Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-05-11
THE LOST CAUSE.

In the oity of Charleston, South Caro-
lima, tho first State to sccode from tho
Union, are assembled this week thou
aands of thoso who, from 1851 to 1865,
faced shot and shellin defence of princi-
: Piles of freedom dear to tho heart The
flag which. thoy followed was fnrlcd at
Appomattox, and since then its folds
have been only mute embloms of tho
"Lost Cause" For four years tho most
fearful war in history was wagcd, the
continent trembled under tho tread of
armed hosts, as tho Caucasian of tho
North and the Caucasian Of tho South
mot in deadly array. 1t was n conflict
between the mnstnr spirits of tho samc
great race, death graprle among giants.
1t was brother. going to war against
brother, each inspired with a spirit of
patriotism and devotion to principles
which, owing to widely different onvi
ronments, were honestly conceived and
reduced to practice.
The conflict had become irrcprcssiblc.
The intellectual giants of the former
generation had spent their forces in vain
in the halls of Congress and councils of
State The war of words had ragged fast
and furious at times for some thirty
years between tho two schools which in.
sti'led diametrically opposite construc-
tions of tho Federal Constitution. Tho
great triumvirato, Calhoun, Clay and
Webster, exhausted their energies in at
tempting to solve tho wcighty problem
of stateoraft, but PASSED of tho stage of
action and slept with their fathers, lcav-
ing tho burden Of rapidly accumulating
weight to DO taken up by those Of
weaker hands and smaller minds. After
their eXit ten years of elimination and
reorimination suf1iccd to find the whole
Union ablaze with tho warliko spirit.
Nothing short Of All appeal to tho arbit-
rament of the sword would suffice. Tho
blood ran hot and hotter still, until the
dogs of war worc loosed. Tho de was cast,
the Rubicon was crossed, and for four
long, weary years tho flower of the youth
anu manhood OF the South and the North
bivouackcd on the bloody field.
But at last the appeal to the sword
was settled, and final decision lad, SO
far ss policy of government, or a
point of tho bayonct. The decision was
adverse to tho Confederate States, and
Notwithstanding the incaculablc loss of
blood and treasure, tho decision was ac-
copied in good faith by tho people Of the
South who, having fought to the last
ditch and across it, bowed to the ;ncvi-
table, when their depleted ranks could
no longer stand against the ovcrwhclm-
lug number Of their enemy. Rut it was
an honorable defeat, not one jot or little
of self-rcspect was lost, and every sur
vivor can stand up to-day and proudly
challenge tho world to witness the glory
and prOwess Of the "BOys in Grey" and
render jnst tribute Of praise to the
memory Of those brave sons of the
Southland who offered up their lives as
willing sacrifice on tho altar of the
"Lost Causo.' Their deeds will furnish
rich material for future historians, and
their valor will live in story and in song.
God forbid that tho day should ever
come when they would forgotten be.
Sooner let the tongue be palscd and the
right hand forget it's cunning All
homage, respect and reverence to their
memory.
And this will never rctard tho progress
of the present nor impede the discharge
of duty. 1t is sometimes said that NEW
South is being ushercd in upon us; that
tlo OLD South, with its traditions and
memories, is no longer equal to the
duties Of the present hour. Away with
such stuff ! The past is sacred, and dc
votion to duty mover dies. Our future is
propitious, but the golden opportunities
must DO embraced by men who owe ale
glance to principle, and have the courage
to 90 forward in the fearless discharge
OF duty regardless of consequences to
themselves. In short, the spirit of de-
votion to manifest duty which was dis
played by our fathers in the sixties,
must still abide with their sons on the
ushering IN Of tho twentieth century, if
they would achieve tho iighost, brightest
and best within their reach. The oppor
tunities afforded to-day arc different to
those Of forty years ago, but these new
opportunities arc freightod with new
responsibilities. "Rcsponsibility," said
Lord Lytton. "that HEAVIEST word in
all our language" "Duty,' said Robert
e. Lee, in still higher strain, "that
NoBLEsr word in all our language"
The SONS of those who followed the
fortunes of war are now fighting a peace
full battle in tho marts of trade and com
merce, in industrial pursuits, in the
workshop and in tho field. In this battle
1t scoills chat tho God OF nature is on our
side. There can be no question that tho
natural advantages of the South are
superior to thoso Of tho North. With
their full development will come natu-
raj supremacy. In tho manufacture of
cotton tho Southern mills arc fast wrcst-
ing the prestige from tho mills of New
England. This is only one of many i'll
stances in which VIC are blessed in mato-
rial things. The strides already made
by tho South since the war arc the won
der of tho ago. Let us provo truo to tho
sacred traditions and memories Of the
past, in war and in peace, and learn from
our sires and grandsirGs the lesson OF
fidelity 70 duty, and going forward ever