Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1879-05-03
Memorial Address
by
REV. j. T. SAWYER
DELIVERED
DECORATION DAY, APRIL 90, 1870.
Laden and Gentlemen /:

DECORATION DAY, APRIL 90, 1877
Laden and Gentlemen
When approached in regard to NAL
ing an address to-day, was at first il
Clined to think that, as minister Of til
Gospel, perhaps ought not to do so.
After reflection, have concluded tina
though minister, yet as q Souther
man, l am not at liberty to decline SPEAK
ing in memory of our Southern dead.
Realizing how unable l have been b
reason of the very limited time Above
me and the almost entire absorption q
that time by the engagements and dutie
of my sacred calling, to make tina
thorough preparation ] desired; an
aware, also, that Others could have NOR
worthily discharged this duty; yet
having consented to address you, hope
if nothing more, to give you q few earn
est words.
This day is to us of this sunny, Soutl,
ern land the dearest day of all tn
year-for to-day above all other days ar
we privileged to withdraw the veil from
over our hearts and look therein to &c,
enshrined, in deathless love, our heroi,
dead and the glorious deeds and histor,
they wrote in their own warm blood.
Though these hearts of ours to-da,
beat as true to the Union of States as d.
those Of the men who fought against us
yetwould 1t be false in us and base dis
honor not to own that in our heart Of
hearts we love, and erer shall, the men VIII
wore the gray and hold as the most
priced and glorious portion of all our
country's history, that which began with
the Secession of South Carolina on De.
cember 20, 1860, and ended Withox,
dishonor in the surrender of Kirby Smith
on May 26, 1865. Each year when we
come with the flowers of Spring and
with sacred tears, we find the sod that
covers the Confederate braves dearel
and dearer still, for
'They we're slain for us,
And their blood flowed out in rain for
ua;
Red, rich, and pure, on the plain for us,
And years may go,
But our tears shall flow
Der the dead who have died in vain for
u.s."
The graves of the dead who have died
for us is all that is left us; for the flag
that they carried, though as proud an
ensign as ever kissed the air of earth,
was furled forever, and the history they
made is that of nation, which while
dazzling the ages with its unparalleled
against overwhelming num-
bers, went down at last in q sea of
blood, to know no resurrection. Yes,
yes, we of the South have only the
graves Of our dead heroes that wo may
call our own-they are ours-saN our own;
and, standing hard by thcm this day, we
claim the right, and only towards would
deny it to us) to ponder ovt- our Con-
federate past and swell with patriotic
pride at the thought of those glorious
years of history made 0by peerless Lee
and his peerless rank and file of South
ern rebels.
Here then, by the sleeping forms we
80 much cherish, we Lift the veil of tile
past and behold delegates from South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
and Louisiana assembling at
Montgomery, Ala, on February 4, 1861,
shortly followed by delegates from Tex
Is, and there giving birth to the Confed
crate government. After the fall of
Fort Sumpter, on April 13, 1861, Virgin
o, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Car
Dina joined their Southern sisters, and
he Contederacy was complete. These
eleven States, each "acting in it's SOW
'reign and independent character" uni
ed and under the title of the Confeder-
tie States of America, fought foS COLI
freedom. Sayp Alexander H.
stephens, in his 'War between the
states: "On the part of these States,
which had allied themselves in com
non cause" the war "was maintained
md carried on purely in defence of this
,reat right, claimed by them, of State
overcignty and self-government, which
hey with their associates had achieved
n their common struggle with Great
Britain, under the declaration of l776,
nd which in their judgment lay at the
Onndation Of the whole structure Of
american free institutions" Thus, &C
uated by the same pure motives and
ontrolling love of free institutions that
assessed the fathers Of rs, the Southern
eople fought a war in defense of their
berties, which were attacked in and
trough their "peculiar institution"
hey fought not for the pcrpetuation of
lavery, but for the principles of State
overeignty and constitutional govern
rent. Their cause was that of the
sovereign right of local self-govern-
by the people of the several
tates Of this continent" Believing
18th the men Of '76, that "among the
lalienable rights that God hath bestow-
| upon men are life, liberty and the |
ursnit Of happiness" and that ITO Sc
IRE these rights governments are institu-
ID among men, deriving theirj just pow
IS from the consent Of the governed;'
lat whenever any form Of government
ocomes destructive Of these ends, it is
lie right of the people to alter Or abol-
h it, and to institute q new govern
ent, laying its foundations on such
and organizing its powers in
lch form as to them shall seem most
kelly to effect their safety and happi-
ess;;" they left the old Union, as they
nd a right to do, formed government
their own, and struggled hard to
aintain it. Co9felving that they held
10 very principles that the fathers had
id at the foundation of their govern
ent, the men of the South made Jetler-
II Devils. man whose name is the
nonym of honor, president-and with
ue hearts, clean hands and honest pur-
'se, begin their government. Mar
JAILED by Virginia's second Washing
n, Robert E. Lee, and Johnston, Jack
N, Beauregard, the Hills and hosts of
hers whose names can never die, they
ent forth to glorious battle and made
record In defense of their rights that,
Tough ending in defeat, shall never
luse the slightest blush of shame to
nge the cheek of the Southern born as
ng as time shall last.
A foreign tribute, taken from an Eng
;h paper and which annaorad 1nr;