The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-05-29

charity, answers WITH more lavish
abundance as the demands upon it be-
come more exacting with a history in
the memories of her Alamo, her Coli
ad, and her San Jacinto, as well as
the deeds Of her Houston, her Austin.
her Travis and her Lamar; with a
proud heritage of valor and heroism
bequeathed by her intrepid sons in the
mighty conflicts of the sixties, with
some of the best blood of the Republic
in the veins of her people, whose in
dominable energy and lofty spirit, are
equalled only by their princely hospi-
tality, with all these splendid endow-
ments by nature, by her history and
by the characteristic of her sons and
daughters, what optismetic prophet
would predict for her career so glorl-
Gus as to be beyond her reasonable
ambition.
The assemblage of these war-scar-
red veterans in this war-scarred State
recalls a striking contrast in their war
histories. Sixty years ago Texas won
her fight for independence. Thirty
years ago, these ex-Confederates lost
their fight for separate nationality,
but Texas victories were not more
glorious and grand than were these
brave men around me in their over
whelming defeat. Texas victories won
her way to Statehood and place In
the front rank of States These Con-
| federates, crushed and disbanded as
soldiers, addressed themselves to the
duties of citizens, with a conservatism
so conspicuous, patriotism so true
and broad, fidelity to the decisions
of battle, so ,lnquestioned and scarce
as to challenge the confidence and es-
TEEN OF patriots in every section of the
| Union.
This leads me to recall three re-
markable achievements by these ex-
| Confederates ia peace which impartial
history will pronounce fitting climax
to their splendid war record. The
first is the reconstruction mainly
through your instrumentality of the
labor system of our entire section.
You returned from long, eNhausting
and unsuccessful struggle to find the
agricultural labor Of your States not
only disorganized. but as a system TO
the management and control of which
you were born and traine0 it was ut
terly destroyed. Yet you heroicly un-
dertook the task of its reorganization
under new system and of adopting
yourselves to that new order. The
success of your efforts is the noblest
commentary upon your wisdom and
justice. With no power to control
that hitherto servile labor and no
money to pay it, you successfully
guided it to a plane CT self-support,
and too vastly increased product of
the South's great staple.
THE second is your astounding sue
cess in securing in spite of the radical
revolution in the conditions around
you and in so short a period, financial
independence for your families and in
dustrial prosperity for your section.
You returned from the war poor, tens
of thousands penniless, many shot and
manned, and yet bravely and uncom-
plainingly laboring with aid from no
source save from God and your own
self reliant manhood, you have fought
your way to competence, provided for
your disabled comrades until scarcely
Confederate soldier can be found de-
prived of the comforts of life. At the
same time, your combined efforts
have carried these Southern States to a
height of material advancement from
which YOU may now calmly look back
over land which but thirty years ago
was a wide waste of desolatlon and
ashes, and around you, over acountry
now happy in it's rebuilt homes and re-
deemed farms, radiant in the light of
industrial resurrection, as assured
prosperity and enduring material in
dependence.
'The third achievement is the pas
sionless, unostentatious and peaceful
manner in which you laid aside the
trappings and discipline of the camp
for the modest garb of the citizen and
silent restraints of civil government.
For this marvellous exhibition of self
command under supremist trials, for
this complete burial of all sectional bit
terness, for the gradual but certain
transmitting of your valor and devo-
ton, exhibited in defense of the flag
that fell into unchallenged loyalty to
the flag that triumphed; for all these
evidences of loftiest attributes of citi
zenship, you will yet find your reward
in the universal plaudits of your coun-
trymen, as it is already secured in the
power, progress and cherished freedom
of our reunited republic.
go forward, my comrades, and by
self denial, by wise economy and well
directed energy, continue the develop
ment of this heaven-blessed section,
until abundance shall be found in
every home and the whole land shall
rejoice in your triumphs. Go forward
in the cultivation of national fratern-
ty, giving no heed to imprudent or
thoughtless efforts to stimulate sec
tional animosities in any quarter. l
rejoice in the privilege OF bearing to
you fraternal greetings from the great
body of brave men who confrontedyo
in battle. It has been my fortune re-
Gently to mingle with those men in
every section. Be assured, my Conted-
crate comrades, that the overwhelm-
ing majority of the Grand Army Of the
Republic, composed of soldiers who
were as brave in battle and are gen
erous in peace, courageous, knlghtly
and true, bear towards you neither
lingering bitterness nor sentiment Of
distrust. Whatever of untimely pas
sion which may here and there exist
from any cause will be of short dura-
ton and comparatively harmless. In
the presence of your continued con-
servatism, and before the higher and
nobler sentiments of the country, it
will vanish like vapors before the
morning sun.
But I must not consume more Of
the time of this convention, | close,
as I begun, by assuring the Governor
of this great State, the mayor of this
,,,o+,o,ol;top city- oOd tho oeDerOrS