The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-08-13

Veterans, was held on Wednesday
Aug. 9th, in the auditorium of Chcor
College, which had been rendered fo
this purpose. Every seat IN the spacious
building was occupied when the presid
ing officer, Gen. Thos. w. Carwile, o.
Edgciield, called the convention to
order at II O'Clock. An earnest and
fervent prayer was made by Rev. j.
p. Taylor, of this city, invoking the
blessings of God upon the veterans and
their deliberations.
Hon. w. l.. Mauldln was then inA
troduced and delivered an address of
welcome on the part of The local camp
of veterans.
Mr.. b. A. Morgan, city attorney,
welcomed the veterans and other visi-
tors on the part of the citizens of
Greenville.
To these welcoming speeches the
response was made by Gen. Carwile in
brief and happy manner, after which
he Introduced the annual orator, Hon.
Robert Aldlich, of Barnwell, who was
received with much applause, and who
spoke as follows
ANNUAL GRAFTON BY COL. ALDRICII.
"Another year has come and gone
and we meet again to grasp hands that
have never faltered, to look into eyes
that have never faded and to commend
the cause in which we were. inn
perilled and III which many of our fel.
lows gave up their lives; that cause
about which history has been written,
orators have spoken, poets have sung,
and yet the half has not been told nor
never will be told. Since last we met
some of our brethren have crossed
over the river, and LET us hope to rest
under the shade Of the trees of eternal
life. Some have not gone who, per-
haps 1T is not saying too much to say,
it would have been better for them If
they had gone.
al will endeavor to show you in
few words that in fighting for the
cause of the Confedcracy we were
right, in undertaking the struggle we
were wise and made no mistake and
that the greatest calamity that ever
befell this country occurred when we
did not win the victory. Our forefa-
theirs announced in 177G that all peo-
pie are entitled to he free; thai all gov
ernment rested on the consent of the
governed and when the government
became destructive for the purpose for
which il was intended the governed
had q right to throw it off. That
principle they announced to the world
aud with hcroism unsurpassed they
caused that principle to triumph.
"In 1860 we decided as it was our
right to do, that the government had
become destructive and we reat!irmed
the right which came down to us from
our forefathers to throw it off and CO.
tablish a new one. The greatest
statesman of that time, Horace Greedy,
SAID we had a right to do it. The ma
jority of the statesmen said that
whether we had the right or not they
did not intend for US TO exercise 1t.
Then it was that our State called upon
us to stand against desolation. How we
performed that duty has never been
told in full nor never will be. AS long
as the mountains stand, as long as the
rivers flow where Lee and SacksOn
fought, as long as blood and ashes con
secrate ,the soil, so long will thai
cause stand as monument to South
ern soldiers. (Applause.)
Colonel Aldrlch then referred to the
taxation of the South. The North
erners, he said, inaugurated sYsten
characterized by us as the protective
tariff system by which they took th'
greatest portion of our earnings. Thi
system made the most productive par
of the country the poorest. What i
the condition today? The total re
ceipts of this section last yea
amounted to $462, 100000. Where
it? 1t is gone TO enrich Northern
manufacturers. How did it 60
Everything that you use, everything
that the Southern planters use in tn
production of their crops is taxed from
3 TO $50 per cent. which cause
the production Of our section t
90 tosthe MOI tn. We are merely slave
to the Northern portion of this cOuI
try.
Suppose we could keep this mono
in our own quarters year after yea
In ten years from today we would b
the richest and most prosperous peop
under the sun. 1t was our right TO t
so and we fought for that right an
would have been bastards IL we ha
not. Two hundred and fifty miilio
dollars are paid out for pensions, "
pay one-third of that amonnt. Whe
/ think OF these things 1 can't agr'
with my countrymen that 1T wou
have been better to have failed. "
lad right to establish governme
for ourselves, we had just cause al
but for accidents would have succee
ed. Our failure was not for the wa
of heroism on the part of our men.
"Our cause" said Colonel Aldric
was sanctifled by the care, praye
and many tears of our glorious wom'
While every Southern soldier has do
Justice to the women in his heart
have not done justice ourselves
them. That monument to thu WON
must 90 up. (Applause.) III
don't sendin your contribution 80
Won will not have the opportunity
do 30 before crossing the river.
In speech recently heard Ca
Richard Pearson Hobson make he "a
gaveethe following as his reason "
no monument has been erected 70
women of the South; That IL all