The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-29
Defending a Cause That Was luSt,
THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE
CONFEDER ATE CABINET.


the United Confederate Veterans
Facts of History that Need to bt
Told
The annual address before the United
Confederate Nateruns at the reunion
in Nashville, Tenn was delivered BY
Hon. John III. Il 'agau, of Texas, who
was Postmasts tsr General of the Con
federate States, ard is the last suryi
wing member of the Confederate cabi
net. 1t contain vlluable facts and in
cidents, and we pr,nt the main por.
tons OF his address
THIS great aSSe blage and this inter.
estjng occasion cel up many memories
OF great events. IL brings into review
the able and earn, $ discussions which
preceded the year 1861, on the great
questions which led up 10 the war b :
tween the States t. Z separation OF the
members OF the Both Congress the ac-
tlOn OF the Southern States in passing
the ordinances OF secession the organ
iHation Of the Government of the Con-
federate States Of America; the com
mencement OF hOstilities at Charleston
harbor, the call for volunteers by Pres
ldent Lincoln, this enLhusiasm with
to enter the great struggle, the separa-
tion of husbands and fathers from wives
end children, of sons from fathers and
mothers, OF brothers from sisters. and
oil lovers from their sweeth carts, with
eyes bedewed with tears and hearts,
throbblng with pttrio' 'sm, to enter the
camps OF instructl, n, make the long
marches and engage III the fierce con-
tiicts OF battle. 1t brings into review
~ ~ -clFf ,lN1 1itN.Y ,f
tollsome mnrCneS, TIE sickness and suf-
fering in camps, the thousands Of
skirmishes and battles, participated in
by hundreds Of thOusaf,DS Of brave men,
the sufferings OF the Wounded, and the
great number ho fell on each side as
martyrs TO their patriotic devotion to
the causes they believed to be right
and just, in the greatest war OF modern
times d war in which hundreds of
thousands OF brave MN lost their lives,
and which left TO the future vast
army OF mourning widows and children
and sOrrowing rclat > and friends,
and which caused the sacrifice OF bill
lions of dollars worth of property.
And 1T calls up onr l. mem mbrance Of
the great labor and sacr fees of our no.
Bile women in caring for the children
and aged at home, and ia preparing
and sending to the armies clothes and
},
istering to the sick and wounded in the
hospitals.
THE QUESTION or SLAVERY.
From early times there were those
who questioned the rightfulneSS to
slavery, possibly ithout suft tcient con-
sideration of the Character of the diff
ferent races OF tpeople. This feeling
grew first with the philanthropic and
religious classes until at last it was
seized upon by political demayogu as
an individual method of political agita.
tion and defamation by 1ice.seekers.
1t grew until mobs, Legislatures and
courts repudiated the con 5titutional
provisions and the laws or Congress and
the decisions of the supreme court of
the United tates, whicn protected
slavery In the States where it existed,
and required the rendit .on of slaves
when they escaped in other States.
The agitation OF. this question gathered
In strength and violence until 1t result
ed in civil war In kansas, followed by
the raid OF John Brown and his follow
ers, who invaded the State Of Virginia
for the purpose OF melting the negroes
tC q war o3races. And be cause he was
awfuly2&rrested and convicted and
hung by$he authorities Of the State of
Virginia Tor levying war on the State,
between the negroes and whites, many
OF the Northern churches were draped
In mourning and many of the Northern
people apDlauded his efforts and eulo-
gized this felon as q hero and martyr.
This was followed by the nomination
and election of purely sectional anti
slavery ticket for president and vice
president Of the United States. and
during the Congress, which immedi-
g. no nf
Southern States, thirty odd measures
of compromise were introduced in one
or the other branches of Congress. in
nope of securing the adoption Of q poll
cy by which the union Of the States and
the rights OF the States and of the peO.
pie could be preserved and war pre-
vented. Each of these propositions of
compromise was Introduce either by q
Southern man or by q Northern Demo-
crat, and every one Of them was re-
ceived with hOoting and derision by the
Republican members, as the Congress.
sional Globe OF that period will show.
And the Southern members were told
that they had to submit to the will of
the majority, plainly showing that our
people could no longer rely for the pro-
lection OF the rights OF the States or
OF the people on the enforcement of the
provisions of constitution and the laws
vi JnS " ouIISu obdIcS. SOulu any DBO-
pie have submitted to all this who
were worthy Of liberty and good gov
ernment?
TO VINDICATE THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
You must understand that [ do not
make this recital for the purpose OF re-
newing the prejudices and passions OF
the past, but only for the purpose Of
showing to our children and to the
world that the xConfederates were
not responsible for the existence OF
African slavery in this country, and
were not responsible for the existence
of the great war which resulted from
the agitation of that ques tion, and that
they were neither traitors nor rebels.
Comrades, by the laws OF nature |
can at most be with you but few years
longer, and feel 1t to be my duty to
you and to posterity to make these
statements OF the facts of history,
which vindicate US against the charge
OF being either rebels or traitors, and
which show that we were not the au.
thors OF -. causeless war, brought on
by ambitious leaders )" but that our
brave men fought and suffered and died
and our holy men OF God prayed and
our noble women suffered patiently and
patriotically all the privatious and
horrors OF great war, cruelty forced
upon us, for the purpose of rpholdinl
the constitution and Ia ua ~ tho IInit taS