The National tribune., 1889-05-09
A BOURBON VAIL.

The Lost Cause" had its eulogies sung
to an appreciative audience at Augusta, Ca,
on Confederate Memorial Day" Business
was suspended, the military turned out, and
the entire population gathered at the GEM
etery, where the rebel flag was displayed
and a wealth of floral offerings deposited on
the graves of those who died in trying TO
destroy the Nation. The orator of the day,
while eulogizing the New South" found
it necessary to say:
Here, in the presence of these graves, and with
this dead watching we come again to affirm cur
belief in the immortal principles for which they
gave theiF lives Though the cause for which they
fought was lost the principles for which they died
shall outlive the stars. Though have long
since laid aside our resentment, we still believe the
South was right, and the cause of the Southern
soldier was just.
What, in the broad light of to-day, he
| could mean by this, passeth the comprehen-
sion. What could the South have been
right in? In what possible way was the
cause of the Southern soldier JUST? There
''o ou' wv OiJVClS 10 VIC ISpoii4oH. OuO
breaking up of the Government, and the
perpetuation of human slavery. There was
no other reason alleged for it by its leaders
and advocates.
The verdict of the entire world is that both
of these were absolutely and indefensibly
wrong, and no amount Of sophistry can be-
cloud the meaning of that verdict.
But the mostsssignifcant speech was that
made by Col. Chas. c. Jones, jr., President of
the Confederate Survivors Association. He
began with a wall over the lost wealth of
Georgia. In 1860" he said, "Georgia's
wealth was $672, 49,, III, nearly one-half of
which was represented by 450,033 negro
slaves" According to his idea the State was
impoverished to theamount of over $500, 00O,-
000by the emancipation of theseslaves. Moth
ing could be more absurd economically than
such an assertion. In place of Georgia being
impoverished to that extent, it was made
vastly richer by emancipation. The negroes
are very much more valuable to the COM
munity as free laborers than as slaves. Even
the Southerners admit this.
After lauding to the skies all the Georgians
who plotted or fought to make the rebellion
a success, Col. Jones returns to the main
theme with a heart-rending wall:
call you to witness that the alleged prosperity
OF this Commonwealth, except in limited localities
Is largely matter of Imagination. I call you to
witness that eliminating from the computation the
! value OF slaves as ascertained by the returns of
1850 theState ofGeorga is now poorer by more than
l2OOOOoO of dollars than she was 90 years ago I
call you to witness that behind the fanfare of trum-
pets proclaiming the attractions and growth of the
New South, may too often be detected the degluti-
ton OF the harpy and the ohuckle of the hireling
call you to witness that the potentialities of our
former civilization, so far from being improved,
have been sadly retarded by the issues of war.
call you to witness that the promises of the ante
! beIlum days. had they not been thus rudely
thwarted, would have yielded results far trans
cending those which we now behold. call you to
witness that the grand effort u.s. and should be-
to veinviolate the sentiments and to trans
NIT unimpaired the characteristics of the Old South
call you to witness that, in the restoration of
the good order. the decorum, the honesty, the
veraeity, the public confidence, the conservatism,
the security to person and property the hgl-toned
conduct and the manliness of the past lies the
best hope for the honor and lasting prosperity OF
coming years. call you to witness that the heroic
example of other days constitutes in large measure
the source of the courage of the succeeding gem
erations, and-that when beclxoned onward by the
shades of the brave that were" we may more con-
fdently venture upon enterprises of pith and mo-
ment, and, without fear, work out our present and
, future salvation. IAppauseJ
Palsed be the Southern tongue which would
speak disparagingly of Confederate past Tprolong
ed applausel and withered be the Southern arm
that refuses to lift itself in praise of the virtue and
the valor which characterized the actors, from the
highest to the lowest, in war not of rebellion >
but for the conservation of home, the maintenance
of constitutional Government and the supremacy
of law, and the vindication of the natural rights
of man." [Applause.l
Poor old man! Bereft of his" niggers,'
this world becomes vale of tears in which
all living is anguish. His sighings come be,
fore he eats, and his roarings are poured out
/ like the waters In Georgia there is o voice
heard, lamentations and weeping and grea
mourning Jones weeping for his niggers
and will not be comtorted, because they ART
r not.
There is a famous epitaph on Colorado
! tombstone, which says trenchantly:
I'VE can't have everything here to please u.s."
The probability is that the niggers won
be given back, even to please Col. Jones, ant
he will have to wander on, cherries and sor
rowing, till the cold and clammy grave open
to admit him into that world where tn
niggers cease from troubling and the rebel
are at rest.
$ ONE of the best evidences of the wisdom
: of our protective policy is the wonderful
e development of our paper making industries
4 1t is within the memory of comparatiyel,