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

imposes sacred obligation on all people
whether they be bene6ciaries or the
sufferers from those actions-whether
they be redeemed or lost. My country
men, we are not in view of the promised
land we are not by the resounding sea
beneath whose surface the Persian ships
lie shattered-we do not stand on the
"Seyen Hills and overlook regenerated
Rome-we are not in the presence of
palms and laurels, wreathing the spoils
of victory, heralded 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
dirge of defeat, and over this dust these
women have builded 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 lrem-
bling lips to give right utterance to the
emotions of my soul-the sacred reyer-
ence 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 to-day. Oh, my countrymen, that
I could say--that dare say-with the
Athenian, at is liberty, liberty, LIB
ERTY." In every attribute this monu
ment is an anomaly. 1t is without prece-
dent, without example, almost without
analogy in human history. 1t is true a
column was placed in the pass of Their
mopyle with the inscription, "Tell
Sparta we are here in obedience to her
laws" and that column became a sane
tuary-an alter-revered by all succeed
ine 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 as that 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 Pireus in honor of Themistocles,
who, having been 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
Vistula 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
celed 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. mo-" said the hero, ~ do not
need 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 1 could find no monument to
Cola di Rienzi, the redeemer of dark GEN.
turies of shame and oppression. His
only garland is a withered leaf from the
blasted trunk of Roman liberty. "While
the tree of freedoms withered trunk puts
forth one leaf, e'en for thy tomb gar
land let it be-" When asked in the
streets of Rome "Where are the monu-
ments of Reman liberty?" the Italian
patriot took from the ground at his feet
handful of shining dust and said:
"Here is Romew
Go to the banks of that fast-howing
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 Carolina !" Go to the
groves of academies there, once reason
ant with the voices of science, philoso-
ply, virtue and religion, now in gloomy
silence, and say "This is Carolina"
But, still more, I search history in
vain, 1 reason upon the ethics of patriot
ism in vain, to find an example or a prin-
c;ple 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 who
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 fears of pious
gratitude, are dedicating this consecrated
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, cunsecrate these
names to the admiration, the gratitude
and reverence of their children. They
20 to those churches and commune with
the Son of God at His altar, and then
come here and build an altar to treason
and infamy! 1t is strange! 1t is very
strange!
I speak it in humble reverence that
not even at the cross and tomb of the
Son of God did the women kneel with a
surer trust in the Divine truth for which
He died than these women do here kneel
to-day by the monument their hands
have raised in testimony of the truth for
which the Confederate soldier died.
They are pure and chaste women-the
followers of the meek and lowly Jesus
from Bethlehem to Calvary-and yet
they bring their brothers, their husbands
and their children here to-day and bid
them kneel at the base of monument
they have devoted more than ten years
of their lives to celebrate.
Treason, defeat and infamy! Oh, it is
very, very strangel Human example.
human logic, fail to remove the veil from
this mystery. There is but one solution.
Where can it be found? Blessed be the
Omniscient God, who knows all truths,
it is found in the outpourings of His own
eternal truth over the hearts and souls OF
these women of Carolina, and by their
act under its dictates, by their deed here
to-day, it is proclaimed, before God and
man, that the worlds outcry of shame