The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-07-27
The Lexington Dispatch.
"Wednesday, July II, 1904.
Leesville Reunion

The following is the address of
welcome delivered by DR.. d. III.
-Crosson at the Confederate Reunion,
Leesyille, July Is, 1904:
For the second time in the history
of our town and that of your reunion,
7 am called upon and have the special
privilege and honor to welcome you
to Leesyille. I am here now to
throw wide open the door to every
thing that might enhance your pleas
ure on this occasion, and I ask this
vast concourse of people to help US
to pay our just tribute to you, and
make this a most memorable time IN
the history OF your lives. For Lees
Vile delights to pay her feeble trlb-
pte to the survivors of the greatest
struggle in all history. The day is
not far distant, and in a few more
wears, the last soldier of the Con-
iederase army of America, will have
laid TO rest his tired bones, beneath
the soil, for which he fought and
loved so we'll.
You we're not traitors, rebels, or
towards, but heroes, noblemen, patri-
ots. This vast throng comes here
today, to rejoice in pride, at being
YOUR sons and daughters, and to pay
you every honor and respect. South
Csrolins, all down through her his
tory, has responded to every call to
duty. In the great Revolutionary
struggle more great battles were
fought on her soil than all the other
States combined. Iu the war of 1872
the South bore the whole burden of
the war. South Carolina did more
to drive out the Iodisns and organize
them into law abiding people than
any other State. In the Florida war
hers was the first regiment to go on
the field of battle to die, not of
hostile guns, but of fever and ex-
posure. In the Mexican war, the
Palmetto flag was the fret to float
over the walls of Mexico.
In all these wars she furnished
three times as many soldiers as any
other State. Ours has been land
filed with heroes, always ready to
strike down the oppressor.
In 1861 you were called out in q
great and fatal cause, but a cause
based on Constitutional grounds. It
is singular fact, that notification
and secession, as terms of reprosch.
should not attach to the South, and
the North escape, when it is plain
historical fact, that she openly and
successfully nulli6ed the Constitution
and the flag of rebellion foated over
half of her capitol, with all the hot
bloodedness and resentfulness. We
have never experienced in any degree
the rule OF strikes, mob violence,
assassinations, anarchy, lawless dis
turbances, which has always charac-
terized the North.
The abolition OF slavery has proved
great blessing to the South, but
cost US dearly. After years of the
most desperate struggle recorded in
all history, you we're left a part OF
that shattered remnant of q once
powerful army, worn out by fatigue.
hunger, disease, and battle, without
supplies; confronting line upon line
of well clad, we'll fed, we'll dressed
and we'll equipped hosts.
During the four years of that war
the North mustered into service
100000 soldiers, while the South
was not able, after taking all the
boys and old men to count more than
$4,000, so you were mol whipped
but simply overpowered. The cause
whether right or wrong, was illum'
ined by deeds of desperate valor. Of
consummated skill, matchless forti
tude and patient endurance, ofretreat
sickness, nakedness and hunger.
The National government has Law
ished millions of money to the living
and dead warriors of the North
Here and there in towns and in Gem
eteries of the South are found monu.
ments of officers and privates erected
by the hearts and hands of poverty
and patriotism; but every pension
granted to union soldiers, every
resolution of thanks, of congratula
tion after battle every statue o1
marble and bronze, that crowns hill
sides and public squares; every
guarded and decorated National
cemetery is an eloquent and endur
ing tribute to the courage, the skill
the patriotism, the nobility of the
South. 1t was no compliment to the
North, with untold wealth, with al
the machinery of powerfully organ
lied government, with urquestioneG
courage and patriotism, with extra
ordinary military and naval powers
if four years were needed to defeat 6
handful of badly clad. badly eCrippeC