The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-07-01
Defending a Cause That Was Just.
THE LAST SURVIVOR OF THE
CONFEDERATE CABINET.

tho United Confederate Veterans
Facts Of History that Need to be
Told.
The annual address before tho United
Confederat Veterans at the reunion
IN Nashv' 'ile, Tenn, was delivered by
Hon. John II. Reagan, of Texas, who
was Postna, ter General of the Con-
1ederate SLat 3, and is the last suryi-
wing memb,'r Of the Confederate cabi-
net. u contains valuable facts and in
cldents, and we print the main por-
lions OF his address
this great ssemblage and this inter.
esttng occasion calls up rnany memories
OF ot>great "v"nts. 1t brings into review
1ue aOte ana earnest discussions which
preceded the year 1861, on the great
questions whicn led up 10 the war b =
tween the States the se paration of the
members OF the Both Congress tho &C.
tioh oi the , 'uthern States in passing
tne ordinances OF secession the organ
"nI'on o. Inc Government of the Con-
Iederate States of Am RIGA; the com
mencement of hostilities at Charleston
harbor, the call for volunteers by Pres
ldent Lincoln, the enthusiasm with
"nlch men on both sides volunteered
10 enter the great struggle, the separa-
tlon OF husbands and fathers from wives
and children, of sons from fathers and
mothers, OF brothers from sisters. and
Oh lovers from their sweethe carts, with
eyes bedewed with tears and hearts,
throb'ing with patriotism, to enter the
camps OF in Struction, make the long
marches and ,ngage in the fierce con,
llcts' OF battle. 1t brings into review
Tn, ssembling of mighty armies, their
tolisome marches, the sickness and suf-
ring III &. .!ps, the thousands of
ok rmiah' . III battles, participated in
by hundreds OF thousands of brave men,
the suif rim: Of the wounded, and the
great nom 'cr Who fell on each side as
martyrs i" ,!Irir patriotic devotion to
the causes they believed to be ripht
and just, in the greatest war of modern
lin " IA" in which hundreds o,
thous"nde Ut b"ave men lost their lives,
ana "h'ch left to the future q vast
army 81 r'u"rning widows and children
anu surro"lry relatives and friends,
ana when ra :sed the sacrifice of bill
hons ut ollars' worth of property.
ana 1T calls up our remembrance of
the great labor and sacrifices of our no.
Die women in caring for the children
ana aged at homo, and In preparing
and sending to the armies clothes and
1ood for thei" loved ones, and in min
istering to the sick and wounded in the
hospitals.
THE QUESTION OF SLAVERY.
From early times there were those
who questioned the rightfulness to
slavery, possibly without sufficient con
slderatlon OF the character of the diff
ferent races uf apeople. This feeling
grew first " tn the phi!anthropic and
religious classes until at last it was
sel%ed upon by political demagogues as
an indiv idu,l method Of political agita
tlon and declamation by office. seekers.
1t grew until mobs, Legislatures and
courts repudiated the constitutional
provisions and the laws or Congress and
the occasions OF the supreme court of
the u ulted tAtes, which protected
slavery in the States where it existed,
and required the rendition of slaves
when they escaped in other States
The agitation Of this question gathered
in strength and violence until it result
cd N 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 inoiting tho negroes
to a war of races. And because he was
lawfully arrested and convicted and
hung by the authorities Of the State of
Virginia for levying war on the State,
in an effort to bring about horrid war
between the negroes and whites, many
OF the Northern churches were draped
In mourning and many Of the Northern
people applauded his efforts and culo-
glZed this felon as hero and martyr.
This was followed by the nomin alton
and election of a purely sectional anti
slavery ticket for president and vice
president Of the United States, and
during the Congress, which immed-
lad NO
Southern States, thirty odd mea -ures
OF compromise we're introduced in one
or the other branches of Congress. in
hope OF securing the adoption Of q poll
cy by which tho union of the States and
the rights OF the States and of the peO
pic could be preserved and war pre-
vented. Each of these propositions of
compromise w8s Introduce either by a
Southern man or by a Northern Demo.
orat, 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-
tectlon of the rights Of the States OF
OF the people on the enforcement of the
provisions OF constitution and the laws
of the United States. Gould any peo.
pie have subm itted to all this who
were worthy of liberty and good gov
ernment?
TO VINDICATE THE TRUTH Oh HISTORY
You must understand that ! do no,
make this recital for the purpose of re
moving the prejudices and passions OF
the past, but only for the purpose Of
showing to our children and to the
world that the ex COnfederates were
not responsible for the existence OF
African slavery in this country, and
wero not responsible for the existence
OF tho great war which resulted from
the agitation OF that qucstido, and that
they wore neither traitors nor rebels
Comrades, by the laws of nature
oan at most be with you but q few years
longer, and feel 1t to be my duty t.
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, an(