The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-05-12
RanSom'S Ringing Speech
THE GALLANT AND PATRIOTIC
OLD ER-STATESMAN
Delivers Stirring and Eloquent Ad-
dress to ex-Confederate Veterans at
Reunion and Picnic in Weldon
on Saturday, April goth.

|
"eidoh as the guests Oh Dill JON : 'on
! Camp to partake OF dinner PROVIDED
! in their honor and listen to speeches
h, Can n w Roncom and otbers
'i''i' '''e 1''N'''"' -''"' 'aAe ''''
following from synopsis Oh "eh'
Ransom's stirring and patriotic ad-
| dress. After Inducing in a few pre-
I;,,;,r,- ror,,s r., pansor sa;d.
mus n''' "'a.e IN, Z" ,io"l
III ~ '"'ces VI o", -
| HT' i've" i'' envy sI"'' ~ ''iI
| " 7o'''' q Al" ''' ''-,'
Wv i"''s aii'on5 ,o"' D|' I 1,;, ~
| ol'''N u TT ''' u ms -
So,',. - ni I'; az RI '" ,nn,h as
',ciH ''> p'J'''a n' !: "ln> VI
"n.In 9'.''' 9lI'H ''l' IN ''l0.D'o
uutho 'hat ,ihha forever III hlo'olS
ana are uhshakeh- II snail not De
-"ln' my c""h'rvineh' men OF 'he
H""th' southern S"lHlerS' that we 90
,i'l i"'' Win az our l''' - me u "'
'''.h'' u P'"P''' say 'l'S - Nv
9ec''o''a' SENSE lof we All oelon5 10
'hl9 @Ie"' Onloh' anu "h"tl "o" :
| g"oaheaa our rove anu dcEolloh shali
endure forever.
| u" you know, my 1ello" comradcS'
| that you fought the greatest battles
that ever were fought from the dawn
| 81 uihc 10 the present hour? III Is
the pride OF the Southern soldier to
say that they fought greater battles
| than the armies OF Alexander, Napol-
| con, Marlborough and other famous
leaders, and when all these shall pass
| before the Judge on HIS throne, tie
| VIII give the men OF the South 1lrst
| rank OF soldiers forever. mat IS the
| supreme truth, truth l wish you to
impress upon youl children.
| But let lis look at the facts, facts OF
not be denied. In the Confederacy
we had only II States, Virginia,
| North Carolina, south Carolina,
| HcorSIa fIorIda' Alabana' louisiana
Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas.
| Maryland, Kentucky and West Nlr-
gina were border States. There
were twenty-five States on the other
side. | looked at the census of 1860
| last night, and studied 1t we'll and
here is what | find in the 9TH census:
3l,7S5, 900 in the whole United States,
white coiored and all. This IS his
tory, ana by these lines you snail be
| judged. OF this number 22,OOO,0O0
| and eight hundred and odd thousands
were North Of Mason and Dlxon's
| line. The South had only 9'ooo,ooo,
| the North had nearly 23,oJo.0oO
ot our 9.V0o.OOJ nearly 4,OOJ,O0o were
blacks and they did not enter our
army. SO that gives us little over
| 1,OOO.OJO against their 23,OOO,O
| and with our slaves IN sympathy with
| their side. They recruited 100000
men from foreign countries and put
| 19S, 900 negroes in their army. They
recruited $4,000 from the States Of
| Maryland, West Virginia and Ken
| lucky, and they recruited 5lO.OOO from
| the Southern States.
| Now, my countrymen, these were
| the forces with which YOU entered
| the fight. They had the whole world
to recruit from, yet the war lasted
| four wears. No other people but the
| Southern people could have stood
four years against such odds, and
against such destructive agents of
modern warfare. But against all
! these wonderful appliances of modern
destruction our brave men stood for
| four years. And how many men
We're there in the Southern army?
| Only 2.S59.142 against the splendidlv
equipped army of the North. paid
and receiving $3.50, OoO,0 900 in boun-
ties.
My countrymen, don't blush for
the Southern men. and always love
the South with all your hearts and
souls. We were never conquered.
never overcome, but exhausted.
Every foot of the Southern soil was
over Iun by the Northern men, with
the exception of small strip of
country between here and Raleigh.
The Northern army covered the eleven
Southern States; like great rise Of
water they covered the land. When
everything was exhausted we were
forced to surrender, at last. and laid
down our FLAG and guns at Appomat-
toN. This is the truth | have
thought of it for thirty wears. We
are great people, and every veteran,
and sons of veterans, should thank
God for such people. That is the
record and every Southern heart
should be proud OF it.
What did Lincoln say when he was
implored by the rhilanthropists of
the North, on Bonded knees, not to
put negroes in the army to tirht
white men. 1T is the ONLY means I
have to overcome the rebels" was his
reply.
You remember when the Northern
people were all pravinr to General
Grant to exchange prisoners. For
Gods sake exchange them" they
| sniI b., i,