The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-03-08


night TAis august assamb 49e ct 4he chosen
! representatives Of our mo her state. the yet
more august assemhlage 81 cur deathless
/ dead, who withinvisibIe presence crewa these
aiiessand bend above these spa8s. and the tea
i thousand hallowed recoslscsiess ut the past,
j al thrIllsas with dreadful awe as W. staaa
before yon and choke orr accustomed utter-
ance.
Twenty years ago last month, in this same
hall, the delegates Mississippi in sovereign
/ convention met. by solemn oriinamee declared
that she was and OF right ought 10 b. a NEE
sovereign and independent S ATE, aud thai
the bonus which bad hitherto united her To
/ her sister States in the Federal Union we're.
and of right should be dissolved. Forth from
/ ten Thousand happy nomes poured all tue
1 fewer Of our Youth AMI tbs vigsr Of cur
manhood 10 make thar deel sratian good
Educated not in schools Of expe liency
and baFtering policF. but taueht all aur lives
! 10 believe that principle WAS te ne main
| tanned al any cost that rsg ht WAS "a be upheld
I at any sterlilc-, and that h1n0F w1s dearer
than life, what other course was open TO Us
| than the ohe which, with unns raj leted naa-
namity, we elected 10 pursue9 We believed IN
| the right of oeal self sovernnleni, Wa believed
in State sovereignty, we believed IN the psrfee'
equality OF the atts uHtIeF the Constitution.
4 All these we saw threa easd with utter over
| throw; all these we saw, thoHgat we saw,
were TO be ruthlesSly trampfed ualtr foot ty
Federal poser in tue effort 10 coeree Missis
| sippi into obedience to thai auto ity which
we Ia openly thrown off. cur soil WAS TO
be invaded hv hostile foe: eur homes were
10 be spoiled aud deSslaiei, aad our fields
| laid vast; our property was 10 be wrested
| fsom us blythe sword our wives AMI little
/ ones were to BE- subj ected 10 Insult, outrage
/ ami nameless teFr0fs, and we were 10 b shot
| e. death wherever found in resistance to the
| armed forces of the Republic. Gentlemen,
gentlemen, was there no alternative None,
none, absolutely none. On The o1e hand, peace
| with dishon0r-peacs with the coward
| IL remuneration of every principle Re
| aad eonteaded for-peaee with the denial of
| the faith of oHr fathers-peaee with an abiect
surrender O. the views an cow ctions which
| had animated and coairo led US in every con-
| test with The North from the foundation OF e
government. Ga the other hand, duy ami
/ right, we saw and understood, eireled
about with difficulties. dangers, frivati1ns,
sacrifices, sufferings, death itself. Let us
/ thank God tonight taat we bad the courage
given US to hold fast TO the faith OF our fathers
| and chose death rather than submit o lnselenf
| wrong. In defence of that faith, from h:st
| Manassas un Ter gallant Beauregard. TO nnal
/ Appomat OK uader matchiess Lac, the men o.
| Mississippi poured out their blood ike water.
| Ia the resplendent achievements u the Army
! OF Northern Virginia, the Mississippi Brigades
bore n con picaous part, and al The head Oh one
OF these Brigades, for a twelve month, rode the
| intrepid soldier whose sword we sha present
! ly deliver to your keeping-Gen. William
| Bark sdaie. From that unhappy day NJ FAIR
! Oaks when ths lamented Griffith was hurled
| bleeding TO til earth, ia full view of his whole
| Brigade, and Bark iaie was thus suddenly
called to command from that day, when
| riding in front OF his troops he said,
Soldiers, let US to-day add another
/ bright page TO the history of Mississippi 20
| the last dav a. Get ysburg, when his great
soul went up the Confederate armies held no
| truer, drawer, more devoted, less unseifsh man
| than William Barksdale. Ii ever son loved
mother, elis man loved ii ssissippi; if ever
man gave passionate allegiance 10 his State,
this man gave it TO Mississippi; If EYER soldier
fought forgeful of self and mindful ouly OF
he honor, the glory and the welfare of his
native land, fought this man for MlSsis-
sippi. From that first day of command al
! Fair OAK Station, on past the numerous fire
| Of Malvern Hill, the balanced fed at Sharps-
! burg, past The lofty day at Fredericksburg,
when, with Lee and the Confederate host as
! spectators on the encircling he!ghs, he held
the army OF Burnside in cheek until darkness
closed he unequal conflict past the other
proud day at fredericksburg also, when with
! his now thinned Brigade, he held Sedg~iek
| corps of twenty Thousand, while Lee
and Stonewall sent Joe Hooker fly
| ing broken, bleeding, buck across the
| Rappahannock, and on till the GROWING
/ day when, on the slippery slopes Of Seminary
| Ridge, at Gettysburg. he manfully yielde up
his life, where shall we find nobler figure
| o, Hateful dayi Q, hideous, hatefui day!
there too, The tair Confederacv, putting her Ill
| to the test in one supreme, audacious vehture,
| fell never TO rise again. The and yet, we
lifj our hands to Heaven and cry. o, God, was
there no unseen arm that might have been
stretched out to avert Nation s loss
| Gentlemen, Senators AMI Repres entatives, |
there is an unseen Arm high over all, that.
reaching through the wide universe, sweeps
worlds and nations and men along in their
predestined spheres, and above all roar and
1 nm a nd Ouf n al n n and
disorder and disaster makes peace ami quiet
ness and brings stability aud order
at the last. Under that AIM hty
! arm we fall in mute submission.
We pour no unayailing cries. We shed no lille
tears, we shrek no vain regrets. We believe we
! fought for the right. and so, in some sense,
| fought for God. He does not forget. Here or
| els where, soon or late, directly or remotely
/ the harvest shall be gathered. Having faiie
| to save the Confederacy BY our exertions, who
| knows but example shall save the Repub
| lie in darker days before us God knows.
| This only do we know, that nothing high and
! holy is ever lost.
| The sword this dead hero wore we give now
within tine keeping of the State he loved and
served so we'll. Among the priceless treasures
of that State, hang up this coIsecrated relic.
We give it to your keeping, snre in so doing
we do fulfill his dearest wish.
Hon. W H Luse, of the Senate BY appoint
ment OF the Legislature, received the sword on
the part OF the State of Mississippi, delivering
fhe following address
Mr Chairman, Gentlemen Of the Legislature,
Ladies', and Gentlemen Of the Committee
have been requested by the Legislature. for |
til State of Mississippi, to receive the sword |
of Gen. w M Barksdalp. That duty am here 10 |
discharge as n sacred trust. The desire fnr
relics and memorials has ever been one of the |
first among the higher sentiments of our ma
ture, and the preservation OF them has beer. I
the study and the practice of individuals, /
families, tribes and nations everywhere. In I
response to this sentiment, tn surviving fol- |
lowers of this sword in d.ys hat are passed, |
T. ceived it from the family of the fallen lead |
er, and have brought it with pride and affec- !
ton TO give il to he keeping Of The State its
wearer loved and served so well. With proud |
remembrance of her noble hero, the State ae- |
cepts the trnst, and honors herself in giving +
pledges for its execution.
The State of Mississippi has not forgo t n I
the services of Wills am Barkstlale her worthy |
adopted son, her faithful servant, her noble |
defender, the caivalraus, heroic martyr in her
cause.
He became a citizen of Columbus in this /
State before arriving at the age OF manhood, /
and gave to the State his frs public service
as a soldier in the war with Mexico. Haviag
stamped the impress of his strong character
and vigorous thought upon the community ia
which he lived, he was, III 1851 called rep
resent his county in the State Convention Of
that year for the purpose Of considering our
State and Federal relations. In 1858. he was
elected to the Congress Of the United State-
as Congressman for the State az large I'M
mediately on re-distrieting of the State be was
reelected and three times did co4faing
constituency confer on him the honor and the
duties of their Representative in Congress.
We well remember his services as our Con-
gresham. He was quick, courageous ard
INSTRUMENTATION as the eagle and strong
as the lion. His colleagues 10 that fruitful
field of labor, The eyentful decade preceding
the war between the States are fast passing
away, and it is with pride the State receives
every memorial of their services.
Resigning his place in Congress when his
State seeded from the Union, Genl Banks
dale was appointed by the Governor Quarter +
master General of the State of Mississippi. but +
joined the 18th Mississippi Regiment as pri-
waite among the earliest enlisted and was cleo
ted its Colonel He continued CALAMITY and
faithfully to lead it as its Colonel OF General
until he yielded up his life at Gettysburg
July Bird, 1868. At Manassas, Leesburg, Saw
age Station, Frazer's Farm, Malvern Hill
twice at Fredericksburg, at Harper's Ferry,
Sharpsburg, the State remembers that this
sword was foremostin the ranks of her soldiery
"a certain guide to its followers
The State has not forgotten, nor shall herI
youth forget the last glorious service, nor the
heroic dying wo-ds Of this noble martyr
De had led his war-worn veterans success
Ell 4 LIZ