The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-05-27

lIcHSU 0iu AOC CAlSl, q po"SA dee~A
inconsistent with the right Of seces
sion, which it is believed all parts o
the country recognized when the con
stitution was framed and for man
years thereafter.
If the southern States had tn
power, Notwithstanding the constitu
tion, to withdraw from the union i
1903, in 1872 and in 1915. as New Eng
land statesmen then affirmed, the
had the same power in 1861. \
change of the constitution had beel
made and the relation of the States t
each other were unalte.ed. II tina
power existed at all, the expediency O
withdrawing was one solely for eacl
State to decide for itself.
1T was not a question Of the con
troll OF the government or an economl
cal or industrial question: it was not;
question Of preserving the balance 0
power or the equilibrium OF the sec
tionS. such as was felt in New Eng
land when the Louisiana and Florida
purchases were made and Texas &C
ouired. It was a question Of ciVliIZa
lion, of constitutional liberty, Of th'
preservation of the principles OF th'
constitution: and the south when tn
alternative was presented Of abandon
ing the principles OF the constitution
or giving up the union with alacrity
but with deepest reluctance that tht
necessity existed, chose the latter
She was overcome: she has suffered
but she ought not to be maligncd ol
miSrepresented.
L must not be misunderstood. This
whole question Of secession and dis.
union has been forever settled, so fai
as the domain Of constitutional la"
is concerned. The decree was rendes.
ed at Appomattox and was written il
the best blood Of all sections Of this
laud. It was rendered in the high
court of last resort, where all laws
but tuose Of war are silent. From it
no appeal can be had except to rerolu-
tion, which God forbid. From the
clear skies His blessed finger points TO
a restored union and His beniicient
smile is spread all over the land where
dwells a people, the strongest, the
most enlightened. the most prosper
Gus and happy to be found on the
!1abitable globe. IL all our struggles
we had not been forgotten. His
mighty hand has been felt, lifting rs
up from our calamities, chaStened but
made better and stronger by His lov-
irg kindness.
Slavery perished, like secession, as
one of the incidents and results OF the
war. Thank God that it is gone tor
ever and that we have a reunited
country under one flag, the emblem OF
4 free people in an inseparable union
IF coequal States and never destined,
we pray God, to become the emblem
If imperial power at home or abroad,
or to lloat over vassai States and suo-
ect peoples anywhere against their
will
I'VE are assembled here for no
gnoble ends. We are here to revive
10 issues settled by that unhappy con-
lict. We are not here to defame
others or pervert or wrap the truth.
We are not here to eXaggerate or
magnify the glory and virtues of one
section Of our common country at the
expense Of the other. We are here
,hat mankind may not forget nor
'alsehoou nor calumny cloud or tarnish
The calm Judgment Of posterity as to
the sincerity of the motives and the
honorable conduct of Confederate
soldiers. We affirm our desire
that our children may understand
these things that they may the more
reverence their ancestry, that they
nav know OF their suffering and sac
:i6ces and be able to defend their good
1ames, and proud Of their achieve
nents, emulate in the great struggles
If the future, if such await our coun-
Try the fidelity, patriotism, love Of
home and country attested by the
veterans of 1861 on a hundred bloody
oattletields.
who would have them forget the
Lees, the Johnstons: the Jacksons and
;he Hills? Who would have them for
get Bragg, Beauregard, Hardee, Price,
Polk and Hood? Who would have
them forget the great wizard OF the
saddles, Bedford Forrest; and our own
little Joe Wheeler, Pat Cleburn, the
amented Walthall and innumerable
others? Who would have us forget
,he grand old man Gen. John B. Cor
lon) yet with US, and others still spar
I'd and the hosts who made fer them
names that can never perish from the
earth as long as genius and courage
and patriotism challenge the admira-
ylon Of mankind?
Did any other people ever face
and overcome adversely as did the
southern people? The same spirit
which gave her armies unity, power
and endurance followed the survivors
back into civil life to point the way OF
4 new birth such as no other country
has ever experienced. The south gave
to her armies all Of her male popula-
tlon, including beardless boys ard
men, and they went from
every walk, profession, calling aud
station in life. Neither the bench.
the pulpit nor the institutions Of
learning were spared, All answered
with alacrity and determination the
call to arms. When the war closed
there were none upon whom TO
RELY but the ex-Confederate soldier.
He it was who took up the new prob
lem S which the changed conditions Of
his deSolate land presented. Stand
ing by the graves of his comrades, in
spired by their noble deeds, chastened
and disciplined by the horrors, self
denial and sufferings Of war, encouragg-
ed by the high achievements of his
revolutionary sires, and loving venera-
ton the traditions Of his ancestry,
as they were with the his
tory OF his beloved south, undiSmayed