The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-05-22
BENNETTSVILLE, S. d

days Of 'Gl and '65, and you are here,
also, my friends, to attest the fact
that when the God Of BATTLES decided
against you, in good faith you accepted
that decision.
The great privilege, the distingu-
ishcd honor, has been conferred upon
Inc of welcoming you to this city, in
behalf Of the people Of this State.
Let me say to you that, although, 1
welcome you gladly, heartily and low
ingly, that you need no welcome to
this, your own capital. You need no
welcome here because Columbia is
yours it belongs to you and may
add that there is no spot of ground in
South Carolina Or in the south to
which you arc not welcome There is
no patriot heart in our grand and
glorious commonwealth COM
monwcalth which produced such men
as yOurselves-thatd does not beat with
pride at the remembrance OF your
deeds, and which does not gladly vel
come you to home and fireside. In
the years gone by you shed imperish-
able honor and lustre upon your be-
loved State, and gratitude and love
from its people Is yours foreycrmorc.
as you gather each year ut your re-
unions your ranks are growing thin
ncr-yOur heads are growing whittier,
and your footsteps more iniirm One
by one the private is again following
his communicating now to The field
of battle, but to the great reward.
Since last you met in this city in
your annual reunion, another great
I ipff ff,,st, 1,,t Il r
your quiet churchyartl, under the dome
OF the capitol which he saved: beneath
Confederate flags and flwers fair.
sleeps Wade Hampton. That spirit
of his which was your inspiration III
the hour of battle, and your hope in
Tie days Of rec0nstruction, thrills,
know, your hearts today, rs we pause
to do him reverence. Peace to his
ashes, Carolina's great captain!
a WARM WELCOME.
| welcome every South Carolina
son OF Il veteran | welcome every
fair sponSor-and the women OF The
Confcdcracy, you arc welcome. vel
comc--lh Thrice 'wclcomc
l welcome you ttuyou Ccurgians
right gladly do welcome you to
South Carolina. Shoulder with our
brave boys you stood, when those old
guns Of yours flashed forth in,defcnse
OF southern rights. When the bat
tie was tercest you stood by the sides
OF Carolinians as you stand by their
sides Today. You too were soldiers of
the Southern Confcdcracy what
more can he said:
That you fought well and bravcly.
too, and held your country dear;
We know, else you had ntver beea IL
Georgia volunteers"
/ What an impressive scene is this!
we stand here honoring and wclcom-
ing the living, while yon- slIcltJ nUuu-
mcnt commentaries the dead
1t is the history OF tic world that
when Il war is over it is the victors
who build triumphant arches, honor
their great generals and their con-
Qucring tr0ops-that the vanquishcd
erect no monuments to commemorate
their defeat. The south is an cxcep-
tion to this rule. Today there is
scarcely cemetery, from the blue
mountains OF Virginia TO the brown
and far-strctching plains of Texas, in
which sleep the Confederate dead,
where there is not to be found some
monument, though it be only Il simple
shaft, erected by poor but loving
hands, upon which are engraved words
which declare that the people Of the
south honor the men who fell in de-
feat, valiantly battling for Il principle,
just us much as any nation ever hon
orcd her sons who fell in victory.
And those monuments have been
erected by the women Of the south.
1t is needless for South CarOlinians
ever to ask what has woman done for
The State what has she done for her
country what has she done to nur-
ture patriotism? We know too we'll
we know that more than anything
else 1t has been our women, who
Since the days OF old,
Have kept The lamp Of chivalry
Alight in hearts or gold"
GREAT DEEDS OF ARMS.
1t was by their inspiration, and for
their sakcs that great deeds Of arms
have been wrought by Carolina S sons,
not only upon the soils Of South Caro-
lima, but in other States, in foreign
lands and upon distant seas. And
when these sons returned, whether in
victory or in defeat, when they laid
thcirarmor by, they could always rest
assured that their bravery, their sac
riiccS, their priyations would be COM
mcmoratcd by the women of South
Carolina that the women would see
To 1T that postcrity should know of all
they had done through enduring brass
and imperishablc marble The hero
ism OF the Confederate soldier has
found no truer historian than the wo-
men Of the Confcderacy, who suffered
SO much while he fought SO we'll
Those old ragged gray caps OF yours
can find no more loving clstodians
than the fair daughters of you, men,
who wore those caps.
And now let me add, may your lives
be spared to lis for long years to come.
We need you, and SIC want you. Your
lives have not been spared in vain
They have hccn. and ever vii! be, an
inspiration TO those among whom you
live, pointing the young manhood OF
The south upward to higher and TO
holicr things. You, men, who defend
ed the rights or south, did all that ex-
altcd and patriotic manhood could do,
and as long as the south llunors chiv-
airy and holds M trintiS,p 6pnr. So