Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-06-12

4
ences which they believed were corrosive OF ana
destructive to liberty. and which would ult1-
mately be fatal to our domestic institutions,
| to our business interests and to our develop
ment and final prosperity as a people. mere
| fore there can be no doubt that the principles
which these men struggled to MAINTAIN, ano
| in which struggle they persisted, were OF the
highest disinterestness and marked by loyal
| patriotism and devotion to liberty. Wnlcn
| some day will entitle them, in the opinion OF
| the entire world, to sit by the side OF Hamp-
| den and Kosciusko. and be regarded by all loy-
| ers of freedom as eminent martyrs of liberty.
The Southern people are the true Saxons, OF
positive individuality and spirited 1ndepend-
ence. Every man thinks for himself, weighs
all ques lions in the sale of reason, and acts as
| his conscience dictates results to him while
| the Northern men, deemed to be OF the same
origin SO far as race is concerned oy pecuiit ~
| the Celt, and are disposed to form In ciiques
and clans, which enables the political
| demagogue to control and lead them bl1ndly
| into error, making them, instead OF o power
| for good, mere tools for the performance OF de.
structive and evil work, without knowing 1t
| and without realizing it. And to-day the
masses of the North, especially the Republican
| party not only tolerate but accept the growth
| of this Celtism, and the clans are becoming
| larger and the lead rs are becoming more unS
scrupulous. until they are q menace to the sta
bility of our institud ions Of freedom and the
| safety of the entire country.
| Who has ever heard the words "Anarchism.
| or Socialism," with all the wild, weird waste
and desolation which these words convey,
| without a shudder? say to you now. tt&t Inc
seeds which generate that noxious plant called
| Treason, which grow to-day along the chaotic
waste of socialism were gathered from the par
| the name of patriotism arrayed Itself IN 1901
| against the sovereignty OF States and the lbs
| the end is not reached yet. II the people ofone
/ section of this land which desecrates the name
of Liberty, can say to the people OF another sec
| ton, "You shall have no Institutions In your
midst, whether guaranteed to you by the Con-
st1tutfon or not, which do not accord with our
sense of morality and then resort to violence
| In the name OF the Nation to enforce this
mandate, 1t matters not, however apparent the
moral objection may be or however honest Inc
power to enforce moral restraint is beyond
question subversive of liberty and q violation
science. It lifts this government from the firm
rock on which 1t was planted by our forefa-
| theirs and sets 1T on a foundation of shifting
sand which can easily be undermined in the
future. The unauthorized use of National
power in the past, will, in the future, be held
as precedent for exercising it again. when
ever 1t may suit the policy or convenience Of
the partisan or fanatic who may be IN power.
The consequence will be Empire and Tyranny.
The conflict to-day Is between the individu-
al man, called the laborer, who Is struggling
against the world for selfsustenance, on the
one side; and corporate power. sustained by
the Government, on the other, which in other
words is legaliZed consolidated wealth-trusts
which are handled in a manner which de-
prives the individual of the use of his best fac
ulties in the pursuit of the blessings of life;
this will lead to conflict and riot In the North.
This conflict, which may well be called the
beLlious" South; it is confined to the loyal
North, and q most singular anomaly will ere
long be witnessed-capital fleeing from the
North and seeking the protection of the South
ern people whom that capital has heretofore
endeavored to enslave: because here in the
South the Capitalist will find no antagonism
from the people; his rights will be respected,
and his property, however ill-gotten, and his
liberty, however ill.deserved, will be protected.
In this State of things the fog will rise. and to
the astonlshed world will be revealed the fact
that the Rebels of the South and their descend
ants will be the only defenders of the Ameri.
can Union, Equality and Liberty given us by
the Constitution OF 1887.
I will not discuss what has been, or what
might have been; but prefer to look only to
what is now being done and what the future
promise is. If 1t were in my power now to
disintegrate the American Union 1 would not
exercise that power; If by uttering one word
1 could establish the Southern Confederacy. as
We struggled to establish 1t and as these men
approve of all that they did and am proud OF
the assistance which gave them; for the mere
fact of their having done what they did even
falling to accomplish all they desired to do.
cleared the American eky of many threaten
ing clouds, and rendered many forces, which
were working for harm, impotent, and gener-
ated others more powerful. and which will be
employed only for good. When the honesty of
the motives which actuated these meu is fully
realized, they will then take the places on the
heights of fame which are now occupied by the
brszen images of others who now seem to
merit them, but who in the unprecedented light
of truth will show blemishes of character and
of heart and errors OF conduct, rendering them |
totally unfit to be used as the models for which |
they have been chosen. do not feel that 1t |
is within the canons of good tsste always to |
draw comparisons, but say now conseen- |
ciously, periodically and reiigiously, that be-
lieve the day will come when future genera |
lions, with clearer idea of citizenship and OF
liberty than we have, will recognize in the
character of the average Confederate soldier q
patriot of model beauty, worthy OF the emu1a- |
ton not only of American freemen, but of pa |
triots, lovers OF liberty and christian gentle
men everywhere.
The question in my mind is not, What is |
the true Flag?" but who is the true Patriot? Is
1t he whose zeal is kindled by preferment to
lucrative office and by the stimulus of pen
sions? or is it he who loves and serves his
country midst poverty and persecution? Is it
he who receives much and gives little. or h 70
who receives nothing and gives much towards
the support of his government? The monu
nnents which we raise to patriotic virtue are
the offerings of patriotic love. and, like our
PRAYERS. they go up TO Heaven in pure child
like faith and bounty, and without hypocrisy.
We do not raise our ideal heroes at the city
circles or in aspiring Parks speculation In
real estate, nor have we, in putting our friends
away here, perpetrated as the North has done, |
a National fraud in the shape OF contractors
Job, where the bones of dearly beloved puritan
zeal patriots are worked into ta0i1s and triplets
TO swell the vouchers of corrupt political I'M
dertakers who perjure their immortal souls
for money, desecrate the graves of those whom
they profess to love, and profane cause which
they claim to hold sacred, by placing head
and family affairs invokeAlmig htyGod aud his
angel Gabriel In the last day to resurreet the
les which they were Datd to bury!
Let US realize that these men whose ashes
are now reposing here were not conscripts and
substitutes, but were vigorous, energetic, hon. |
orable, and brave patriotic citizens, and that
they were actuated by a sense of duty and a |
moral obligation of relationship stronger than
ties OF kindred or personal Affection who
banded themselves together voluntarily at the |
call of their State and under the leadership Of
the greatest, best and highest citizens of the
Commonwealth, resolved to maintain the int
gritty and sovereignty of the State resist its in
vaders and vindiciate the honor of man and
citizen, or perish in the endeavor. The only
incentive which stimulated their hearts and
nerved their arms was conscience and the
moral sense of patriotic duty. They were c;ti-
zens OF Virginia. and believing that their first
duty was to their State-which was older than
the Union, - their highest ambition and
noblest i'm pulse was to perform their duty to
their State, If even In the performance they
sacrificed their lives.
No personal reward was offered them, no ex-
pectation of personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, wealth
or fame inspired them; but as true men. as
conscientious men, as loyal men, as brave men
and good citizens they performed their duty
and died In its performance. Could men have
done better? Could death have been nSbler?
Could fame give higher place to mortals than
these men deserve? Could Heaven recognize
not their hearts patriotic? Were not their
services loyal? Was not their combat heroic?
Was not their death glorious?
As we have said before, one quarter Of a CEN
tury has passed since these men laid down
their lives; one quarter of century has passed
since their bodies were deposited here. An
their places in the ranks Of busy life. Many
who stand before me here have never heard
the boom of hostile cannon, the roar OF hosttIe
infantry, the clashing of arms on the battle
field; the agony, anguish. and terror of such
strife never shocked their vision or wrung
their hearts, yet By some strange and irresistf.
BILE impulse when the Spring time comes and
the flowers blossom out in their freshness and
beauty; when life is resurrected from Winters
vaults again and restored to earth, and all ma
ture seems to SMILE we gather around these
little mounds to freshen them with loves
floral offerings, and as the perfumes rise from
them as g. holy incense to heaven, our prayers
go mp with them. And as we stand, as it were,
upon the bank of the dark river over which
this heroic army has crossed, aud as we gaze
after them, we feel assured that the GOD of
Battles, who denied them conquest here will
receive them upon the other shore as conquer
ers, and crown them with peaceful, glorious
and blessed i'm immortality.
We feel that all life is acceptable to God who
gave 1t, If conscieneiously employed. even If,
in the employment of it, it is sacrificed. We
know that these men were our best citizens;
that they obeyed the highest law which cur
I.All-wse Creator gives to poor creatures for
their guidance,-whfch law is mans con-