The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-01
HEROES OF RECONSTRUCTION.
Y,raits Of Southern Character Developed by
the War.
Ne1Us a'ad Courier.

cent entertainment given IN CHera"
by the Daughters Of the Confederacy
forthe benefit Of CampJ. 3. Kershaw,
u. C. ", the feature Of the occasion
was an address by Chief Justice Nc
@Iver, Of the Supreme Court OF South
Carolina.
Judge McIyer said, in substance :
ssIn the few remarks which | shall
make this evening I propose to depart
from the beaten track usually followed
on such occasions as this, and, instead
Of indulging in any "reminiscences OF
the war between the States, | shall
call attention to some traits Of the
Southern character which were devel-
oped and brought out, in bold relief,
by the results of the war. 1t may not
be amis to consider in the first place
what was the true character and real
object of the war. 1t was not a. civil
war in any proper sense OF those
words. It certainly was not war OF
rebellion against government constl-
tuted for certain specified purposes
and properly exercising the powers
with which it was invested. Neither
was it war for conquest, an example
Of which we have recently had, though
disguised under the hypocritical pre-
tence Of humanitarian. Nor was 1T
war for the preservation OF the lnstl-
tuition Of slavery, as some people lg-
norantly and enormously suppose. On
the contrary, the contest, fearful as it
proved to be in its results, was waged
for the sole purpose Of preserving the
right Of local self-government guaran-
teed aud secured (as it was vainly sup
posed) by the compact into which the
thirteen sovereign and independent
States entered when the existing Fed
eral Government was originally formed
bv the free will and consent OF those
States, upon conditions distinctly de-
clared and set forth in the instrument
of union called the Constitution OF the
United States. When. therefore, in
the progress Of time, by the increasing
wealth and power Of one section Of
this great country at the expense OF
another section, owing to circumstan-
ces. Of which time will not permit
even passing notice, these conditions,
designed to secure the sacred right OF
local self-government-a right abso-
lutely essential TO the very existence
Of republican government-were
ruthlessly disregarded for the pur-
pose Of satisfying an ever,incrcaslng
greed for gain, no other recourse was
left for the weaker section but an ef-
fort to separate from those who, 10
utter violation Of the limitations OF
the Constitution, designed solely for
the protection Of the rights Of the
minority, were trampling upon those
rights; and when the stronger section
took up arms to prevent peaceful
separation, every instinct Of manhood,
and every impulse Of true patrlotlsm'
demanded that the Southern people
should likewise resort to the ultimate
arbiter cf nations. Although, from
the outset, some regarded the contest
as hopeless, yet the unainching valor
ard the unwavering fortitude with
which it was waged by our people un-
til brushed under the mere weight OF
numbers, backed by the resources OF
the civilized world, will always afford
material for some Of the brightest
pages Of history, and will always fur
nish the highest evidence OF the
splendid character Of the Southern
people, who, for four long years, main
tained one Of the greatest and most
destructive wars recorded in history,
under the most adverse circumstances
and with ever weakening resources,
solely in defence of their principles.
No more brilliant example of the truest
manhood and highest patriotism can
be found on the pages Of history.
Turning from the recollection of the
splendid traits Of character displayed
by the Southern people during the
war. let us contemplate for moment
the conduct Of the Southern people
after the disastrous termination Of the
the war. It must be remembered that
while all wars are attended with, and
followed by, results of the most dis
tressing and ruinous character, such
as the destruction Of property, the IN
terruption and sometimes the paraly-
sis Of business relations Of the coun-
try, the privations and sufferings OF
the non-combatants, and, above all,
by the loss Of human life, yet the war
in which the Southern people were
engaged in defence Of their principles