The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-08-14
THE GREAT SPEECH
OF A GEORGIAN.
4 FINE PICTURE OF THE
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.

His Departure for the War De
scribcd and His Return From
Bloody Fields to Peaceful Pur
suits.
The speech of Hon. James w. Aus
tin, of Atlanta, was one of tho fines
features Of the reunion, and is as fol
lows
A distinguished bishop Of tho Moth
o,list church tells tho story OF sn i'm
pccunious old lady who was engaged in
the infant industry Of raising chickone
for revenue only, and who, to reduce her
expenses and enlarge hor profits, hit
upon the novel idea OF mixing sawdust
with tho bran which sho fed to her
fcathercd tribe. Observing that the un-
suspcclng fowls readily ato. and ap-
pcarcd to thrive on, their mixed dict,
the thrifty old damc began to lcsscn tho
uuantity Of bran and increase tho pro-
portion Of sawdust until finally tho old
lady believed that She had struck a
bonanza in the chicken business. After
a time, however, ono Of her hons, which
had been nourishod on this sawdust
regime, took TO the nest and in the due
course Of natural incubation hatchod out
brood, but when the good damo went
out to examine and count her little pets,
she found that Of tho five chickens tho
old hen had brought of. four Of tho lot
had wooden legs and the other WAS q
wOodpcckCr.
Whatever may be the result Of the
speech which am scheduled to hatch
ont on this occasion, | can say to tho
old soldiers whom sec before me that
from the day | slipped ont Of South
Carolina cradle to this good hour, have
f..l ,l,,, 4 ,l,,lt, , a
milk Of the gospel OF Southern scnti
mcnt my heart has been warmed at the
fires Of undying devotion to Southern
memories and Southern traditions, and
that ] have never yet been fed and,
thank God, never shall be on the misGr-
able sawdust OF false history and vile
slandcr which would impugn the eter.
nal justice aud the absolute right OF the
cause for which you fought, or detract
one iota from the splcndor OF your re
nown and from that magnificent legacy
OF honor which you carved cut with
your swords on y hundred battle fields
TO leave as continuing and imperish-
able inheritance to your children and
your grandchildren 3 children, and can
and DO further assert and maintain tha,
the Southern horn boy who can look un.
moved on these battle SCARED survivor,
Of Thousand times tho noblcst army tha
ever took the field, was raised on saw
dust, and is rs destitute OF scntimcn
and barren OF soul as red strcakcd
loDg'billed, yellow headed wOodpccker
Veterans, as | stand here to-day
rcYcrently in this presence and look out
with sorrowfui eyes on the empty sleeves
and crippled forms before meas | gaze
with love in my heart on your bronHcd
ana Wrinklcd faces, | can feel the spirit
form Of fancy stealing softly to my side,
ana dcftly touching with her magic
hngers my trembling cycllds cndow mt
with u vision through which can see
the tide of years roll backward. can
see the scenes OF other and Of older days
pass IN review before me and as | look
upon thosc moving pictures OF the past
There comes voice that awakene my
soul
IL is The voice Of years that arc gone--
!hey roll before me with Ieir dceds" u.
rancy IiitB hcr wand, and 10! co,
sec your gray hairs turn again to black
/ can scc the burrows on your time worr
laces one by ono fade out and on you
checks the rosy glow Of youthful Vigo
flush and burn. | can see your cmpt,
sleeves fill cut with tho stalwart limb
of lusty young manhood. l can see 70,
stand out before mo the samo bright
eyed, lion.hcartcd, strong and handsOm
boys you were when wars rude tocsi
soundcd out it's loud alarum. And or
the echo OF the call to arms has die
away, l can hear your answer. Read,
my country summons and | give m
all !"
can sec you tho same stalwart an
handsome sons Of tho South as yo
march away to battle. l can see yo
leave the happy homo, the old hon,
where your cycs first saw the light {
day, the old homo down on tho farm
where you hunted tho foy, the opossul
and the coon, tho home around who's
do"rstep in boyish sport you pitchc,
your horseshoe quoits, played leapfrog
marbles, mumblcrcg and townball; til
nome around whose ample fircsid
WIN us blazing logs where on winte
nuts and roasted your sweet nota
toes in the glowing embers; tn
old nome at whose hoarthstone /
thc golden long ago you knott an
Hsped with childish lips the prayer yo
said at the knee OF that dear form tn,
looks down on you today from beyon
the stars with that samo unqucnchab
and unsearchablo love.
1eS, can 500 you, veterans, take yOl
leave OF the old homo. can soc you
you go of up tho road, turn back an
little group on tho piazza, or clustere
at the gate. | can 500 your old blac
nanny around whose neck your bah
arms had often twined, standing to on
SIDE wiping hor eyes with her red bar
dana. can see the old grandfather, to
feeble to stand, seated In his splitbo
toned chair, leaning heavily on his cane
but vigorously waving his high h It t.
you over the banister in last fare well
can see the fond mother leaning OF
inc stronger shoulder Of your sister
straining her dear old eyes through ho
glasses to rivet one last lingering, iovin,
iook on her departing boy, but though
noatI @ was heayy as death itself, dom
you remember, veterans, how she and sis
sot, ana sweetheart bockoncd you on, tt
20 on and how they waved you for
ward with something like this lexhibit
ing lndy's hsndkerchief the frs,
nag maga g or tho Confederacy-cvcn as tho
scaidlng tears ran down their cheeka
inc holiest drops Of consecrated na,rio
tism that ever fell from mortal cyesl