The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-03-09
What is d Confederate yeieran2

The definition of a Confederate yet
eran has been very concisely and beauti-
fully given by Judge r. j.. Rodgers.
the gifted historian of the &. V. A., OF
Fulton county, Georgia, as follows:
I'm taking an account of ourselves
as Confederate veterans we need not
speculate about the facts before the
war. A Confederate veteran was not
fact before the war. We frequently
hear the things which existed before
The war;
''SOme people were rich before the
war. Some people were slaves before
the war. Some men were born and
lived before the war who are living
yet. There were governors senators,
judges and militia majors but never
was Confederate veteran before the
war.
"A Confederate veteran is to-day
unique figure in life, and will ever be
unique in history.
Unique? Yes, sir; that Is the single
word which may define him, signifying
incompatible alonei
Nothing else, and nobody else on
earth to day is like Confederate vet
eran. He is an evolution OF a revolu-
ton relic of the Lost Cause
I'm the sorrows and ruins of his de-
feat lie stands like Napoleon, grand.
gloomy and peculiar. though the vet
eran is not BY any means fossil.
"A Confederate veteran to-day is a
III.
events. Coming as result or pro-
duct of he war, he is grand in his
heroic courage, gloomy in defeat and
wreck of fortune, and peculiar in being
solitary in his own generation. Hav-
lug no predecessor of his kind. he like
wise can have no successor.
IA Confederate veteran is a rank
and position of distinction 1t is an hon
or which no power on earth can take
away.
Confederate veterans are one by
one passing away, and as each goes
ont we gather ut the bier to give a
final farewell, to drop tear as we
listen to the dull thud of the clods up
on the coffin. and are reminded OF the
fact that we are one less in our num-
bers.
Fewer and fewer they become as
we leave them in their graves. and we
feel sad TO contemplate that soon the
last one must go from earth, and then
there can never be another .Confed-
erale veteran.
"The last one must be the last of the
kind, Holding firmly and eonscien-
tiously as we do yet to the correctness
Of the principles for which we fought.
in our defeat there must ever be with
us shadow of that heavy sorrow
which never fitting. still is sitting,
still is sitting, in GU: households; but
We may take such consolation IN our
Lost Cause as we may find in prais-
ng the yalor and cherishing the men,
,ries of those who died to make it
,ther wise, and realizing to conscious
ness in those who yet live of having
lone their duty as we'll and as fully as
hey could
Giving honor to whom honor is
iue, too much praise cannot be given
o our braves who died in the din of
battles, yielding up dear life as holy
acrifice TO the principles of freedom
or which they contended aud in which
hey honestly and conscientiously be-
ieved they were right
AYE. indeed they were right! It
vas the right they dared to defend and
maintain. and for which they died
with an approving conscience,
called with their blood, and sanctioned
n high heaven.
oh. If there be on this sphere
A boon. an offering heaven holds dear,
Tis the last ibatiou Liberty draws
From the heart that bleeds and breaks in
her cause
LOST CAUSE.