The Van Buren press., 1900-06-23

nominated compact with hell and thi;
party openly declared its intention tc
disregard the constitutional provisions
regarding slaves. This party came into
power; the South took alarm and lost
all hope of relief within the union.
Some of the States, parties to the com
pact, had violated Its plain provisions in
matters vitally affecting the interests OF
the Southern States, those States, there.
fore, rs they thought and as Webster
had declared, were no longer bound by
it, and 1t now became a question oil
whether it was more expedient to go or
to stay, to suffer the evils they had or
fly to others they knew not Of. They
thought that peaceable secession was
their remedy, that they had never grant.
ed the right away and that, therefore, II
was reserved to them and to the people,
in the express terms of the constitution
itself. New England had claimed the
right and we'll nigh asserted it in the
war of 1919 when she fancied that her
shipping interests were being impertlled
by the policies of the United States gov
ernment, and again in 1903 and In 1s46
did the North hold out the threat Of
secession to prevent the large increase
of slave territory by the purchase of
Louisiana and the accession of Texas.
But whatever doubts any Southern
men may have had as to the right OF
secession or the expediency of resorting
to 1t, when the State to which they owed !,
as they thought primary allegiance, and
which was State perhaps before there
was any United States, decided to with
draw from the union, they thought no
other step was left them consistent with
honor but b 90 with their State.
And 80 thought Gen. Lee. He was
opposed to secession and he detested
slavery but when Virginia adopted her
ordinance of secession he bowed In
humble submission to her will. Do we
fully appreciate the magnitude Of the
sacrifice that this grand man had to
maker For thirty years he had borne
honorable service in the United States
Army; be had been superintendent of
the Military Academy at West Point !;
he was the idol Of the army and the pet
of its commander in chief and he had
offered to him the command Of all the
United States armies would he consent
to lead them against his native State.
Think Of the immensity Of the tempt.
alton He knew the vast resources OF
the North and foresaw the outcome of
the struggle. Never was man 80 tempt.
ed never did he more nobly Withstand
temptation. Then, indeed, could be
reverently and truthfully said of Robert
E. Lee He chose rather to suffer
afiliction with the children Of God than
to enjoy the pleasures Of sin for
season. F" May God grant unto each one
of us In our hour Of greatest temptation
to attain as near as may be unto the
moral grandeur of this transcendent
man. Let us cherish the memories Of
men who chose as he chose; who did
the right as God gave them to see the
right and counted not the cost. They
are worthy our most fragrant flowers,
our most holy, most sacred tears, May
our last day be as glorious as theirs
may we, when we have all crossed over
the river, rest like Jackson under the
shade of the trees,
My brothers, my sisters, let as honor
these poor old veterans that are for q
brief season with us, those last survivors
of those thin grey lines--growing thin.
ner day by day-which for four years,
half fed and half clad, without money
and without price, followed where duty
showed the way and performed prodigies
of valor that outshine even the deeds
done at Austerlitz and Lodi They will
leave us a priceless heritage; let us
guard it as the apple Of our eye Let us
be tender and true to them and let us be
able to say when the last Of them shall
go to hts eternal camping. ground, -
"The monarch may forget the crown that on his
brow an hour hath been;
The bridegroom may forget the bride was made
his weddol wife yestreen;
The mthcr may forget the BARN that smiles
sac sweetly on her knee.
But well ncer forget our soldier dead and oil
that they have beon to US"