Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1881-06-30

dhluE. tBC ShGlt u G4CSlOS eSShcL
the Mass Meeting Held at Edgeield
c. H.. Goth June, Inst, to Raise
Gary Memo oriaf Fund.
EE.low.Clr.ZgHs:--l thsnk you for
calling NE TO preside o9a- this mas neet.
ing to raiss a Memorial Fund Tor erecting
some suitsbis testimonial TO The lanented
Gary. AZ have no skill, as parliament
tartan. ,n!er YOU have bestowed this
compliment simply OF account .: the we'll
known warm. personal friendship that cz-
listed between rs from our carly manhood
to the close. Q: hls sventfa, career. We
became fast friends almost from the day
We first met. more than quarter OF q cen
t:ry ago, ana as I never waited Until he
died to praise.him. now thai be has gone
before, it viii be very grateful 20 me, TO
help pegpetuate the memory OF his gallant
ard patriotic desas, illustrative Of Sou b
Carolina u genera! and Q: Edse6eld in
particular.
While 70 iree people ought ever to build
monument to any 3!:r5',g man, TO thus
commemorate their great dosd can int
exercise wholesome in!iUenoe. 4 mort
nsnt honora: those who erect 1t, as much
as it nonors the public bene:acto. to whom
st is erected. 10. TIE reason thai Is he's no
connection with 3 lively sense oi iavcrs to
come and only attempts 10 discharge a
debt OF gratitude Tor iavors past. i!esides
public memorial Of any kind promotes
glowing patriotism and c':itivates al the
nanlv virtues. What boy paascs public
monument without having hia pulse quick
ened and MS thoughts elevated, avs. with
OFT making silent resolve. t. emulate
the example Of the man to whom The mon-
umens was dedicated.
We OF the South have oecR very charv
too chary--ol public memorials 10 orr
great mon. The Legislature @; South
Carolina il particular haa always refcsed
to erect monument TO Calhoun even, CT
to ouy other isaGiyidaai citizen. = mattel
how distinguished. and has never telt:j
self justified in thus using the public
money. except to erect nlemor:a! to the
Palmetto Regiment, an organized body Of
citizen soldiers. who covered themselves
and the State with g!o!v in the Mexican
war.
This parsimong. Q. dread ol encouraging
s. spisi. Of hero worship. ia r standing re-
proach to US. Many ot our sister States
o: the North, and nearly Al! the few Free
Commonwea!tbs abroad. EEL no such
eau.sp:srnsss about voting public :unda
literally, but iud;cioaslv, 10 Honor the
memoir Of their nota6 men.
Agricultural. communities like incse Of
the South are never prone to man wo--
chip. 0n, the ccatrarv, the solitary, stur-
dy, self-le.;;ant lives tney les6 incline them
10 the other extreme. This ia proven ~
The fact that our people are iuat as averse
TO voluntarily czpend their m0aey :o- =
mcnumont, as The legislature IS 20 sppro-
sbriate IL -oat--e&he public :rcasury :o-
that purose. encs Z r:itst 'sf+.e'.s..
South Carolina has produced many re
markable enea--.a-rioIs, jot1sts and statea.
men-during the hundred :esrs she bss
been an Independent commonwealth, the
absence OF public monuments. statues, or
buats c: them has prevented their sp!en-
did example ron having liz legitimate ~
faesce upoa our youths.
This. State ct things SHOULD no iorgor
exist, and ou- reop!e caunot begin le-
verse policy at tqtte- time than TOW, BY
building proper ,eeaataph 70 inc gai,ant
Gary. That Nc deserves it at tho!g han3s
10. his conduct to,i II war and in peace,
10 unmeul;ced ,naa can deny; h9t Ttyln
lice should te s~loihsrei aoy and faults
torgrsn as well as Forgotten.
'.Speak nothing hut truth of the living,
And naugbt hut good OF the dead
has beer the sentineat Of ever glorious
and gallant people sinoe the da:Fli c: ais
tor. In ancient times thc heroi; and no.
ole Greeks and Romans always brought
their dead 70 cuI2gy. while the acceperatc
Egyptians alono brought theirs - 80
In modern lays, nouc but jhe l1e!ceaaT.'
ol:g2rchs OF Ien;co have becn base enough
to investigate tie character q their daai!
.noses to ascertain whether iarlts D vir-
tues predom;nated.
The greatest, wisest AMI brightest o;
mankind havu their laulta. 5o'an:2 they
sre bnt impcrfec: human beings, anc Ten
Gary ought not to be sxpected to c2nst.-
tute ar oyccntior. He lid 5ave :nults
and defects too, but envy not Inc nan
who car remember these now, instead Of
fixing his eyes on the iaot tia: he was one
of the best fighting General o: the War as
well ae the foremost leader ci tho rmoc-
racy Of South Carolina in .57S, when the
party was engaged in p desperate grapple
ior all that is worth living or dying .or---
civil liberty.
!5ut, even ii We ware 20 bring zen. Gary
10 trial, after the custom o: the base fEgyp-
tiars and Venetisus, iet him who ia per.
feet csst the first stcno. the ,nors generous
will ind extenpstioa :or his faults. Ee
was martyr to disease aimcat rom bis
cyadlo to bis g'ave-in :act his !!ie nay 5o
said to have been one prolonged struggle
With come mysterious nervous aii-ct!or'
skin TO neuralgia. that seldom, and then
only ior short intervals. eft him free from
pain. He haa a;ter told nc some OF his
esveat moods were assumed to avoid
wounding ibe feelings c: others, while
striving TO concee! his own phrsioai ans-
fsring b;' mere iofc- O. wiil YET Ihis
:rail body, racsed with a!mos, constant
pain. but knit together with nerves oi
steel. and animated by the 5ea.t oi 4 Ion.
for !onr years underwent al' ;be exposures
and endured ST. the hardsaips ri the wer.