The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-05-12

the world appIauds to-day. put IL IS
Lee as the representative Of Southern
bravery. and Southern virtue, that is
in his influence. his great name.
Why, my friends, don't let us be car
red away. but let us look back thirty
wears, when the eleven States had no
steam plants. when we were only an
agricultural people, when the eleven
Southern States were blOckaded from
Fortress Monroe to Mexico. when we
had no ships, no ammunition and no
money, completely shut out from the
rest Of the world and had only our
brave hearts to carry us through the
struggle.
NY friends, we have little fight
now, with Spain, and when told of
her small population in comparison
with the United States, what would
YOU think of our chances to win?
You would laugh and say we can run
over Spain in thirty days. Yet,
under worse circumstances than
these, we resisted for four years.
You remember that at the great bat
tie Of Bunker Hill, in 1875. General
Washington was unable to get there
and that when messenger brought
him the news that the English had
whipped the Americans, Washington
asked. How did the men stand the
fire." The reply was, They stood
t,ro fires and then retreated.n The
great man, the greatest in history,
then mildly said, Our country is
safe; we will VIM
At the first battle of Manassas the
Southern soldiers, composed largely
of Virginians and North Carolinians,
not only stood the fire but took the
battery. That was Southern cOur-
age. Yet there are men who will not
do us Justice. What would Washing
ton have said, if alive, and had been
told that the Southern soldiers not
only stood two fires, but had taken
the battery?
| might 90 on and speak for hours
and days and tell YOU of heroic deeds
in every battle that was fought. |
have given you plain facts, invincible
truths, and truths that must live in
history forever. No words | can use
would add to it. There are men here
who have read of Caesar, Napoleon,
Wellington, Phillip and Charles ",
but oh, where is the history, history
to tell us when in four years, ever
before, lived such men as r. f. Lee,
Sydney and Joseph Johnston, Stone
wall jackson, d. II. Hill, A. 2. Hill,
and then coming down to our own be-
loved State, Ramseur, Branch, our
own countvman, Daniel and Fender.
the great son OF Edgecombe? Think
Of Stuart, the gallant horseman,
going like an eagle over the noun
tains; of Hampton, God bless him.
Think of Forrest and of Walthall,
who died in Washington a few days
ago; think of the thousand of other
officers who braved death and hunger
in every shape.
You need not be told about the
struggle around Petersburg, it is re-
called to you by reading. Yet the
suffering and privation of the men
during those memorable months will
never be known and history cannot
do Justice to it. | see many of you
| saw then, during those five, long,
bitter months. You had not half
enough to eat. no shoes. no blankets,
barefooted in dark trenches, yet your
faces were smiling like the morning
and you went to battle like bride
groom to his wedding. That was
love of country, that was heroism,
lcnce of Christian courage and true
Southern bravery ever fade from our
memories? Can we cverfOrget the I'M
equal struggle? Can such deeds ever
be forgotten? You veterans should
love and cherish forever the South
and you should teach your sons and
Your grandchildren that we are a
great people, virtuous and a Chris
tian people. 1t should be shown to
the world how brave, how true and
how loyal YOU could be when you had
a cause you believed right.
Some men Will say we are proud OF
North Carolina, and | will say it
now. We are North Carolinians,
born here, brought up here, yet | can
say of Virginia, our sister State, |
love her and that l do not know, and
never intend to know, where the divid-
ing line is. but | love North Carolina
best. In 1860 her census was 992, 900
people. about two-thrds white and
one-third colored. What did she do,
this great State with $4,000 square
miles. stretching from the ocean to
the mountains with its hills and
pleasant valleys, what did she do9
How many men did she send to the
army? The record is, 125, 900 of her
sons. Did any other State do the
like? No. we sent the largest pro-
portion of any State in the South.
Now, ask, will you not love it,
stand by it and uphold it? l appeal
to YOU by the ashes of the dead and
by the souls of the living. In every
important battle. North Carolina left
her proportion of dead upon the
field. There are some who differ, |
know, but | will not dispute as to
Gettysburg, yet believe that North
Carolinians went farthest. They
were brave and true and had drawn
from their mothers bosoms the love
of the truth. You are the same men,
Ny countrymen, | wish | had the
power of Demosthenes or Cicero
to ask are YOU doing your duty in
your community. in your church and
to YOUR country?
North Carolina needs your best
efforts. No State in the Union equals
if Iou hplonr to q GREAT ppoD1a
Do not forget what YOU are, chcris h
it. live up to it. You should love
every foot of the old State. YOU should
cherish her good name. and above all
her noble daughters. Oh, my friends.
they were great in war, angels of
mercy doing deeds of love in hospitals
and going into prisons and laboring
bravelv at home. How beautiful
they were. giving up all the luXuries
s i. i, l. i