The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-07-05

come within the compass of oul
thoughts today? Why not? TIL,
old army is one. The date, place o.
IN amer Of death can cut no figure
We may 60 still further and fnd
comfort in the thought that the unity
and solidarity of the army embrace
both the living and the dead or ra her
The living and the dying. l suppose
| lo'k today into the face of many a
man who before another reunion will
have passed to his reward and an
swer to The roll call in that army that
will never disbaud. In these re-
unions of the remnants our first and
bost impulse is to give thanks to the
giver of all good for the good ex-
ample of hose who, having flushed
their work, are resting uLder thc
shade waiting for the rear guard.
The rosters of the amy d. not dis
close the names IF all those fr whose
good example we arc thankful. 1t
Is impossible fr US to forget the
mothers, wives, sisters aud daughters
ofthese men. Their story has never
been written, their s"ng never sung.
If ever it comes it will be high epic.
The Confederate women made it
impossible for the war to be a short
one. They supplied whatever was
lacking to make not only possible but
necessary the prolongation of the
8 ruggle' to its bitter end. She
mounted the seat of authority in her
home She directed its affairs as
never before. She made herself muv-
ter as she was already mistress. In
a large part she supplied the armies
with food and clothing. She set the
spinning wheels to slnging and the
10 ms to beating reveilEe. When
through the exhau- -tion of raw ma.
trrial she could 10 longer send home.
made blankets. She rified her home
of its carpets, she robved her children
of their bedding, giving up whatever
,lse could make comfortable the
soldiers in the field or hospitaltto
make it possible for him to fight on
the great battles of the war. With
out her aid that could never have
been done.
l am profoundly Impressed with the
conviction that much Of the credit
which belongs of right to the Con-
fedcrAte women has been withheld
from her, and through mistaken sen
timent given to the negro. The man
away from home, only the women and
children left-left to the tender
mercies of the black man, and the
word goes out that he was very mcr>
ciful, faithful and dutiful, he was in
his degree. The truth is these he
had to be. He went on living the
only life he knew anything about, The
life that is of complete suhjec'ion to
authority.
Whatever slavery means, it means
precisely that authority requi' ed good
behavior and busy hands under the
direction of head. True the master
was not there. the Young master was
hot there, the young master was also
at the front, but no matter for that
there was ole mistess or young
mlstess who gave the orders which
had to he obeyed just the same. |
think itany one in III 'se days through
motives Of philanthropy had taken
the average negro aud c,unselled him
to forbearence and geutleness towards
his own white folks s'-his master $
family he would have failed utterly to
make himself understood. No thought
other than being respectful and obe-
dient had ever come into his mind.
The mistress was there; she was au
thority. She was also power, moral
power, which is greater than physical
power. Even had it been otherwise,
the results would have been prac-
tically unchanged. The physical
power was never 40 far away but
that day of reckoning close at hand
might reveal the fine steel Of "A swift
descending retr,bu,ion. The women
knew that and had the faith to trust
it, the begro knew it and had not the
nerve to challenge it.
uarper's Weekly of the period o
the John Brown raid has IA cartoon
representing Brown full of the fire O
enthusiasm of the crazy reformer ht
was extending a pike to negro "nt
bidding him take it and follow in rh,
fiyht { r his freedom. The face o