Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1901-12-05

To TIE Survivors Association Of tire
Lamar Rifles at their Third an
nuil siegnion on Thanksgiving Day.
Nov. 18th, 1901.
COMRADES AND FRIENDS: As
Chairman OF your Historical Com
mittee Il gives me great pleasure
To- meet yOH on this occasion.
Forty years ago a gay company
II youths went forth from this
town arrayed in bright uniforms
and inspired BY ~ pure a spirit
Of patriotism a. ever filed the
breast Of Spartan band. Their
friends ard relatives we're there To
bid them goodbye and God speed.
The distinguished Statesman and
orator Lamar. from whom tins
company took its ndme. was pres-
eni. and IN a few well chosen
words spoke the farewells for the
crowd Of friends assembled. Dur.
ing the Progress CT tie war was
OFTEN reminded Of the prnphetic
accuracy Of one sentence. tu that
brief fare we'll speech. and / have
never forgotten u. Il was This .
ioGng men, yen are rot rnfet
on a holiday excursion. flr I b.
lieve yon viii see hard service
0nd serioGs work The tufdfl-
ment OF this prophecy i fully at
tested by the records which Ne
have of The four years which the
L-imar Rifles served in the war
oet@eea the States.
With the pleasure which this
occasion brings. there Is a touch
81 sadness as We miss MANY a
miiiar trees- and a. We observe
the marks which time = surely
making on the faces and for.gs OF
all. As one very beautifully ex
irrS>es It. aItumual marks one
may see on many Of his friends.
silver threads are IN the hair and
beard. or the crown Is bare, Is
tree tops when the leaves have
fallen. Your friend does not leap
the fence or spring into the saddle
as be once did His eve ciasses
nave become d Necessity. and
when be reads he draws nearer To
the window Life = stronger aat!
richer. though the eolOrs are not
20 gay. Intelligence i wider. iatg
meEt = better balanced. Thugs
are seen IN just proportion. He
has come 10 a maturer manhood.
much OF the harvest has been
gathered frOR the fields he work
ed aud IN character and trained
ttcuirIes have beeA stored tie best
things the world had for hin. IL
Ougat 10 be true With u all. that
when the autgmnai Signs gather.
iLat We have come To oar D =
'ays- 80 l0ng As memory Is left
ID Is We cannot forget tie COM
rades who shared With Is tA-
hardships of a sQ-1-@sss fife IN
camp or % r.e march. and ghn
toUchess elbows With u IN man 8
,<ryfng sItus ions many Of them
steep IN Hevaown graves. Win
our 44st ors.z.r. - VII sag al
eonor To theR memory and peace
~ the dust of 0ar own dead he
rOes. We believed re were rigar
then aat everybody else i lis
covering that We Mere. Even
those highest in lie councils OF
Ne nation have sid that the gov-
-rumeat should care for al lie
graves m84e by the civil war.
l confidently believe that q
sure a. Truth : eternal that thu
History which vii be accepted
aud stand for ali time will fully
TIudic.ste the South tor all her
acts from '6I to 6J. Rebels II
deed. there were l0Re IN the
South and never nave been. We
knew our rights aud dared 10 main
tain them ahd when cur nag was
flried u AppoIItt0x. Il was to
Overwhelming numbers. without
surreadering any principle what
ever.
Loyalty commands our admira
tim wherever discovered. vhefh
er II BE- loyalty % church, to state.
10 friend 20 loved oEes. To master
or whatever the object. It Is the
same admirable trait. Tie war
between tie states brought out
and made prominent this traIt IN
all classes of Southern sOcietg.
lnd made It possible To prO.ore
the unequal Struggle for four
lars Il was expected that our
men would be true and loyal AID
sady y make any sacrifice for
Tie cause, bEt they were exceIIed
y Ogr noble women IN their IN
parallel devotion. They sent
fAeIr husbands. sons. brothers ant
overs 10 The from. ami or their
encourage ment kept them there
a spine If all discourage ments
aud dIse0mtgrts. and in spite 81
overa AelmnIng numbers the war
was prolonged because of this
home I1ias hee on the rank and
lie Of uar army. Then TOO, with
are exceptions. tho slaves We're
val - their masters and his in
teresEs, although their freedom
was tie prize al stake.
\ Baltimore paper says: -Of
that Southern girl Of long ago |
write IN reverence. Her beauty.
her virtue. her tenderness, her
her loyalty To her OWE are
herirages of every man who knew
her in the flesh. or knows her BY
tradition There was fine strong
stuff n her She vas nObly eOH-
slant. I am not old. vet l remSu-