South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-09

- Ao<3~t SsSAJ e1P2k ~ttOh
OF tie people for fise Jss==s sss :. "a.
war: and made abortive every ef-
fort at progress, or development.
History records no example Of .
country 30 hopelessly impoverished
and 30 fearfully oppressed. Yet
tho soldiers faced poverty and in
Justice az brayely as they faced
CANCER upon the battlefield, and
they achieved moro wonderful VIC
tories than they ever a.hiev. d in
war.
1t has been but twenty years
since the southern states were ad.
mitted back into the union, and al
loved to reorganize their State go
vernments,. and set about the task
OF restoring their lost fortunes
and how wonderful the change (!
The people have rebuilt their homes !;
they have equipped their worn out
railroads and built thousands OF
miles Of new.
They have re-established their
banks. and given them capital and
credit. They have made their lands
TEEN with abundance, and quadru-
pied the products of agriculture.
They have re-stooked their fields
with horses and cattle and sheep
and hogs. They have butt cities
and established manufactures and
opened mines, and are successfully
competing In the markets with the
wealth, the capital and the expert
ence OF Northern Manufe cturers.,
The credit Of much Of this is due
to the enterprise, tbs pluck, and
endurance of the Confederate SOL
diers. When the war was over they
went to work with a. will and hay
ing no government to support them
In luxury and idleness with official
positions and pension money, they
relied alone upon their own strong,
arms, indomitable will, and active
brains for help. Not only have
they made their south land to bloom
and blossom as the rose, but they
have contributed millions upon mil
lions Of money in taxes to pay pen
sions to Northern soldiers, and to
pay interest upon a huge national
debt piled up in paying the expeu-
ses OF a war which impoverished
them.
They have voluntarily taxed
themselves millions of dollars an
nually to educate their former
slaves. They have all the while had
to contend for their civilization,
and the supremacy ofthe white peo-
pie threatened by the negro race,
former slaves manunitted by the
result Of the war !; enfranchisd by
the constitution of the United States,
wholly unfit by education. intelli-
gence, or virtue to exercise the right
Of suffrage. The North cried fraud
and intimidation and passed her
ku Klu1 laws. The old Confede-
rates answered
"The South shall Saxon be for
,ver." And Saxon it is and so it
will continue to be while q drop of
he blood Of tho Confederate SOL
iiers flows in the veins Of her peo,
Pile.
In speaking of the conduct of
soldiers after the war we
must not forget the noble example
yet for them by their great chieftain
Robert f. Lee, the greatest man in
defeat and adversely that ever lived
n the tide of time. Great as he
vas as a military Lero and in the
hour OF victory and success. he was
greater by far in retirement and in
private life. After the war he ac-
,epted the situation gracefully and !
quietly without uttering a com,
plant. lie asserted no claims for
mis- services, and declined all offers
Of assistance from his tens OF thou
sands of admirers in Europe and
America.
1t has become too common of late
years for public men to receive con-
from their admirers, Of
ten footing up fifty or q hundred
thousand dollars. The man never
lived that knew General Lee, who
would have dared to pass around
the hat for his benefit.
With becoming dignity and pride
he declined all positions at the head
OF great corporations, or to allow
his name and fame to be traded up
on as a commodity in the money
markets. He was offered fabulous
salaries by wealthy corporations en-
gagged in legitimate business enter
prises, as an inducement to take the
Office Of President of the com pany,
but he invariably declined because
he felt that it was his name they
wanted rather than his services.
AS the President Of Washington
& Lee University at q moderate
salary he felt that he was rendering
value for the compensation lie re-
eeived, and that he was doing good
IN training the young men OF the
South.
Can the widest stretch Of fan
ciful imagination think Of the name
of Robert K. Lee heading flaming
advertisement Of the drawing Of q.
gambling lottery, or being connec-
ted with "blsek Friday, 4" or q
Il A.