The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-06-10
HEALING THE SCARS OF WAR
A Southerner is Surprised ut Senti.
ment ofth Decoration Day Orators.

A Southerner is Surprised Mt Senti.
ment oftho Decoration Day Orators.
To the Editor Of The State:
wish l could reproduce in every
paper in the South utterances and sen
timents made public here Decoration
day. Surely the north has awakened
to the fact that the war is over and
the south entitled to credit for the
part it took in that great struggle. l
must say was agreeably surprised
no such conciliatory showing has ever
before been made. The good people
south began the good work when they
ut Florence, S. @. for the first time
decorated the graves of the northern
soldiers buried there. AS one very pro.
minent speaker said here, yThey for
ever banished our anger, when they
garlanded the graves of our dead"
President Mckinley followed with
his memorable speech: THE American
soldier has never been defeated except
by an American soldier Hereafter let
us remember on these 4ops both
the men who wore t.. I'd tho
men who wore the gray.
The occasion, this year seems to have
been the climax for ffattrnalism and
on all sides the kindest things we're
given utterance to. Your correspon-
dent attended some Of the ceremonies,
which, by the way, are big ones up
here. He went expecting to hear un-
pleasant llings at the Confederacy,
but, to the contrary. Robert e. Lee,
Stonewali jackson, Joseph Wheeler.
M. c. Butler were all alluded to by
name and in the highest terms. So
surprised was the writer that he has
through the press here expressed his
agreeable surprise and in doing SO told
these people that they were on the
right track at last, and suggested that
now they curb or control the few OF
the press and pulpit-all that remain
who occasionally give utterance to
uncalled for, unfair, untrue state
mentS.
l know the south will read with
both interest and pleasure the news
that the north has about ceased It's
abuse, that an entirely different feel
ing from the past prevails, espially
when they can be assured OF this by one
from the south who not only watched
and listened to these sentiments but
weighed them well as they were utter
ed, and could see they were sincere.
Rev. DR.. Charles Edward Locke,
who oticiated at the Mckinley funer-
al, 'aDd who made himself famous by
some very patriotic utterances on that
occasion, Is now the pastor Of the lead
Ing Methodist Church in Greater New
York. DR.. Locke Is one OF the speakers
to that l felt like applauding
during the delivery OF his
address. With few very slight chang
cS DR.. LOcke's address would have been
as fitting On the 10th of May south as
here on the 30th. The doctor needs
enlightening on the authenticity OF
Uncle Toms Cabin" and will be.
The author, Harriet Beecher Stowe,
'tis said, regretted writing that exag-
gerated story and said had she foreseen
the stir and wide publicity she never
would have permitted it's being put in
print: yet there are those up here who
have never heard Of this and naturally
look on that work as authority and
use 1t as reference OF the real, true
condition south the black man was in.
1t was the sale of the negro girl at
auction by Henry Ward Beecher, from
his pulpit one Sunday morning, to de-
conditions prevailing south,
that did more to fire the north and
bring on the war than all the news
paper articles written and speeches
made. Beecher was brother of Mrs.
Stowe and together with Lyman
Bcecher, these three persons forced
the war. Otherwise the commercial in
terests that stood 1t off so long would
have continued powerful and control
led, conceding demands the south
made from time to time. Not that
these business interests loved the
south but they loved their pocket
books
BE all this as it may, sensible view
is at last being taken and by people of
weight and If they hold out as they
give promise to 1t means much for both
sections towards true reconciliation.
II. w. Finlayson.
G76 Broadway, New York City.
The Privilege Tax.