The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-04-22

COHSIuefatlO0S connected WITH the lt
gal status of the black race in the
Southern States, the position Of the
! Northern States towards it. together
with the known sentiments and p,in-
ciples Of those just elected to the
highest offices of the Federal govern.
ment (Messrs. Lincoln and Hamlinl.
as to the power Of that government
over this subject, and others which
threatened, as was supposed, all their
vital interests, prompted the Southern
States to withdraw from the Union,
for the very reason that had induced
them at first to enter i: that is, for
their better protection and secnity.
Having the strength of your conylc-
/ tions, fellow comrades, you have
fought this fight to its close, and furl
ed the banner which you had followed
and loved never agai: 10 have It's stars
and bars thrown ont to the breeze.
You had in men of the san G blood as
yourselves, foemen worthy Of yonr
steel, and victories on either side ire
common heritages, illustrative of
American courage. History will tell
the story of your valor and your di
mlniSh.d ranks are mntelv eloquent
of the cheat and burden of the dav.r
We all remember well the stirring
times Of 1861 and 1862. when every
thing was at fever heat, when the
Southern mothers, like those of Spar
ia. huckled on the shield and hade
their SONS come back with them ar on
them, and placing their swords in
their hands, command, Il them never
TO draw without cause or sheathe
without honor. To fail to mention
the influence of Southern woman as
an incentive to combat. and as Il stay
TO endurance, would 6c 40 ulay The
draHa Of Hamlet with the coutempla
tive Dane omitted. | do net believe
that there ever was a conflict in which
SO much was due to woman as is the
just need of praise to the mothers.
sweethearts and wives of the South
ern soldiers. Ardent in her enthu-
slasm, single in her purpose, fixed in
her constancy, smiling in her tears
as she gave what in so many eases
was the last kiss, she lived through a
a weary four Years, working. toiling
with her hands. nursing the wounded.
sending cheerful messages to the front
when her heart in its profound soli-
tude was breaking, aud at the last.
when the flag Of the Confe,ieracy frll
from the weary and nerveless hands of
those who had SO CALAMITY held it a
loft, welcoming them home and thank
ing Fod for the return of her maimed,
heart sick, wearied and footsore loved
ones. know that among those see
before me to-day, should such another
emergency arise, history would re-
peat itself and find exemplars in them
Thank God, they will never be called
upon to pass through such an ordeal,
for while the force Of arms can never
settle a principle, still the result of
war made forever impossible that such
a conflict could ever again arise. The
good soldiers oE both sides
STOPPED FIGHTING
when the war was ended, though
there were numbers of able bodied
men in either section of the Union
whose powers of folbearance were
such that they only commenced to get
angry and vindictive when the war
had ceased. When say that stop
ped fighting when the war was over,
do not wish to be misconstrued, nor
have it understood that | acquiesced
in the miserable reconstruction iegis
lation'in which ten years were requir-
ed to place back in the Union States
which by the arbitrament of war had
failed to get out of the Union.
When you returned to yorh homes,
you found things sadly changed. bank
rupt in fortune, but rich in stout arms
and brave hearts, you addressed your
selves to the task before You of build
ing up the waste places of the South,
OF making homes for those you loved,
and replacing at your tlesldes your
lares and your penates. What has
been accomplished in the industrial
development of the Sout.r has extort
ed the admiration of those who were
your former enemies. But most Won
derful and most to be priced is the ,e-
Americanization of the two sections
which were lately warning with each
other, and the healthful growth of Il
new and stronger national pride.
If any one doubted the strong feel
ing of the old Confederate soldier tor
the restored Union, he must have
been agreeably surprised at the strong
national sentiment evoked in the
South by the Cailian incident. 1t
mattered not to him that the party in
power was not one Of his choice. He
felt as | did | am an American first
and Democrat afterward. When l
look around me and see our diminish
ed ranks, l am male painfully aware
of the numbers of gallant spirits who
have fought the last fight and joined