The Van Buren press., 1903-04-25

Udlutl
hope that onr best minds, and our best
citizens will work to that end to bring
about a proper solution, and prevent
it.
But fear that you will say this has
nothing to do with my subject, but 1t
has | am simply trying to defend the
attitude of the South when it told the
North they did not know what they
were doing, when they undertook forty
years ago to solve the race question,
and now the North virtually admits it.
These questions and these conditions
faced us in 81. The loss of the negro
AS property has never demanded our
attention or caused us to be SO alarmed
as the question Of making them citizens
capable of living among us; in a white
mans country of putting them, an
inferior race, upon par with a superior
race of trying to equalize and harmon
ize the two races that are as different
as day is from night, as inharmonious
and as antagonistiC as is the buzzard
and the swan.
The South thought, among other
things, that it could best settle this
question, but the North thought differ.
ent, and with the same argument that
stranger would come into your family
and diCipline the child of your bosom,
whose every childish within you know
with force and power they undertook to
make the negro the equal of the Anglo
Saxon, by enfranchising him and look
at the result.
For three-quarters of century we
lived under constitution framed and
upheld by patriots. 1t was looked upon
as a sacred document-yes, looked upon
with the same reverence that soldier
would his flag. 1t had held in com.
pact of peace and harmony the states of
the Union beginning with the original
thirteen, and the South was loyal to
that constitution.
II am not here to abuse the North );
they are our brothers and are American
citizens, but they can be no better citi-
zens than we of the South. 1t is only
the poisoned, narrow, prejudiced minds
that abuse aud do us injustice. This
character of man you can spot easily.
They need very little description to be
recognized.
Like the story, that once gentle
man went from Van Buren, to a distant
city, and while there became in need Of
funds. He showed the bank his pass
book giving an account Of his deposits,
his signature, etc. The banker there
wired to his bank here for description,
and it is said that Sidney Pernot wired
back: Tall aud drunk.
THE description being accurate he
got the money.
These prejudiced fellows that are
continually abusing the South can gem
orally be sized up rs loud and ignor.
ant.
THE orator and sometimes the pol
iticians say: There is no North and
no South Yes there is, and always
will be. We want no geographical line
to continue sectional luminosity, but
keep your North my Northern brother,
and revere the deeds of your heroes
for you have them-and praise the acts
Of your millionaires, for You have them,
too; but don t forget that there is a
South beautiful Southland with duti-
full sons and daughters, who will ever
cherish the principles advocated and
fought for by their fathers. A South
that furnished an Andrew Jackson for
your Lincoln; a Lee for your Grant a
Calhoun for yOur Webster and a Gar.
land for your sumner, a South that
withstood vour Sherman $ march to
the Sea, leaving his tracks of blood
and despoilatiOn, A South that not
withstanding its drawbacks has III de-
more progress in thirty five years than
any other section of the globe. 4 South
whose churches and school houses were
sacrificed many Of them, TO the enemy =
torch, but can today boast of AS many
churches rs any country according to
population, and which is building up
one Of the grandest free school systems
on earth, aud whose higher institutions
Of learning are ranking with the fore
most in the land A South that loves
the cx-Confedcrdtc soldier for his deeds
aud his citizenship.
But they say that the Confederate
is, or nearly all, are dead
mo, they are not dead, They will
never die
Their bodies may be consigned to
the grave and their souls 20 to join
jackson and Lee, and other comrades,
but their deeds land their memories
will be left left 'o be cherished by a
Southern pOsterity A South that is
not a dependent nor humilated PEG.
pie, either.
A Union soldier md an ex-Confeder.
ate were discussing the war they were
going over the grounds in a kind Of ar.
gument, SO to speak, when the Union
soldier Midi Well, no use to argue
you know we whipped you, anyway,
d" No, You didn +, replied the Con
federate soldier, We just got tired
whippin you, an quit.
When It seeded the South believed
1t was acting rs authorized by the con.
and even the fair.minded man
of the North hesitates now before TAX.
ing issue with us on that question.
This was the belief of the men who
went ont with Lee and Jackson No
aliens 10 assist them, but they were
by patriotism and love Of
country They fought for the homes
they had left whetherthese homes con.
sisted Of broad acres on the river or
cabins on the hillside, They were en-.
couraged by the gray-haircd mothers,
the wife and babe or the sweetheart
they had left behind They knew that
their mothers and sisters were unprO,
tcrtcd in II desoAte land, but the con.
duct Of these women Of the South has
been such that we do not need 10 look
TO the Spartan mother for inspiration
for story and song,
lyon nre here 20 keep green the