The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-07-11

marvel at the patriotism displayed. \ |
soldier from beginning to end-pa rdon the
personal allusiOn-I never fired a shot.
An officer duty is to look after and direct
bis men. 1t was the rank and file of the
army who did the killing. They, in North
Carolina, were men who did not own
slaves and had no money to buy them.
Yet it was we'll known there would have
been no necessity for secession, had there
been no slave property to protect.
1t was the avowed hostility to the InSti-
tuition of Slavery of that party who elected
Mr.. Lincoln, that convinced the Southern
statesmen that their only hope of preserv-
ing their property lay i'm seeding from the
Union: Mr.. Seward, Mr.. Lincolns Secre-
tary OF State, had declared that there was
a ;. higher law than the constitution" and
mad characterized that sacred instrument
as a Covenant with death and an agree
ment with hell
Mr. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury,
had, When Governor of Ohio, announced
mat MS State would never surrender up a
fugitive slave to its owner. But it was not
to the interest of the great mass of the
whites in the South that slavery should be
preserved. All now cOncede that the con-
ultiOn IN life of those whites in the South
VINO ala not own slaves is Infinitely bet
iefed DOW that slavery no longer exists.
BAT these patriotic men did not stop to con-
slider this. They doubtless realized it but
only one supreme thought absorbed them.
Their State was invaded. She needed the
services OF her sons to defend her and
without thought of the consequences to
themselves, they responded to her call III
such numbers and with such enthusiasm as
was never witnessed. Where will you find
a more notable instance OF patriotism? A
people resolved to defend the sacredneSS of
their soil and to do this, fighting for a
cause, the success of which, would be TO
their detrimant
And was there ever such fight? Out OF
IL voting population OF liz, 900 she equipped
and sent to the field $4,000 fighting men.
Of the " Regiments under Gen. Lee in the
seven days fighting around Richmond, in
1862, North Carolina sent 46. And the
killed and wounded in the North Carolina
Regiments at Chancellorsville, constituted
more than half the killed and wounded of
the army OF Northern Virginia in that bat
tie and SO it was from Campaign to Cana
paign, from Battle to Battle, until at the
end, when the last supreme effort to save
his army was to be made. its Commander
selected North Carolina General and
North Carolina troops for the desperate
service; and the same State that was the
first to offer up soldiers life On the altar
OF his country, now after four years of
struggle is given the supreme honor and is
detailed as the rear guard of the army: and
that curtain that was so brilliantly lifted
in victory to her arms at Bethel, went
four years later on the field OF AppOmat-
tOX. Witnessing this last heroic charge to
break the enemy's lines, made by Grimes
Division OF North Carolina Troops, says
Gen. Lee, God bless North Carolina
These were the last words of military ell
coMium pronounced by Gen. Lee on this,
his last, field of Battle.
The question naturally arises here, why
has North Carolina been so tardy in max
ing provision for the care and comfort of
the aged and disabled survivors of this
war?
The answer is not difficult. Some months
since, at a social gathering in the city of
New York, two speakers of National rep
utatiOn for OratOry, contested for the palm,
as they told two tales, but of widely diff
ferent significance. The one, i'll grandilo-
quent language described the triumphant
capital, there to receive the plaudits OF
their admiring cOuntrymen, and the re-
wards of successful warfare. The other S
theme was of a sadder strain. He told
them indeed OF an army, whose brilliant
achievements had flashed across the mill
tary sky like meteor athwart the Heav-
ems but like meteor leaving behind its
brilliant track only darkness and dread.
He told them OF the sufferngs of that army
for four years of its countless victories of
its frightful losses in battle of its unsur-
passed herOism in camp and field and that
when human endeavOr could do no more,
and the handful of that once matchless
army, the Glory of our fair Southland and
the admiration of the world, came to sur
render and sorrOwfully dispersed to their
homes, he told them what was the condi-
ton of those homes that many were in
ashes, burned by the invader others had
lost their all their wives and children
were fugitiveS; and where once had been
peace and plenty and happiness, was now
confusion, poverty and despair.
Our friends of the North plume them
selves greatly OIL what they are pleased to
call their "magnanimOus treatment of the
South after the war; They say they de-
serve great credit for their clemency in not
hanging jefferson Davis, General Lee and
the other Confederate leaders. Why did
they not hang Mr.. Davis, General Lee and
the rest? Because, these men had conf
who took up arms to defend his invaded
State, committed crime. The late war
. on the part of the South was not waged for
conquest, or for plumber, or in revenge for
some injury or wrong; it was fought for
self defense, and that alone. Secession
was a political mistake, possibly. AS to
this, l believe, the late war was inevitable;
was conflict pre-Ordained by the Ruler OF
the Universe to bring about His own wise
purposes but if 4 mistake, it was no crime,
and no man could have been legally pun
ished for obeying the call Of his Sovereign
State to arm himself in her defense. Mr..
Davis wanted to be tried demanded to be
tried on the charge of treason but his cap
tors we'll knew he was no traitor, and
when they could no longer delay his trial
they liberated him without a trial. And
SO no man was hung. But what was done?
Would not Mr.. Davis and General Lee and
the rest have gladly died to save their
country from what followed?
My countrymen, have read History all
wrong, if am in error when I charge that
the indignities, the cOnfiscations, the suf-
ferings the victorious North imposed upon
the PROSTATE South on the surrender OF the
Confederate armies, have no equal among
the Conqueror free the slaves of the people
he conquered and place them in power
over their former AnglO-Saxon masters
Even Julius Caesar preserved the 1nstitu-
lions OF the conquered Gauls; and Philip
of Spain. respected the private property OF
the invaded Netherland But at the close
Of the war confiscatiOn of private prop
erty was decreed as condition OF read
mission to the Union, which in its immen.
sity and appalling consequences to the
South is without parallel:
! A species of property, valued up in the
hundreds OF millions, guaranteed to its
owners by the very terms of the COnstitu.
ton under which the North maintained its
government, was wiped out, and the entire
white community of the South left at the
mercy of its creditors. Besides this, the
public debt of the COnfederacy, an Obliga
ton that, by the law of nations, has to be
assumed by the COnquelOr as the burden OF
his conquest, was declared void also the
municipal and State debts created during
the war were also declared illegal as being
in aid of rebellion, and the earnings of the
people for four years, the property OF
widows, orphans, infants, charitable and
educational institutions, &C., &c, invested