The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-07-11

tiOnS. Olu you ever seriously consider
what Is involved in the momentoue
words government, country, liberty
Take the word government. The
| great Sidney declared that human gov
eminent was the greatest earthly con-
Germ of man, and Sidney was right.
Gen. Gordon then proceeded to show
that there was no property, no right,
no home, no life, no station lofty or
lowly which was not in some way or to
some extent touched and affected by
government-by the laws and policies.
He next took the word country, and
asked what is your country? Is it
your schools, your churches ? He de-
clared that all these made but a part
OF our country. He spoke of how dear
were these lands on which our fathers
dwelt, marred, perhaps, with ruins or
glorified with the graves of martyred
dead, but, he said, these lands are but
apart of our country. He spoke OF the
railroads, of their great value to the
country, their civilizing influence and Of
the Importance Of affording them pro-
per protection, etc. But these were
but small part of our country.
He referred to the manner in which
we cherish our schools and churches,
training the intellect and life for earth
and time, the heart and spirit for
Heaven and eternity. Yet he declar-
ed these do not constitute our country.
Indeed all combined-lands, homes,
railroads, schools, churches-all are
but part, and not the most important
part, of our country. BY far the
greatest. part of the country was the
men and the women who inhabit and
its policies and decree its destinies.
He next took the word liberty.
How mon love it and have always loved
it and fought for it. How prayers
have assembled to Heaven for it and
earth has been drenched with blood
for 1t. Yet you cannot plant liberty in
your soil, nor cultivate it on your lands,
nor paint it on the walls of your homes,
nor perpetuate it in brass, nor chisel it
in marble, nor decree it in statutes. If
liberty lives at all it must live in the
hearts and lives and services of the
men and women of country. He
therefore repeated that by far the most
important part of our country consists
of the people who till it's soil, build it's
homes and its railroads, develop its re
sources and civilization, make its laws
and preserve it's liberties.
Gen. Gordon then spoke of the con-.
sequent duty of the citizen, the
soldier, the statesman and patriot
to do all in his power to elevate
and ennoble the character of peo-
pie. He said this was especially
true of the South, because in the great
contest of the sixties we had been the
losing section; that it was sad truth,
but q truth which every thoughtful
man must recognize, that the advant-
ages are always greater to the victors,
in the estimation of mankind than
they really are when measured by the
infallible judgment of God or the un-
biased opinions of posterity. That in
the average estimation of mon victory
vindicates while defeat dooms to de-
the preservation of our characters, of
our manhood and womanhood becomes
a matter to us of the South of over
shadowing Importance.
Gen. Gordon then asked how are we
to preserve our manhood and sustain
and strengthen Southern character.
In his analysis of this question Gen.
Gordon showed that self-respect was
the foundation of all character, and
that it was essential that the self
respect of the people and especially of
velOped, and he showed how this was
to be done, by stimulating q just and
honorable pride in the past history and
achievements of this people. He dis
cussed the effect of different impress
sions made upon the young in mould
ing character, and recalled the past
history of the South to demonstrate
the truth that there was abundant ma
terial for sustaining the pride and self
respect of Southern youth. He was
generous to other sections but he
claimed for the South leadership in
civil and military arenas in all the
n nta -hal linn narin1 10 nifn1 ha 70 &c
of history to prove his claims.
When ho came to the late war he de-
clared that he did not share the
opinions of those who felt that deserv-
ed praise of one section was necessary
depreciation of the other section. He
had no sympathy with any such dwarf
ed conceptions or such suggestions of
bigotry. There was enough of courage
| and devotion and sacrifice on both sides
to sustain the self-respect OF both sec
| tions; and 'as an American citizen,
proud of the American name and with
| all his hopes for the future wrapped in
| the success of the American Republic,
he was rejoiced that each section had
gathered enough of glory in that great
war to fill the minds and hearts of
American youth with pride in all COM
ing time.
Gen. Gordon accorded to both sec.
tions high and holy motives, but said
the South had the advantage in the
sacred and burning zeal kindled by the
thought of self-defence and defence OF
home. He went into numbers, and
showed that the South had made q
record unsurpassed, If not unequalled
in the annals of war.
He took up the period succeeding the
war, and showed how the old Confed
rates had stood together in the de-
fence of the right, and closed with ar
appeal for harmony and unity among
us in South Carolina, harmony ant
unity between the sections, ETC., etc.
as essential to the welfare and happi
ness of the people and the perpetuity o
the Republic.
burning the course of his speech
Gen. Gordon made some reference
which might or might not be
considered as having special re
ference to the Senatorial race. HI
begged CarOlinians not to divide OF
minor matters. They ought to thinl
of and remember the history of Caro-
lima in the days when the State. wa,
crucified, when the State was flooded
with carpet-baggers and robbers, mel
who had never been near the battl,
front. When your heroes returned
ragged and battle-scarred, up to theil
necks in ruin and destruction, they die
not then divide upon minor and con
temptible issues. They stood by Caro-
limo w M oh In,