Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-07-17
From Washhkts6.
WASHINGTON, July 10, 1879.


As still further evidence of the
true spirit Of the South in regard to
their cause not being lost on the bat
tie field and their faith in establishing
the supremacy Of State-rights SO ear
nestly advocated by the Confederate
Democracy during the late extra ses-
sion of Congress, [ give extracts from
a memorial address delivered short
time since at Rose Hill Cemetery,
Macon, Ga. by the Rev. Walker Lew
is.
Ladies and Gentlemen We meet
here 20 commemorate our fallen heroes
and emphasize our loyalty to the cause
for which they died. Mindful of their
heroism and selt-immolation in our be-
half we should greet every Memorial
Day with the symbols of veneration
and abiding gratitude. The clay that
scntlnels their sacred dust from pro-
fame intrusion is greatly honored, and
priviledged in no common way are the
hearts that mingle tears and flowers
upon their graves,
The motives that impelled our dead
to take the sword need no aid from
men to insure successful defence, from
the heights of their sublime holiness
they can never be dislodged. No
thirst for blood, no greed of gain, no
instinct to plumber, was the impulsivo
cause of their armies. and not before
their country was invaded and their
rights unperilled did they appeal to
wars stern arbitrament.
As Abraham spoke in the olden time
to his kinsman Lot, the South, before
her sword was drawn, had said to the
North, Let there be no more strife,
[ pray the, between me and thee. Is
not the whole land before thee? Sep
aratc thy self, pray thee, from me
if thou wilt take the left hand then I
will so to the right, or, if thou wilt
take the right hand then I will 60 to
the left Oh the words, let as have
peace hypocritically spoken of late
years by the retiring Executive ofin-
famous notoriety had then been the
answer of the North to these pathetic
pleadings, this continent would not
have been shaken by the rude jostle Of
collidlng armies, nor would our skies
been rent asunder by the sobbings of
an oppressed and bereaved people.
Her intersections disregarded, the
South called upon her sons to draw
the sword and maintain their rights.
The gallant dead responded, and,
standing before the altar Of their self
respect and manhood. with uncovered
heads they swore to yindicate their
rights or die in the attempt. Did
they ever repudiate their solemn oath
and promise? From the angels that
witnessed their dying struggles at Shi-
lob, at Wurfreesboro, at Sharpsburg,
at Malvern Hill, at Gettysburg, at the
bloody wilderness. and wherever the
bloody flag was uufurled the unani-
nous response comes ringing down
the skies They were faithful unto
death.
They, whose moral sense is inverted
or whose perception Of worthiness is
INSTRUCTED by malicious prejudices call
these men rebels, If spirit to con-
tend for right and struggle for self
government unto death make men
rebels, we accept this title with un-
measurable pride, and thank God, for
50 glorious q distinction and so envia-
bic re-eminence, and we tell these
mlscreants that the spirit which sprung
the South into rebellion in 1861 ex-
lists among US still, now and forever
indispensable, with the majesty. Of
such unquestioned authority as to
command the following Of true men
for thousand generations.
The Confederacy is dead, the cause it
embodied has not persisted; it is i'm
perishable x
Men Of the South if we obstruct not
this cause, it will send the gospel of
deliverance to its former prosecutors
and present detractors, and unless they
are given over to hardness Of heart
and reprobacy Of mind it will ulti-
mately bring them to a knowledge Of
the only truth by which the Union
can be perpetuated, without which its
demolition is certain. Stand then, to
your principles and give the present
hypocritical administration the tribute
Of your unreasonable loathing. Its
head if not himselfa thief, is know
ingly the receiver of stolen goods and
neither previous worth nor subsequent
conservation can condone the injustice
of his infamous Inauguration or cover
the shameless degradation of wearing
the stolen honors of another False
to his own party, false to the stipend
Gus Williams that gagged states in his
behalf, false to the black Commission
and It's perjured Judge, all that he
does with seeming decency is only the
bid Of hypocrite for the treachery of
others. Claiming credit for slowly do
ing what legally and decently he could
not fail to do with haste, he speaks of
policy, but is silent about principle.
The light flashed over the States that
lay but recently in darkness was not
kindled by him, but was struck by his
finty solfshness BY the steel of South
ern manhood, and the rights of outrag-
ed people now enjoyed again were not
conceded willingly by him but were
extorted from his intriguing soul by