Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-05-26
AOM. JOHN &. HOUSE.


Hon. John f. House of this city,
was orator of the day on the occas-
ion Of the decoration of the Confed-
crate graves in Jackson, Tenn, on
the 18th inst. The following synop-
sis of his address is copied from the
Tribune and Sun of the 18th:
Col. House commenced his adj
dress with a beautiful tribute TO
home and the love which we natur-
ally have for the place of our birth,
lie then went into defense of the
action of the people of the South
and especially the border States.
lie said that the Southern soldier
had no cause to blush for love of
cause which gave rise To the most
glorious deeds recorded in history.
That they went to offer up their
lives in defense of home and coun-
try. The righteousness Of their
cause could not be judged by victory
and defeat. Victory was no evil
dence of right, and defeat no proof
/ OF wrong. While the sword may
stop discussion and settle disputes
1t never settles the question of right.
He argued that as the questions of
the war were settled and acquiesced
in that the opinions OF men upon
the right of State to secede had
no more to do with the events of
today than would opinions upon
the rise and fall of the Roman en-
pire. That well directed blow
might have Frustrated Sir Isaac
Newton but it would not have de-
stroyed the law Of gravitatiOn. The
| historian would treat these ques-
tiOns of rights and motives and
Vindicate the action of the Southern
people. lie said there were thous.
ands who went into the war anG
filled soldiers graves who did nor
believe in secession, and he ably
vindicated the action of Tennessee
and Virginia in the peace congress,
and with going with their sister
States whel the die was cast though
their soil was TO be made the thea
tire of war, drenched in blood and
furrowed over with the plowshare
of ruin. The same voice came from
the Hermitage and Mount Vernon
protesting against the shedding of
blood. He showed by reference to
the famous battle fields in these
states that they received the princi-
pal baptism of blood. He said that
whoever was responsible for ths
war, they were not, but when the
voice of destiny said "under which
king BenZonian, speak or die" they
cast their fortunes with the South,
and how they fought let history
record. If the voice of the border
States had been needed there would
have been no war, and the soldiers
of the South who defended their
homes and firesides could stand un-
abashed in any presence. lie said
the war was not waged to destroy
the Federal government, but as the
states were unable to live together
in peace they sought to establish a
separate nationality, in every essen
tial particular like the government
of the United States. He refuted
the charge that the war was waged
to destroy the government and
| build up in its stead slave-holding
! oligarchy, by reference to the Con-
| stitution which was modelled after
| the Federal constitution. He paid
a noble tribute to the dash, courage,
fortitude and patient endurance of
the confederate soldiers. They
maintained the gigantic struggle for
! four years against every disadvan-
| tage in resources, equipment, arms,
and supplies, ports blOckaded, cut
of from home and friends, paid in
a deprecated currency and subject
| ed to every privatiOn Of an unequal
contest. A people capable of such
things gave the highest evidence Of
q great and noble manhood. The
people of the North knew nothing
Of these things. They prospered in
business as they had never done be-
| fore, their armies were well fed,
clothed and equipped and were al
ways in communication with home
| and friends. In common with us
! they mourned the dead, but they
were not driven from their homes,
| their property was not destroyed,
/ and the very foundations of their
social fabrics were not broken up as
| in the South. The mother of the
| Gracchi had been embalmed in his
tory but there were women all over
| the South who had witnessed the
]
ruined homes, waded through the
valley of desolation and faced the
grim spectre of despair, hoping
against hope with an unfaltering
devotion unequaled in the history
of any country. He argued that
the records of the last war failed TO
sustain the claim of superiority Of
Northern soldiers in any OF the
| elements of noble manhood. But
while he would vindicate our own
| people as they would be vindicated
| in history, he would not stir up the
| dead prejudices Of war. We are
now happily reunited people, and
! the tread of an armed foe upon the
soil of Maine would shake the terri
| tory of Texas like an earthquake,
and every state in the union would
| rally to repel the invader. History
must speak the truth. There could
! be no surrender of manhood, no
confession Of crime, no pardon for
alleged treason, no traitors, no adj
mission that we owe our lives TO
! the magnanimity Of the cOnquerors.
The South has always defended her
good name, and would always re-
/ luoC W wal an DihbG VI hlouObOis
Monuments should be erected to
perpetuate the memory of our dead,
flowers laid upon their graves to
tell the world that heroes sleep In
these graves worthy the respect Of
good men and women everywhere.
They were not traitors, and no such
epitaph shall ever rest above their
graves. When the dead arise, at
ThermOpyle, at Marathon, at Bala-
klaVa, wherever heroes have died
no more heroic dead than ours shall
appear the morning Of the glorious
resurrection day. Because South
ern people will not spit upon the
Confederate flag it is no evidence Of
their lack Of devotion TO the Union.
Absolute equality is the best guar
antee of loyalty, and Of the prosper
ity Of the government. The people
of the South should not be treated
as step-children, but as the equals
in rights and privileges Of the peo-
pie of all the states equally interest
ed i'm the glory and perpetuity Of
the Union. He hoped aud believed
the day had come when the dema-
gogues, North and South, who APP
peales to sectional passions would
be hOOted and hissed from every
stump when he presumes To wag
his mischievOus tongue. Restore
the prosperity Of the South, which
is now just dawning, build up her