The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-08-05

ol lour years OF fierce warfare, lie
had followed tho old ilag until it was
10 without hand to wave it, anC
not Il sword to save it, He, whose
eyes IN their dlmncss arc now fixed or
The light beyond the valley OF death
no doubt will be comfortcd i'm his las,
moments by that demonstration of love
ana loyalty never to bc forgotten
When he puts his feet down into tho
| mysterious water, mcthinks, he will be
chccrcd to ctcrnity's shore by tha,
mighty shout Of homage and rccogni
tion which went up from the throuts o
c,ght thousand comrades. And wha,
sha'! | say OF the noble women of tho
CHnicdcracy 1t has been said that
NO Spartan mothers whose deeds
nave been immOrtalizcd in songs, in
poetry anu pancgyric ever illustrated
more fully and beautifully the annals
OF womanly love, loyalty, tenderness
ana devotion than did the women of
the Confedcracy.' And today we are
proud to confess that it is mainly due
10 the love and loyalty Of the Southern
women and the daughters OF Confcd-
crate survivors that the fires OF patriot
ism arc kept aglow upon the affairs of
our country. Nor have hcr splendid
Sacrificcs and devotion been forgotten.
l5c 1T remembered to tho cvcrlas ting
credit and glory Of South Carolina that
u was here in this old sun-kisscd aud
God-blcst State that the first monu-
mcnt, That the first substantial rccog-
hltlOn OF those splendid sacrifices OF
inc Confederate women, was erected.
10 stands as an everlasting testimony
ct our recognition OF their services.
IL Is and will be holy shrine, and an
i,nSplrallon 10 generations yet unborn
l nat monument to the Confederate
women was erected not very long ago
az tOrt Mill, IN the eastern part of the
olatc' II was my pleasure recently to
sIahu IN It's presence, and | felt that
inc place was sacred. How beautiful
ana ocillIing it Is thus to commcmo
r"Ic inc heroic services, the sacrifices
ana the patient long.suilcring OF the
women OF the Con(cdcracy. The Con-
lcdcratc soldier and the Confcdrratc
army could mover have withstooa those
p"lvatlons, sometimes laboring and
lighting when the heart was weak and
nope al most gone. except in the inspir-
aIloh that came from tho c0nsccrntcd
prayers 0i the wife and daughter at
nome How beautifully tho sentiment
OF appreciation is thus expressed:
"ict sweet incense To her memory rise.
nll IL reach her in robes of victory be-
yond the skies"
Governor llubkell, of Texas, in an
oratlon recently stated the case most
beautifully when he spoke of the
soldiers wife, "who in an hundred
thousand homes stood in tho path way
watching for the returning soldier aud
husband. God bless the women OF tho
south, the almost art-brokcn South
IN that night OF gloom. With out
stretched arms, smiling, not weeping
| II hn Il
| or the streets OF the cities and towns
with their little ones clinging to th,
faded calico or homcspun dress on
'chcckcd' upron to meet in long and
loving embrace, husband and father.
On, my countrymcn, humanity found
the key to the South's after progrcss
! and prosperity. 1t was the home
greeting OF the Southern wives to tho
pcnnilcss soldiers, often on crutchcs
ana with only one arm to fold
them to his manly bosom" Now,
| can not conclude what have
TO say without saving something TO the
young people. ! have Il greater right
to speak to them. | have tried to
demonstrate that those who partici-
pated In that great struggle for home
and ilrcsldc are fast passing away.
NOW, | ask what shall we do? If we
are worthy OF the priceless legacy
which they wrought on the battle la
ana oequcathcd to US, We win see to it
that thGir name and fame and valor arc
not forgotten, that it is handed down
from sire to son, until it shall live with
time itscif. Are wo willing that the
coming generation shall call our fore
| fathers rebels and traitors, instead OF
patriots and hcrocsias they were win
we collect and preserve the relics and
| merlcntos that speak SO clCQucntly Of
their valiant deeds now Will thcy arc
obtainablc? 1t Is a fact that those who
rode at the head Of columns have had
their praises harpcd and sung and re-
corded on the pages Of history, but
| there are those equally as brave.
equally as valiant, whose memories
viii be forgotten If we do not treasure
| tho unwritten histories OF that war
| iarc, whose memories deserve to live
when monuments Of marble shall rot
and crumblo, but will be forgotten if
we arc not moved to Il proper apprccia-
| tlon and honest effort to correct the
| threatened cllaccment OF their noble
! deeds and services This land for which
| they fought and for which they fell, is
now proud, prosperous and plentiful,
| and We are the bcncliciarics. Are we
| nngratCful. and can we forget the hand
shall we 5acrcdly cherish up the history
of their splendid services ? That was
IL struggle which they made which has
not been tquallcd in warfare. Shall
history record the truth, or shall it be
written by an unfricndly hand, and the
truth distorted? 1t depends on the cf-
forts OF the young people. believe
| That in this noble work we shall have
The inspiration Of the daughters Of the
Cnnfcdcracy.E Woman, the faithful
ally and true friend TO every just cause,
| will DO her due portion in the just and
cOmmcnGable work.
Then there are those who are forgot,
ten as history goes, but whose memory,
yoang men, as Il matter OF pride, should
seek to treasure up, We have organ.
!Zcd among the young men Of the city
of Grccnv.llc camp Of the sons OF tho
Confcdcracy. 1t is a badge OF honor tt
any young man to join that organiza
ton, and would say almost one Of dis
honor 70 stay out without a justiGabl,
excuse. From our own town wen
Charlie O'Ncal. We have named oul
camp in his honor, and tt
his. memory. Educated at Ou