The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-16
charged with emotions too painful for

charged with emotions too painful fo
utterance.
!, We would be untrue to ourselves, t,
our traditions, to our honored dead
were we otherwise than sad to-day.
1t is not that We are disloyal citizen
of our country. 1t is not that we ar
unhappy because we live under tn,
protection Of one flag and are citizens
Of a common country. We rejoice il
our sorrow that peace and not war pre-
walls. That flag. torn and faded, be
tokens cherished memories of the past
bat no disloyalty to the flag under
whose 9gis we now enjoy our freedom
But nothing is lost to patriotism by
our thinking and saying that the pas
of thirty years ago brings in its train
many painful though holy memories
Cherishing the memory of convictions
| that were ours, sincerely, honestly
bodily ours generation ago, does not
make US untrue to convictions that
may be ours now. Holding in sacred
memory the devotion and heroism OF
| men who laid down their lives willing
sacrifice upon the altar of liberty, does
not, shall not, make us unfaithful to
the trusts committed to US to-day. As
the fond mother, faithful all the year
round TO husband and children that re-
main, is permitted unmolested, unoues-
toned, to 60 alone on the anniversary
of loved ch;ld's death and shed her
silent tears over the toys and half-worn
clothing, the relics that are treasured
away, so may we, those who were
spared from the conflict of years past,
be allowed to give one day in the year,
without interruption. without criti-
cism, to the Lonoring of those who
gave up their lives in that conflict.
Who compose this gathering to-day?
There are those here who knew and
loved and hoDored the men whose
names are inscribed on that monument,
men who shared with them in the
hardships of tent and field, men whose
own lives have been made better and
nobler by their association with those
men and by the memory of their valor;
women who gave their husbands, their
lovers, it may be their sons, for cause
in which they were ready to peril, to
surrender, home and comfort and life,
yea everything but honor; young men
and women who, though they have no
personal recollections of that memora-
ble struggle, yet have been taught to
revere the devotion and courage and
fortitude of the fathers and mothers of
the generation past, and i'll whose
veins flows the blood of heroes.
Why are you here? To honor the
memory of the heroic dead; old and
young, to lay their garlands on the
resting places of the brave men, known
and unknown, who gave their all for
q cause that they loved unto death.
But there is another reason for this
gathering. We are not living wholly
or mainly in regretful past. While
not entirely forgetting the past, fondly
cherishing much of it, our faces and
our steps are toward the future. The
lives of the brave and good should
serve to remind US of what we and our
children may become. The recollec-
ton of the G"e hundred heroes whose
names are on that monument should
inspire US to loftier purpose and holier
resolve. Perhaps tits here that memo
rial Day. leaves its best impress.
What men here, survivors of that
struggle, are not made better by the
annual return of Memorial Day, when
they are reminded of the virtues and
heroic deeds of the men vino fought
and died a generation ago? Who are
not helped to nobler eudeavor, to braver
living, by the recollection of what good
and true men did and suffered for their
convictions of what was right? Who
can recall the "Matchless Lee," the
knightly Jackson, the chivalrous
Stuart, the gallant Ashby, and Gregg
and Bee, and host of others whose
names are household words, without
being stimulated to- higher courage
and more heroic daring in the cause of
right and truth?
Sad is it for any people when they
cease to revere the names of those who
died that others might live and enjoy
the fruits of their suferings.
God forbid that the day should ever
come, when the people of Newberry
shall forget or cease 10 honor the names
of such men as Rutherford, Maffett,
Simkins and the others whose names
are written there, and James D. Nance,
who has been styled the "Chevalier
Bayard" of Newberry County, the man
without fear and without ieproach";
or that the people of South Carolina
shall forget that other hero of the Lost
Cause" the gallant soldier, the loyal
citizen, the modest gentleman. the
humble Christian, Joseph B. Kershaw,
who has just won his last victory, and
has joined the triumphant host on the
other shore.
The committees then took charge of
the decorations, and the placing of
flowers upon the monument and the
graves of the Confederate dead in both
Of our cemeteries was a labor of love
and patriotic pleasure. Long may
Memorial Day be cherished and OBJ
served.
The music for the occasion was fur
nisbed oy the Newberry band under
charge of Mr.. c. l.. Trabert, and was
very good.