintain the
State sovereignty which it was their
duty if possible to transmit to Gheir
children. .. ,.. .. ,
Away then with snch feeble ex-
ctse for the abandonment Of priDci--
pies, which may be crusbed for o
while, but which, possessing the eter
nal vitality of truth, must in it's own
good time prevail over perisbsblo
error. Let this monument teach tbas
heroism derives its luslre from the
justice Of the canse in which IL i'd
displayed, and let it mar tho differ
ence between war waged Tor the
roDber like purpose of conquest, and
one 10 repel invaeion--to defend a
peoples hearths and alters, and 20
,,,uipfnip fto;r la Vco oO1 l;hosksn,