The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-06
VALOR AND PATRIOTISM.
An Eloquent Tribute to the Oonfeder-
ate Soldier.
Auofess OF Col. B. w. Ball, of Laur-
ehs, Delivered at GrecnviIle on
memorial Day, May 81, 1906.

'' DoiEcfeu at GrecnVille OH
"ehorial Day, May 81, 1906
Inc following is the address cf Col.
Is. w. Ball, of Laurens, in RESPONSE to
Inc invitation OF the Ladies' Memorial
Association OF Greenville. He began
win beautiful tribute to the women
oi the Southern Confederacy, and ex-
pressed his thanks for the honor i'm
pied IN his selection as the orator of
tho occasion. Ho then spoke as fol.
lows:
Inc Greeks when they won in battle
anu campcd on tho fields, erected a
eroPhy TO mark the scene of triumph ;
tney lost, nothing was left to de-
followed their arms.
The history, traditions, and monu-
ihents or people have immemorially
ueeh thelr inspiration. Monuments
IPPeal IN lessons more eloquent than
Ilomerlc stanza, or Ciccronian period
10 lorlorn hope, srlf-sacrifice, and
heroic endeavor. In the dawn of
clVlIizatlon where only the gloaming of
tradition dimly lights the pathway.
oHery tribe and clan that grew 10
poVer ana greatness apotheosizcd
So Saear heroes. Every great pcople
nave had their Hercules this j., wnij .
for heroes are in a secular snnsn @
demlgods. "'Tis distance lends nn1
chantment to the Wow :" mount,ins
are nolehlils when they have been
ciilhpod. so the 5haaOwy mists of the
unsecorocd past shed around it's igures
haio ol glory that nightly maynifics
them to the bcholdcrs at n distancn
Inc sudden swoop of a Sumpter aud a.
MARION: and the midnight assault no
uolot were proSy ana commonplace
enough to those hardy and dashiny
shoreurs but the genius of Weems
las thrown around their achievements
Ine glamour of romance, and the
s1ory becomes tho inspiration of sue
cecdlng times. Thus by the twilight
OF Tradition, aud the pen of the poet,
INC race OF heroes and demigods is
Perpctuated. That which cIevutes
ana anorns human nature, that which
characterlZrS civilization can only be
conserved by the virtues that dis
tlhgulSh bCru,s. Tho virtues of
heroes, therefore, We commemorate
IN the speaking marble, in towering
spires OF granite, in romance and song.
On the banks of The Nile Napoleon
appealed to the mighty piles of the
PharaOhs to rouse to glorious conduct.
heroes OF the Lost Cause their names
we would not willingly let die we
commemorate their courage, con-
stancy, skill, dash, devotion, patrio-
tlsm, achievements against such odds
as history does not parallel. If the
cause OF the South and the Southern
soldier had not been just it we're
mgratitude, worse than Treason, in
Southern women and men. sons and
daughters of the Confcdoracy, to fail
TO immortaliZe his character and
genius. But there can be no such
apprehension; rather every daughter
and every son will glory in the story
OF the cause for which the Southern
who Of old time, sut down by the
rivers and hanged their harps upon
tho willows - "If | forget thee, O
Jerusalem, let my right hand forget
her cunning. If do not remember
thee, let my tongue clcave to the roof
of my mouth; if prefer not Jerusalem
above my chief JOY"
Yea, sacrcdly and rcligiously will
they cling to the righteous cause in
which their fathers and brothers
suffered and died. Veni, vidi. vici,
was the pround boast of an educated
soldier behind trained legions, conten-
j
stands Jackson like Il stone WALL" will
ring down through the ages to inspire
to duty, civil and martial, the Carolina
youth IN all time to come. So, to teach
the youth Of after Times how the
Carolina man Of the days Of slavery
and secession, could love his State
will be forever cmbalmcd the last
words of the chiva!ric Gregg, looking
from the bloody heights of Fredericks-
burg: "Tell Governor Pickens that
died in defence Of South Carolina"
1t is peculiarly appropriate that
South Carolina men and women
especially should vindicate the memo
rics of the war, and not to do so, in
them, would be IL crime. South Caro-
lima was foremost in resisting inn
memorial Northern aggressive scnti-
mont. True, she was small com
munity the smallest Of her sisters {;
but it was her public men, Calhoun,
McDut1ie, Hayne and a. great galaxy OF
statesmen, who for half century
with signal ability fired the souls OF
the Southern section to resist the per-
sistent insults and inccndiary assaults
OF Northern enemies upOL her institu-
tions. Having assumed the RESPONSE
bilty Of the leadership she vlndicat-
ed her generous motto, anlmis
OplbuhQuC ptLriLtl, ana With unihiLcf-
ing spirit ns unanimously and stoutly
as any people have contcndcd lor the
right, she fought it out to exhaustion.
IF she was wrong in resisting half
century of insulting contulnely, and
quasi invasion, then indeed, [ looking
to tho stupondous consequences that
followed was it in hGr II
"gricvOus fault,
And grevOusly has she answered it,"
1t would be inappropriate upon an
occasion like the present to enter
deliberately upon tho causes that led
up to the war. Sufficient, that the
South can say " Never shake thy
CORY locks at me, and look posterty
unquailingly in the face. 1t resulted
partially upon the characteristics OF
the peoples living undcr the same flag
in the two grcnt sections.
The Southcrncr was not responsible
for the existence Of slavery. The
Southern men and women of tho war
period found it hero, established like
the mountains, tho valleys, and the
forest that cover thom. The South
was on-commcrcial, Isolated, and
praying to be let severely alone. 1t
would be unjust, unfalthfnl to the