The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-23
AMERICAN VALOR IN CHARLESTON HARBOR
TWO FLAGS AND TWO BLOCK
AIDES.

The Contrast OF the Past and the
Present--The Stars and Stripes
Now Floating Oyer u United Peo-
pie.
The naval festivities in the harbor
OF Charleston last week were marked
~ the presence of Secretary Herbert,
native of Laurens, S. c., whose
speech at the banquet given to the dis
tinguished guests was full of patrio-
tism and euiogy Of Americans. He
responded to the toast Of "Cur Navy"
as follows
Mr., Chairman [ thank you and the
Chamber OF Commerce for this well
come to my native State. 1t is now
many years ago since my father took
me, then q small boy, with him to
another Southern State and there
made his home. There my home is
now and do not mean to imply by any
thing shall say that the home of my
adoption has any second place in my
affections, but | have never ceased to
renembcr with fond affection the
house where | was born. the grand old
oaks that stood about it, the iielus and
streams where | hunted and iished,
the old school house on the hill and
the dear companions Of lay youth. 1T
was not many months after leaving
the old Palmetto State when these
lines met my eye and sank into my
heart, and there they have remained
ever since:
Sweet cline of my kindred, blest land OF
The farest, the dearest the brightest on
earth;
Where'er | may roam, howecr blest | ay
be,
My heart as instinctivcly turns unto
thee"
South Carolina is not great in the
extent OF her territory, or in the mum
Der OF ncr people, or in the develop
ment Of her natural resources, nor is
she as yet leader among her sister
States in manufacturing, though in
front, but her pride is, has always been,
and as trust ever will be, her men
and women. Here was the home OF
Sumter, OF the tutledges, the Pinck-
neys, the LOwndescs, OF Legare, OF
McDutlie, OF Calhoun, Of the PIckcnscs,
the Buffers, the Porchors, the Petit
grues, OF the brave soldiers who tough [
at the Cowpens, at Molino del Sey and
the ChapultepCc, OF those who carried
the Palmetto emblem in SO many
glorious battles for the Confederacy
and Of those who held this city OF
Charleston and Fort Sumter, even after
1t had been battered dom about them,
for almost four years against soldiers
and sailors as brave as ever shed blood
in the cause Of their country.
| am proud, my fellow citizens OF
South Carolina, to call to mind that
am more gratilied still to be reminded
by the toast which you have propose d
"a nd tn w hi Ia | of h, "a
fact that you and | are Americans,
fellow countryrnen OF those who live
under the flag that is carried by "Our
| Countrys Navy"
How marvellous are the romances OF
American history. 1t is but genera.
tiOn ago when II fleet floating the Stars
and Stripes lay of Charleston harbOr
| You greeted that flag with shot and
shell and Jorpedoes. Tonight another
feet bearing that Same flag lies of
your harJor and you welcome its gal
lant officers to this magnificent ban
quet, and not oil the scar1h.lights il
tnat fleet could find in this city o
Charleston single enemy to the Unior
OF the States.
All Of Us here this evening, wherever
we may have stood during the civi
war, love to recall the deeds don,
around Charleston in the brave day
from 1861 to 1865, whethers Fcderallyo
Confedcrates. They were American
all, and it with pride that American
remember that the heroism and dovo
+ on displayed upon the waters and Il
the fortilications around Charlesto
were but splendid exempliications O
the self-sacriticing spirit that animate
men and women throughout the Who'll
North and the whole South during tn
four years OF our blooody civil wa.
Here month after month fresh iliu,
trations were being given Of tho hcigf
, to which human courage could ris
and here during all that time ne
lessons in the art OF war were bein
: evolved by American genius and Anne
ican courage. Here the Confederate
+ were developing the torpedo with wol
derful ingenuity and 1t was left for III
garrison at Fort Sumter to teach til
, world that a fort need not be gu