The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-06-06
Southern Society and Virtue.

HhSli III OU&TlSBtOO.
He said in opening hat lie had
come with no cut and dried carefully
prepared address, and if left to his
inclin&tion would much prefer TO sit
quietly and drink in the scene before
him will. all the sacred memories
that it conjured up,'and was at loss
to select subject which would inter.
est the audience before him. We
sometimes do great injustice to the
world he said. Men mingling in the
hard struggle, in the nmpetiticns,
in the midst Of the innumerable ac-
tivities of lite, are inclined to believe
that their fellow men are all hard and
selfish and unfeeling, and indeed q
man is fortunate who lives to any
great age that does not become har-
dcned and calculating by the very
thought that he lives among gene
ration that is 90 selfish and unfeelng.
But this scene before me is sufficient
to prove that the world is not so un-
charitable as we think, for truly by
the love of God and the benevuence
of man this institution is supported
and kept alive. lie.
You are, young ladies, in certain
the beneficiaries of this kind
ness and charity. What, then, is
your mission? How shall you re,
ward'i'2 do not know of any class
in lite more able to take this respons
slbility than Just such class of gifls
asl see here to night and as afesFhe
inmates of this Home. zafo in
very great danger in the South of
having oblitcrated our whole social
liIe that distinguished us as Southern
society, and better society W as new
er presented in social or political life
from the time that dam and Eve
went out OF the Garden of Eden
which was prepared for them by the
hand Ut God. A finer race of men,
more chaste and lovclier race OF wo-
men the sun does no: shine upon
WI hat is to become of l.? The times
have changed. There has been a
great revolution that We could not
check. We find ourselves in the.
midst OF destitution and sufferin g.
The people that once lived in wealth
and, Injury are now living in distress
and pcnury. We find this state Of
affairs not alone in South Carolina
and Georgia. but everywhere. What
is to be tile result of it2 We can
stand poverty i>and sufiering,. and
above. all others God has given our
women The grace OF tortilode and the
capacity for endurance. We can,
say, stand poverty, but there is one
thing that we should endeavor to pre-
serve amidst this sad condition Of al
fairs, and that is our charact er-thc
galIantry and manhood of our men,
md the virtue and graces of our wo
men.
We need never fear of Southern
society as long as we can preserve
the characters of the men aud women
Of the lard. But if in The midst o.
the storms and troubles that have
come upon n3 we feel demorallzeC
and degraded, and are inclined tc
think it not worth while to rebuilc
our fortunes and our society upon the
old granite land marks-when VIZ
come TO that conclusion let us bic
farewell to everything that we lovec
IL The past, and to The characters o
all Of the old grandmothers auc
grandsires whose virtue and manhood
stamped Our society with imperisba-
bic lustre. IfI desired to- start the
grandest enterprise known to man, Il
would he to stimulate the determine.
ti6n. among the rising generation tha
although they cannot preserve. tlfe
fortunes and the hereditary fame O
those gone, to preserve at least thaI
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