The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-06-06

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llniaus and the manor born, tho in
stances s0fton the unholiness OF tn,
cruel war that was waged upon us by
fellow citizens Of sister States.
Anti-slavery grew into II passion
at the North with q large and in
telligent element it became Il fanati
cism; and the circle of madness
widened into great power. Then
the tempcrs Of the peoples were en-.
tirely diferent--tho Southern man as
uni ike to his Northern cousin as fire
to water vinegar to honey will not
say, Hyperion to u satyr." The two
peoples could not mix. Slavery at the
South scared the very soul of the
Northern Puritan, and he made it his
household skeleton. The pulpit orator,
the poet and the platform fanatic, us
time grew. kept up an unceasing,
aggressive invasion, irritating and
Insulting, eliminating in the sainted
John Brown, the final invasion of
Virginia. and the devastation of the
South. In the meanwhile the ghost
of fairplay and self-respect constantly
appealed to the heart Of the brave
Southcrner: If you have nature in
you bear it not"
| 1t Is but fair to urge that, not the
| Northern statesman, nor the true
people of that section, but the fanatical
preacher and the fanaticul poet are
| more than all else responsible for tho
| most cruel war, most destructive Of
human lite that has cursed the earth
il modern times. Logically, We Of the
South must adopt this Wow, or lay at
the feet of our own fathers the RESPONSE
| bility OF She mOlncnlOuS events of the
| sixties. But there the responsibility
Gun never be truthfully placed. Then
the war was the more cruel, because
unnecessary.
Slavery, the beto noir, was already
beaten ny its exclusion from Western
| territory. 1t must have perished at
all early day by it's own Wis intcrtia :;
| this generation would have ended it as
Improbable. This generation OF men
and women, falling into the spirit
ofthc age, upon liberal terms would
have freed the slave, and with u
more kindly heart toward him have
accorded q thousandfold more generous
consideration than his sclf-elected
bcnefactOr could, or ever will vouch,
safe.
The Observation-Disclosures Of Northern
fanaticism divided tho land into two
great camps, bathcd it in blood: i'm
pOl erishcd and reduced to mcnials mil
lions OF gentle Southern women filled
our earth with orphans. and the world
with horror. The blood and tho con-
sequences be upon the heads OF the
iunsy SnifleS of the North that,
IN season and out OF season. Kept
up the irritation ending in that mighty
tragedy. The Southern soldier lp-
prcclht"u the cause of the strife :;
that he served his country in IL quarrel
just that he was answering the call
Of honor in defence of State, father
sister, child. mother. He was not IL
! machine. Hc knew and did his duty
THAT word immorthlizcd by our great
chiCttuin, Robert E. Lee, as the granllest
in the lexicon of our language. The
most cultured poet of classic times has
said neatly that brave men lived before
AEumemmou. IL was true then, is
true to-day they followed Alexander,
they followed Grant. and right man
fully in all lands have they answered
to Ine buglc's call to the charge.
But tins sOldler--Lhis soldier whom
you memoriuliZc this duy--this soldier
who followed LDo, Jucksun, and Bragg,
this soldier who wore the gray-stanus
alone among those who have formed
| in serl led ranks, his guerdon the
plaudit Of duty done.
Thank God it's long past; the
mothers cheek is dry the wile's tear
brushed away and who can proclaim
| his fortune best, he who fell on honur's
| field and sleeps in glory, "dulce eL
uecorum pro patria mori,' or the
| shattered, broken survivor, after
thirty years OF civic strife, lottcring
to his last roll call.
Behold OF what dc.usive worth,
The bubbles we pursue on earth,
The shapes we chase,
Amid II world OF treacchcry
Time steals them from us, chances
strange
Disastrous accident, and change,
That come. to all
Even in the most exalted state,
Relentless sweeps the stroke OF fate;
The strongest FALL
Tell me the charms that lovers seek
In the clear eye and bmshing cheek
The hues that play
O'er rosy lip and bIow OF snow,
When hOary age approaches slow,
All, where are thcy!
In this practical time, when men are
in tho severe struggle Of a most in
tenscly competitive period, to the
sympathetic heart Of the pure, respon
slvc noble Southern WCman we must
largely look that the mCmOry of our
heroes be not consigned to oblivion.
Living. and tramplng the plains of
Virginia and Georgia, mothers at
home held them the angels of their
nGarpS. L hcSc GllitG DllilS lIcSl
flowers in garlan"s and SO gently lazy
them ;lre legitimate daughters,
born of the noble spirit of the
sixties. But, ladies, the war was
not all tragedy it was not all deal
lug in affairs OF DEATH" 1t had It's
various colorings OF comedy, iun, iroiic.
practical joke--iOvc-maklnE and It's
manifold indCScriOhble shauiugs.
There 10 not an old soldier who will
not echo Il thousand times yes that
he counts as nothing his own individual
| nardships against the g'ory OF his cX-
pcrienccs. The everlasting roystcr-
ing fun at tho camp fire; the - lang
| SEQ: nights +" in winter quarters that II
Tam OShantcr might have cnvicu;
| the successful adventure on the butter
milk range the cheering on of .ovely
maids on the long and weary march,
from cottage, mansion and citys
balcony; the JOY Of IL furlough, re
spccLfully returned, approvcd;" the
| rapturous welcome by loved ones at
| home.
Then the sublimity Of the great
ovcnt, the clash OF mighty hosts IN
mortal combat. Byron puts IL us if he
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