The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-09-16
SPEECH OF GEN. CHEEK,
DFIIVFRED SATURDAY, SEPT. nTH,
At the Picnic and Re-pnion OF ex-Con-
federate Veterans in HendersOn-the
Real Issues that ed to the War Be
tween the States.

,Tr,5 anu C0myadS5:-This IS day
leng TO be remembered by the old
Confederate soldier. II IS very pleas
ant for MN to SEE that he SIilI holds
place in the memory and affections OF
hi, coun,rymen. One third Of cen
tury has passed since he LAID aside his
indictments Of var and ceased To be
soldier.
Changes have followed thick and
tas, during tins eventual period,
Changes Of conditions, changes OF so
ciety, changes of law and Of govern
ment have taken place 50 rapidly and
50 great, that it IS hard TO realize that
this Is The same country and populated
by The same people that it was before
the war
The generation that has grown up
during this period know very little
what their fJreflthers suffered and en-
dured 10 sustain The cause of Con
stl,utional government; and it stands
much 10 their credit, that they still
have an appreciation for the merits Of
the I.0st Cause" and an admiration
for the courage Of the Confederate
soldier.
When look over this vast asoeul-
bly, and behold the faces of many gray
haired mothers, whose husbands and
whose sons, were once our comrades IN
arms-whrn see the young man of
today in the vIgOr Of manhood and
the far maiden IN the flower 81 youth
and the young mother with her
group Of manly boys around her, cher
pride and the Jewels OF the State)-
and when | look There upon the
young soldier clad in all the habli
mcnts of war, and armed from head
to foot, ready at the first tap Of the
drum to obey his country's call when
! behold all these with one accord
gathered here to spread feast and an
entertainment, and to do honor to the
Confederate veteran, | feel that the
cause Of Constitutional lnion-a
union of equal and independent States
is moi altogether forgotten, and that
"thcre IS life in the old land yet.
What if the armies of the South
were driven from the field by superior
numbers? What if State sovereignty
/ was Oblterated from the statute books
| by natiOna! legislation? What if our
| slave property was taken from u.s.
| What If our houses were burned, and
! our fields dtsolated? Still we have that
about us, which all the powers OF war,
and all the halls of legislation; and all
| the prOClamatIOns Of a sectional PreIs
| dent; and all the licensed thieves of an
| invading army; and all the flames Of
! burning cities and houses cannot &c
s'roy. We yet have our honor, and
| the esteem and admiration of the good
| people of the whole world.
In the war between the States VT of
| the South fought for principle; that
| principle IS the same today that it was
| one hundred years ago. 1t is Co-eval
with the birth of the Union, and will
/ live as long as there is a Union. The
/ same principles that our fOrefatheis
| cngrattcd INTO the Federal Constitution
/ III the convention which formed the con
/ federation kno":n as the United States
were the same principles that our rep
| rcstntatIves in Congress in 1860 and
1907 contended should be applied to
/ the government of the Territories of
/ of Kansas and Nebraska, and to their
admission as States into The Union.
The abolitionists of the North plac-
| ing different construction on the
| language of the Constitution said that
we Of the South should not carry our
slave property into the Territories, nor
| should the Territories be admitted as
| States into the Union with con,tilu-
tons recognizing African slavery
! The contention of the people of the
| South WAS that according TO the com
| pact and agreement entered into by
| the general convention of all the States
and known as the Federal Constitution,
| this right was guaranteed to them.
The Supreme Court of the United
States III the year 1880 in the famous
! bred Scott case had reviewed this
whole controversy and Chief Justice
fancy in a most learned opinion said
that the construction of the South was
the true meaning of the Cons,itu-
| ton
"