The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-18
THE CONFEDEIsATE SOLDIER.
An Eloquent Picture of the Men
Who Fought at Chickamauga.

An Eloquent Picture of the Mon
Who Fought at Chickamauga.
The handsome monument erected on
the battle field by tho State Of Georgia
To commemorate the deeds Of it's sons
who fought at Chickamauga was
dedicated on the 4th inst. The orator
OF the OCCASION was Mai. j. g. g. Black
OF Augusta, and from his notable address
we & i've hero with gem Of oratory in
which hc describes with beauty and
p"thos the record and achievements of
tho Confederate soldier
IhiS mOnumcnt-no monument, Ia
needed To pcrpctuato tho record Of tho
Conicdcratc soldier. Tho most endur.
lnS work OF human hands may perish.
Ihnt record shall live. 1t shall live
IN history and poetry, in song and
hctlon. That story, brief as it is, 50
orle' that measured by time it l.
scarcely syllab in tho great volume
o' human events, Is the heritage OF the
world. The glory OF his sutferings
ana achievements belong to mankind
10 shall not bc diminished by the lapse
OF years, nor is it tarnishod by tho
cause which inspired him. Let it bo
stated again and reiterated, until the
truth Is acknOw lodged, that he did not
90 10 war 10 pcrpctuatU human slavery.
itoarcd IN tho pursuits Of pcace, hc
was not a prof, SsiOnnl, but u citizen
soldier. Sordid gold neither briocd
nor tempted him. No merccnary
motive prompted or sustained him.
Neither the glory nor spoils Of con-
quest fired his ambition. The lame
that burned in his breast was kindlcd
upon lis country's altar, and his costly
| |oilcrlnEs OF sacrifice and suiTcrings-
OF life and fortuuc-wcre laid on his
country s shrine. Ho was No traitor.
ne diu aot take 6p arms to oppose
either the form Or principles Of the
govcrnmcnt--fOr these wero preserved
IN tho supreme law OF tho now Con-
icdcracy. uc was not disloyul to the
Union under tho constitution. He
loved with devotion tho principles
upon which that Union was founded,
as embodied in that constitution, and
nc cherished it with inherited dcvo-
tlon. FOR his ancestors had kept faith
with every purpose for which it was
established. 1t WAS ordained "to form
a moro perfect Union"-their blood
had ccmentcu the foundations Of that
Union, and no work on that magnifi-
cent structure WAS more polished and
enduring than that wrought by them :
:" to establish justice"-thcy had nevcr
demanded that which was not theirs
by moral and legal right, and only
asked Tor themselves what they fully
conceded TO others; to insure do
mcstic otranquilty '--thcy never
mcddlc with the domestic affairs Of
any other state; "to provide for
the common defense" in every
war on land or sea, the best and
bravest of them had carried the coun-
try's llag "to secure for ourselves and
our postcrity the blessings Of liberty /"
every protest they uttered against
rcacrai cncrOaChmCnt was in the in
terost OF the rights OF tho people and
the equality oi the States.
| Ilo rcvcrcd the Damcs anu memories
ol the fathers OF tho republic. Whv
should he not? They wore his faith
ers. He cherished with patriotic pride
tho & lorlcs OF that republic. Why
should he not? lie was akin to the
mon who had achieved them. His
| forcfathcrs, too, had fled from pcrsccu.
| ton. They, too, had helped to subduc
the savage and the wilderness, and
erect and open for all the world a new
home for freedom. lio knclt ut the
affairs on which they lit the fires of
civil and roligi ious liberty. by the
graves OF her dead, on the spot once
crlmsoncd and forever hnll0wcd bv
their blood, Georgia declares that her
sons who here fought were not traitors.
. TO the military student who NAV
! come hithcr to study tho art OF war :;
. TO the traveller who may be attracted
; mere TO visit the field OF q great buttlu;
. TO Thomcvcr may look upon it in this
and Tho generations that follow, by
This token OF pride and affection Gcor
I gla proclaims that no stain OF treason
4 dcllcs the record Of her sons who were
marshallcd on this or any other field
Covered with the wounds of war, be
gun and carried on IN defense OF grea,
principles, without Il scar OF dishoner
= our Confcderacy Icll and liberty stood
J weeping at tho grave Of her younges,
and fai"cst daughter. Our peerlcs,
military chieftaln taught us that "hu
man virtue should be equal to human
calamity,' and in s. historic institution
OF learning tho illustrious name O.
Lcc-groatcr than which was mover
written in tho annals OF war, and fit
lor sdch companionship-w Joined
with that OF Washington. Our great
civil loader, sustained by conscious re-
ctltudo, in digniiicd silence, in ma jestic
patience, stood amidst tho ruins of
hopes he had most ardcnty cherished
ana Taught us that human virtue could
DC equal to human calamity!