The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-05-22

w q Juol anu HoII CtuSe, is uuty Wnicn
imposes sacred obligation on all people
whether they be beneficiares or the
sufferers from those actons-whether
they be redeemed or lost. My country
men, we are not in view Of the promised
land-we are not by the resoundng sea
beneath whose surface the Persian ships
lie shattered--we do not stand on the
Seven Hills and overlook regenerated
Kome-we are not in the presence of
palms and laurcls, wreathing the spoils
of victory, hcralded by the shouts of joy
aud the songs Of triumph, with kings and
priests to consecrate them. But here We
stand on the dust Of desolation, met with
the silent tears of woe, mourned by the
dirgc of defeat, aud over this dust these
women have buildcd this monument.
Yes, it is thus; and yet here, just here.
beneath the sun of heaven and amid the
gorgeous bloom Of natures spring tide,
would to God / could persuade my trem-
bling lips to gi:e right utterance to the
emotions of my soul-the sacred rever-
encc which fills my heart-the burning
thoughts which crowd my brain-as |
look at this scene and strive to rise to the
solemn and mournful majesty of our
theme o-day. Oh, my countrymen, that
Athenian, "It is liberty, liberty, LIB
ment is an anomaly. 1t is without prece-
dent, without example, almost Without
analogy in human history. 1t is true
column was placed in the pass of Their
mopylm with the inscription, "Tell
Sparta We are here in obedience to her
laws" and that column became sane
tuary-an alter-revered by all succeed
ing ages. The names of the martyrs and
their battered shields and broken javelins
were carved upon it and marble lion
| placed near it as an emblematic guardian
as near to it eS chat statue of Washing
ton and that palmetto are to this monu-
ment.
1t is true the Athenians, after regain
ing their liberty, placed cenotaph at
| the Pir1us in honor of Themistoccs.
who, having teen outlawed for treason,
afterwards won that monument from lib
Grated Greece. And almost within our
own day, within this country, an earthen
mound was raised on the banks of the
Nistula in honor Of that Thaddeus Kos
ciusko who was the trusted friend of
Washington aud fought for our liberty
almost in view from this column. Po-
land, his country, was subdued and par
ceed among her conquerOrs But the
| devoted patriotism and heroic virtue of
Kosciusko won the reluctant reverence
even of the despotisms which had crush
ed the liberties of his country and oblit-
! Grated its name from the maps of Europe,
| and the Emperor Of Russia rendered his
own sword to his prisoner, the Polish
patriot. "No," said the hero, 81 do not
need a sword-I have no country to de-
fend." Robert Lee needed no sword
after Appomattox. The body of Kosci-
usko was buried in the tomb of kings,
and all the women of Poland wept and
| wore mourning at his death.
In Rome could find 10 monument to
Cola di Rienzi, the redeemer of dark CEN
turtles of shame and oppression. His
only garland is withered leaf from the
| blasted trunk Of Roman liberty. "While
the tree of freedoms withered trunk puts
forth one leaf, cen for thy tomb a gar
land let it be-" When asked in the
streets of Rome "Where are the monu-
ments of Roman lberty?" the Italian
patriot took from the ground at his feet
handful of shining dust and said :
"Here is Romer
Go to the banks of that fast flowing
river, along which rich culture gave eX-
ulting opulence, sending wealth, refine
ment and virtue beyond its borders, and
there, pointing to the now barren earth,
say This is Cardinal" Go to the
groves OF academies there, once reason
ant with the voices of science, philoso-
phy, "'rtue and religion. now in gloomy
silence, and say: "This is Caroliriaw
But, still more, search story in
vain, reason upon the ethics of patriot
ism in vain, to find an example or prin-
ciple from which to deduce the slightest
Justification or even excuse for this mon
ument before the world. 1t is built by
these mourning women of conquered
people, and here to day they dare to
dedicate it to the memory of men Nho
devoted themselves to cause which they
lost, and are thereby branded by the
world as traitors to truth and to liberty
Yes, these dead soldiers, to whose patriot
ism, valor, virtue, honor and truth these
pure and holy women, with tears of pious
gratitude, are dedicatiDg this consccrated
testimony, stand to-day and In memory
before the world as defeated and de-
graded traitors. Their land has been
desolated, their "cause" proclaimed in.
famous before the nations Of the earth
and yet these chaste women come here
and in the light of the sun of Heaven
and invoking with holy and solemn rites
Gods own very presence, consecrate these
names to the admiration, the gratitude
and reverence of their children. They
go to those churches and ommunc with
the Son of God at His .ltar, and then
come here and build an altar to treason
and infamy! 1t is strange! 1t is very
strange
speak it in humble reverence that
not even ut the cross and tomb of the
Son of God did the women kneel with 8
surer trust in the Divine truth for which
tie died than these women do here knee
to-day by the monument their hand.
have raised in testimony Of the truth foI
which the Confederate soldier died
They are pure and chaste women-th,
followers of the meek and lowlv .Jesu.
from Bethlehem to Calvary-and We
they bring their brothers. their husband
and their children here to-day and bic
them kneel at the base of a monumen
they nave devoted more than ten year
of their ''res to celebrate.
Treason, defeat and infamy Oh. it il
very, very strange! Human example
human logic, fail TO remove the veil from
this mystery. There is but one solution
Where can it be found? Blessed be th
Omniscient God, who knows all truths
it Is found in the outpourings of His owl
eternal truth over the hearts and souls 0
these women of Carolina, and by thei
act under its dictates, by their deed her
today, it is proclaimed, before God an,
+ man, that the worlds outcry of sham
| and infumv iu lie