The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-04-30

have been, and are yet, criticized and
condemned by some, ON the ground
that such demonstrations on our part
tend 20 foster sectional prejudice. The
source of such criticism and condemns
ton is easily traced to the teachings of 9
blind fanaticism which would, if posi-
BILE, undo the work of the Almighty, and
sweep away every vestige of race dis
|, tinction and smother every sentiment
which develops pride in lineage.
My Confederate friends, both men and
women, it would be most humiliating
sacrifice of self respect on our parts did
we permit criticism or condemnation, nc
i matter from whence the source, to deter
us from doing justice to sour dead and
living comrades by honofing the memo.
ries of the dead and indicating the mo-
tives and exalting the deeds of both the
living and the dead, and teaching their
children and our children that they are
the sons and daughters of a people who
in war and in peace, have made record
of manhood and womanhood with which
they
''Can proudly stand
On this their beloved land
And look the garnered ages in the
face
without blush of shame.
What is called the current history, and
popular teachings of the past thirty years,
have given the youth of the South but lit
tie of truth in regard to the motives which
influenced their people, in 1861, to appeal
to arms, and much of falsehood as to
the conduct of their kinsmen during the
great conflict which followed that ap-
peal, and it is duty we elders owe to
the dead, the living, and to those who
shall come after us, to impress upon the
minds of our young, salient truths which
will .antidote these errors and falsehoOds
in regard to the motives and conduct of
their kinsmen. / shall perform nv
part of that duty on this occasion by ad-
dressing my remarks particularly to
those who represent the younger gener-
ations in this audience.
Ny young friends, you will see it often
written, you will hear it often charged,
and find that it has been in some quar-
tiers systematically taught, and by many
accepted as truth, that the motive which
prompted your people, in 1861, to ap-
peal to the sword, that last and most
terrible resort of brave people for the
maintenance of right or the redress OF
wrong, was a.desire on their part to Eper.
petuate the institution of negro slavery
On this historic ground; on this sacred
occasion, standing here in sight of the
last resting places of the thousands who
came to invade, and the hundreds who
you, that such a charge is false; it is a
the living. A higher motive actuated
ro0vlo. aNf,lofod hxy ov
intense love of constitutional liberty in.
herited from their forefathers of 1776.
They sought to exercise what they be-
lieved to be rights guaranteed to them
under the compact on which Georgia and
her sister colonies founded this govern
ment. Their action was inspired by
that cardinal doctrine of pure democrat
ic faith which teaches that only in strict
construction of a constitution adopted
by the governed, can the liberties of a
people be preserved and a republic
be perpetuated. There you have the
simple truth plainly told and easily re-
membered. No, not simple truth, for
the intense feeling now manifested by
the masses in regard to political and
economic issues growing out of reckless
federal legislation during the past thirty
five years; legislation enacted in utter
disregard of constitutional limitations,
dignities this truth and elevates it above
the simple, and as the clouds of passion,
prejudice and partisanship engendered
by war lift and drift aside and let in the
light of reason, this truth | called simple,
becomes grand and luminous, and shines
out clearer and brighter in vindication
of the motives of your kinsmen in their
appeal to arms, in 1861.
SO much for motive; now for conduct:
No consecutive ten years in the history
of any people can show a grander record
of heroism than that made by the peo-
pie of the South, in war and in peace,
during the ten years beginning with
1851 and ending with the year 1870.
Here, my young friends, is theme
which will inspire some coming Homer,
who will gather up the splendid details
of this record and weave them into a
grand epic in commemoration of
''Matchless deeds,
Unwritten though they are,
And all unsung, they were and
will remain
Among earth noblest creeds.'
can only show you and comment on
the index to this record of conduct, and
point you to one example as an illustra.
ton of it's character. Here is the index
First comes war; terrible, devastating
war, whose horrors touched every
hearth-stone in the South; a war in which
nine millions of people, one-third of them
slaves not entrusted to bear arms, cut off
from all resources but their own, con.
tended for four years in bloody strife
with nineteen millions of people support
ed by the resources of the world. A con.
test in which magnificent strategy sup.
ported by superb courage and devotion,
but crippled and finally throttled by in
adequate resources, resisted for four
years, grand tactics backed by over.
whelming numbers and unlimited re.
sources.
Next comes the result of this contest
the only result which could follow the
conditions without the intervention of 8
miracle; exhaustion on one side and
triumph ON the other. Next comes the
years of so-called reconstruction, which
proved to be years of bayonet-rule and
carpet-bagger invasion and control, with
legislative humiliation, wrong and in
justice. Next and last on this index
comes peace. But with it came another
terrible struggle for your people, the