The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-07-08

enforced habits OF Sell control, ana Inc
example and influence of man whose
guiding star was duty, had been worth
more to me than any scholastic train,
ing received elsewhere.
| THE SOLDIER SPIRIT.
The first step towards success any.
way is to Undue the boy with the spirit
of the soldier, for life is one long bat
tie, and it is the soldier spirit that wins
success; the timid and irresolute are
crushed, run over. and the coward de-
serts, while the trained soldier, fertile
in expedients, tactful and resolute,
pushes steadily to the front, until sue
cess crowns his efforts or death claims
him as her own.
"SEElNG THE ELEPHANT.
have often thought of that prodlgal
son who left his fathers house to see
the world, 1--WE call it seeing the ele,
nhant'0 and wondered what would
have been his fate had he been trained
four years by Col. Thomas or Col.
Coward. He would have seen the ele.
nhant. no doubt about that, one as big
as Jumbo himself, and possibly spent
his portion in riotous living" but when
the funds played out, Citadel boy
would never in the world have fed on
the husks left by the swine. He would
have killed the fattest pig in the bunch
ate spare ribs and backbone, and the
inner man well fortified Gf nothing
better turned up), with the airs and
graces born in the "City by the Sea, "
he'd have fascinated the old mans
daughter, married, and put his father
in-law to tending the hogs. Then with
plenty of leisure entered politics, gone
to Congress, paid the mortgage otf his
fathers farm, provided for the good
brother who stayed at home by an
appointment to q 4th class postoffice.
| I know some of the "boys" who have
made almost as wonderful a record as
that. A Citadel boy would aever have
gone sneaking home in rags and tat
ters, whining and shedding ''crocodile
tears" He would have pulled himself
together, redeemed his mistakes, and
when he went back home, gone with
his head up like a man. If he had to be-
come as a hired servant and fed on
husks, he would have gone as far away
| from home as possible, changed his
name and not disgraced his family by
admitting that he was miserable iall-
ure.
THE CITADEL
II would be presumption for me in
the presence of men grown gray IN the
service ofthe Citadel to say much con-
cerning its history and work. Permit
me, however, to briefly allude to Its
genesis, because in its original concep'
lion it is closely related to a few
thoughts that I will express later.
Col. J. P. Thomas in his elegant
work, gives a most interesting account
of the early history of the Citadel. In
1922 Denmark Vesey, a free negro,
organized most formidable insurrec
ton in the city of Charleston. He was
one of those bold, strong characters,
who are born leaders of men. On
Sunday night, June 10th, the negroes
were to rise, and suddenly seize the
arsenal, guard house and other deposi-
tories of arms, then reinforced by the
country negroes, were to sweep the
town bv fire and sword. Through the
detection of one of the conspirators,
the plot failed, and Vesey with several
others was tried, condemned and exc
cuted. The alarm caused by this
Threatened outbreak led to the enlarge
ment of the arsenal and other military
posts. Ten years later came the nulll-
tcation excitement of 1882, and 5000,
900 was appropriated for munitions OF
war and as consequence greatly In
creased the Importance of the arsenal.
A garrison was kept up until in 1912,
Governor Richardson conceived the
idea of using these military posts as
schools, holding that as they had to be
maintained, it would only be a small
additional expense to impart instruc
ton to the young men constituting the
garrison. Thus we see that the origin
and purpose of the Citadel was for
public defence, and that the scholastic
Feature is graft upon the old trunk.
Therefore in purpose and practice the
Citadel bears a close relation to the mi.
litia system of the country, and de-
sire to express few thoughts on this
line, for in it are some of the germs
which must give life or death to US as
a republic.
TWO RESOURCES OF NATIONAL SAFETY.
In national life, in the first outbreak
of war or civil disturbance at home,
there are but two resources for protec
ton and safety. They might like no
tells be classified as the European
and American" plans.
| EUROPEAN PLAN.
The first depends upon a large stand
ing army, drawn from the ranks ol
civil life, to be maintained in idleness
at the expense of the producers. Con
stituting in the hands Of an ambitiou!
and bold executive, a perpetual men
ace to popular rights.
AMERICAN PLAN.
The second depends upon patriotic
land we'll organized militia, ever pres
ent. rarely seen, quartered among us
not in camps and forts, but at the fire
side. in the counting room and th'
workshop.
FOUNDATIONS OF NATIONAL GREATNESS
1t has been we'll said that with the
decadence of the martial spirit the de
cay of the nation begins, hence every
nation adopts some means to fostel
J this spirit, varying in degrees from tn
dance of the savage to the science ant
culture of West Point.
In critical analysis of the element
} al foundations of political economy
there are two essential factors upol
whose proper understanding and ap
, nlicot;on tho oroorass ,arnet,Iitv AM