The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1903-09-25

5 name of the young men of America
/ in the North as well as in tile South
, / protest against the effort to maxi
> them believe that that, crime can outriya
! virtue in the greatness of its achieve
. ments and the the subiimity of it,
! sufferings.
No, my friends, it is not necessary
to the safety of the country that com
ing generations of the South should
be taught that their fathers organized
a reasonable rebellion against the
, Government. They have right tx
know that their fathers fought for q
right which belonged to them under
the Constitution. They have right
to know that the doctrine of secession
was maintained by the very ablest
publiciSts of the North as well as of
the South. They have right to know
that the very first treatise on the Con-
stitution, written be the then leader
of the Philadelnhia bar, asserted the
right Of a State to secede from the
!, Union. They have right to know
: on no less an authority than that of
Senator Lodge Of Massachusetts,, chat
the very men who framed the Consti1
Il tuition regarded it as an experiment.
and did not question the right of a
State to secede if it SC desired. They
have right to know that the very
first secession movement in this coun-
try had its origin in New England
and not in South Carolina. They
have right to know that only sixteen
years before South Carolina actually
seeded the State Of Massachusetts by
solemn act of it's Legislature threaten
ed to secede. And let me say here,
my c0untrymen, whatever else may be
said of the secession leaders it must
be said that they were bold, they were
brave. They did not want for favor
able opportunity when the nation was
weakened and distracted by foreign
war to pEg theiN Actrine to the trial
of arms @Witha courage so great that
their elgemieS 8aGaadescribed it as
sheer folly ara ny Icy chal-
leneed the power Of great nation,
vastly superior in numbers. with prac-
tically unlimited resources and I'M
limited credit. Without an army,
without navy, without munitions Of
war, without factories to supply them,
without money, without credit, with
out even Government they entered
upon the contest. Against the appall-
ing odds of nearly five to one they
maintained it through four terrible
years, and for long time the issue of
battle hung doubtful in the balance.
All this $he impartial historian must
say of the Southern secessionists: that
same historian must say of the New
England secessionists that they organ
lied their rebellious conspiracy with
out any just cause ofquarrel with the
Union, and when the nation was in
the throes of a doubtful conflict with
the greatest power in the world.
All this we may say in no factious
or sectional spirit, but because it is
truth and part of history of our
country. We have right to teach all
these things to our children, teaching
them at the same time that we have
accepted in good faith the RECONSTRUCT
tion of our Government; that the
causes which once threatened to divide
the country have passed away and
that henceforth the strength and glory
of the South are bound up forever
with the strength and glory of the
Union. After ALL these States are
united by stronger bonds than the
phrases of a written Constitution.
We are bound together by a common
interest, a common heritage, and
common hope.
"Our Union is river, lake, ocean and
sky. Man breaks not the medal when
God cuts the die"
Those who were loyal to the Con-
federacy will be as loyal to the Union,
and those who are to come after them
will be animated by their spirit and
example. We rouse no spirit that is
dangerous to the Union or to the
peace Of nations when we glorify their
deeds. War is glorious only W hen it
is fought for noble ends, and when
those who fight are inspired by noble
motives. The Confederate soldier
fought not for greed, or conquest, or
lust of blood, or to destroy the liber-
ties of conquered people. He fought
for home and fireside and country, in
spired by the same sentiment that
nerved the soul of the Roman hero
who kept the bride Sin the brave days
of Old"
"Then out spake brave Horatius, the
keeper Of the gate,
To every man upon this earth, death |
cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better than |
facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers and the
temples Of his Gods"