The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-29

earnestness, call attention to tn
closing sentences Of his inaugural ad
dress, after his election under the cor
stitutionai government OF the Con fed
eracy, made on the 22 I'd day of Febru
ary' lS62 Raising his hands, at th
close OF his address, and looking tow
ards the heavens he said: And now
. God, commit my country and he
cause to Thy holy keeping" thus show
Ing tho soemnity with which he as
sumed anew the duties Of President o
Of the Confederacy.
THE WOMEN OF THE CoNFEDERACy
History notes with its richest praise.
the matrons OF Rome. They were M
| doubt worthy of all that was said O
them. But their hOnors cluster abou
them when Rome was q great and vic
torious nation. This Is not said tC
| their discredit, but to contrast with
| them Iue noble and devoted women o.
! Une Confederacy. The grandeur o
their lives and conduct was exhibited
In IL cause in which the odds were
greatly against their country, in whic
SACRIFICES were necessary, and in which
success was always doubtful. never
iett my Inability TO do justice to any
suoJcct so kecniy as do when at
tempting to do Justice to the character
OF the women OF the Confcderacy.
Ihey gave to the armies their hus-
bands, fathers, sons and brothers with
aching hearts, and bade them good
,nye with sobs and tears, but they be-
lieVed the sacrifice was due to their
country and her cause. They assumed
the care OF their homes and of the
children and the aged. Many of them
VINO had been reared in ease and
luxury had to engage in all the drud-
gerry OF the farm and shop. Many of
them worked in the fields to raise the
means OF feeding their families.
Spinning wheels and looms were null
tiplicd whore none had been seen be-
lore, TO enable them to clothc their
families and furnish clothing for their
loved ones in the army, to 8hem with
messages Of love and encouragement
they sent, whenever they could some
thlng To wear or to eat And like
angels of mercy they visited and at
tended the hospitals with lint and
oandagcs for the wounded, and medi-
cine for the sick, and such nourish-
ment as they could for both. And
their holy prayers at all times went to
the throne of God for the safety of
those deai to them and for the success
ol the Confederate cause. There was
u S'u' dSc anu al IlOTdl ncrOlSfl In their
lives superior to that which animated
our brave men, for the men were
stimulated by the presence OF their as
soclates, the hope Of applause, and by
the excitement OF battle, while these
noble women, in the seclusion and
quletuue OF their homes were inspired
oy moral courage which could come
only from God and the love OF country,
hope we are to have battle abbey.
and If we hould the honor OF our
Southland demands that at the same
place there should be splendid monu-
mcnt erected to commemorate the con.
stancy, the services and the vi tues Of
the noble women Of the Copfederacy.
ANA since the war some Of our grand
and noble women ; the widow of Pres l.
dent Davis, the widow OF Stopew; II
> Jackson and the widow of Col. G.. Nj.
Wlnklcr, OF Texas, have earned the
gratitude of our people by books they
nave furnished us, containing most
valuable contributions to the literature
OF the war and supplying feature in
1T that no man has supplied or could
supply.
To illustrate the character aud de-
Votion OF the women OF the Confedc-
facy, | VIII repeat Il statement made
TO me during the war by Gov. Letchcr,
vi lIS lHld. hc nau visited his old
homo in the Shenandoah valley, and
on his return to the State capital called
at the house OF an old friend who had
a large family. He found no one but
the good old mother at home, and in
quired about the balance Of the family.
She told him that her husband, her
husbands Sather and her ten sons were
all in the army. And on his sugges-
tlon that she must feel lonesome, hav-
ing had large family with her and
to ba now left alone, her answer was
that 1T was very hard but that If she
had ten more Sous they should all go
to the army. Can ancient or modern
history show a nobler or more unselfish
and patriotic devotion to any cause ?
There have been and there still NAV
be those VINO affect to speak lightly OF
the Confederacy but cause and a
country which it required more than
four years OF terrible war. and armies
of more than two million men, and
which cost the lives Of hundreds OF
thousands, counting the loss on both
sides, the expenditure OF billions OF
dollars, anu the sacrifice OF other bill
lions OF dollars worth of property, to
overcome, can hardly be belittled by
any honest or sensible man. We can
well afford to wait tho verdict which
history Will render on the men and
women OF the late Confederacy.