The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1889-12-18
LANCASTER, S. G.. WEDNESt.,

w lilt llljlltN Jt'4 - iNllN0' tt'I' ~
is all But we 'l"mcMt today tho
death of no ordinary individual
jefferson Davis, tho hero, war
rior, statesman, and patriot. has
crossed the great river to. rest
beneath the shade of the trees.
1t is true that nothing we can do
or say here can add 10 or take
from his true character and just
fame. because he is already be
fore that Great Tribunal that will
.Jad~o him for what he was, but
now that he has departed from
us, and especially as he has been
called traitor and rebel by those,
who should respect his memo Y,
it Is we'll for us as II people .
speak out in no uncertain voice
In honoring Jefferson Davis ; 9,
do but honor ourselves ,St,g"1.
whole ccn,lt - ,'ssa.s'd 2. .'=-.,..ol,tss =
because his rcuOwn bCl0ngF TO
the whole country. As Congress-
man, Senator, Secretary Of Warg
he is prominent among the loEi,
list of patriots and &tatesm"E
who, since the days Of Washir Z;
ton. have added glory to the
American name. On the fields
of Mexico he shcd his blood,
whilst fighting under the flag Of
the United States. There are
thousands and hundreds of thou
sands Of people at the North who
respect the memory of the great
soldier and statesman, but 4 few
traduccrs and slandcrcrs, such as
Foraker Of Ohio, Gov Beaver OF
Pennsylvania, and men of the
Abe Patterson Post No. l., stripe,
being instigatcd by q ghoulish
instinct, seem to find pleasure in
casting Slurs and dirt at the sa--
cred memory of our dead. Wash
inSton Irving has beautifully
prOpoundod this question, "Who
can look down upon the grave
even of an enemy, and not feel a
CompunctiOUS throb, that he
should ever have warred with the
poor handful OF dust that lies
moulderinw before him p The
question remained unanswered
in lrvinG's day, but it can be an.
Swcrcd to-day by pointing to
Foraker, Beaver and men Of the
Abe Patterson post No. ! lrater
nifty. No, smN friends, Jefferson
Davis was no traitor. He was
not perfect, he may have COM
mittcd errors, for 30 "crr is hu.
man." hut whom this broad land,
placed in the hiGh and difficult
positions he so ably filed could
have done so we'll No, he was
no traitor His patriotism was
as broad as the whole country.
lie lived and laborcd for the per.
petuation of that Union formed
by the fathers of tho, Rcvolitian.
OF thas, Union eonlp0sed 0I lrce.
independent sovereign States
As the 6rsc,and last President el
our young Cnparoderacy, he stood
nobiy by us and it wus>-oulv when
The Southern Gross went dowr-vap
the field cf AppomatoX did he
cease ms efforts tor the success OF
the Cause dear 10 Us and to him
self And whom that cause was
Io5i whom thr rrnric he loved
were wore hcinr trodi1ccd and SANDER
W. 80 DoS'i- ''",,;', a"I ~ ,n,naC,l
home at Bcauvoir, lie sent out to
the world that grand work, The
Rise and Fall of the Southern
Confcdcracy," which is COM
plete yindication OF our Cause.
and which will ultimately be ac.
ceptcd universally by future
ages, when the passions and
prejudices Of the present have
subsidized. We hear a great deal
Of the greatness of the New
South. Thank God that we had
such men as Davis. Lee. and
Jackson to make her great IT,
my friends, YOU would make her
still greater, teach your children
and your childrcn's children to
emulate the example of these
great heroes. Teach them TO live
by the example Of rood and frue
men. no matter if thev live bcv.
ond Mason and Dixon's line by
so dDirr Won will roiea mn - cron
GRAFTON OF people that will do