The Dawson journal., 1885-04-30
MEMORIAL SPEECH DELIVERED
BY REV. A. NJ. WILLIAMS
MONDAY LAST.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

NoAtONA Oh w 'OASO JOu1 cObVAAbOhO1
on this memorial occasion. Our
custom is unique in the annals of
history. Others people have their
days and occasions of public as
sembly, but they commemorate
the success of principles, while we
meet to recall the fallen heroes of
a lost cause. They rejoice in the
triumph of their efforts in behalf
of nation, of freedom, of progress
we gather around the memories
of departed greatness. [ hold the
keeping of this day to be u solemn
duty-a duty which increases in
obligation as we pass the mile
stones in our progress from the
event, which was the catastrophe
of our cause. There will be in
creasing difficulties in the way Of
remembering our fallen heroes.
The land we live 10 and love is not
the land for which they fought.
True, the sun rises at the same
angle i'll the heavens, the same
soft breezes float from the gulf
and the sea, the same sweet flow
ers perfume the air, the same rich
forests and sandhills surround us,
as they did our fathers, but all
else is changed. Our customs
have altered, our politics have
been transformed, our views on
social subjects have advanced, and
the South of '85 is as little like
the South of '65 as that South was
like the West, or the New England
of to-day is like the Old England
of to-day. These changes will be
more radical, more general in the
next twenty years than in the past
twenty years. The very triumph
of the democratic party will have
tendency to enlarge our bounds
and change our thoughts. There
is a peculiar conservatism in de-
feat, and there is great danger OF
disintegratlon in success-a disin-
tegration of principles, if not OF
associations. This change will
make it more difficult TO keep in
the minds of the people "The Old
South, THE Lost Cause "Oul
Dead Heroes" Their contempo-
raries are fast passing away-soon
the boys who wore the grey will
be few i'll number-objects of Gu
riosity and veneration. Theil
children are already in the middle
life, full of the memories of the
great war, conservators of the
spirit Of the past, stirred with the
tales of the camp and the field
The children's children will feel {
certain unreal interest in the sto
ries of their grand fathers great.
ness; but the fourth generation
will be but feebly moved at what
once reused the nations of earth
This tendency to forgetfulness
will be intensified by the fact thai
the worlds history and literature
and glory are on the other side
Nothing succeeds like success. L
would be but a repetition Of his.
tory if our descendants shoulc
show more interest in our former
enemies than in their own fore
fathers. The surest way to coun
teract this tendency is to make
much of this memorial occasion
Accentuate it in the calendar O
the year. Make it our children
holiday. Gather the richest flow
ers, sing the sweetest songs, tel
the most stirring episodes of tn,
war; impress in our teachings tn,
minds of our children and tn,
W rid with the mission of the Oh
South in the worlds history-it
intrinsic history, its grand mora
achievement, its real worth in tn
advancement Of mankind. Thi
is due the great statesmen who lie,
our thought, the brave soldier
who fought our battles, the nobl
women who nursed our sorrows
the true men who were faithful
our cause.
The day should be perpetuate
for the benefit of the future mis-
sion of our section. The futur
can only be truly developed frol
the past. Our past must be meta
morphosed into the future. 9Th
New South" is q term l admire
/ cannot join with those who's
love for the past would make
overshadow with death-like glool
the days of the present and tn
prospects of the future. Tht
would be to live on prejudices, fee
ourselves oa sorrow, take our pleas
ures out of hate. That would be
disregard the characteristics of on
fallen heroes, to ignore the exam
pies Of the noblest survivors of tn
"irrepressible conflict" to be ur
faithful to the trust of our hou
and generation. The motto of ou
| l.O..O- =..D., i IL. l.. IL. -.A.