The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-10-07
4 MONUMENT FOR SLAVES
SAYS Miss SoIari. a Southern wo-
man in the Confederate Vet
eran-A Labor ofLove.

I'm the hearts of the mighty fallen
is deep rooted the feeling OF inextln-
guishable gratitude to the loyal slaves
to whose care the women and children
were intrusted during the entire period
of the war between the states. 1T is a
sentiment that still remains smolder-
ing in the souls Of those who owned
them. To those slaves who watched
the tireSide, titled the soil, helped
spin, weave and make raiment for the
master and his son on the battlefield
toSlaves who protected and provided ff
the families at home-is due monu-
ment that will tell the story TO COM
ing generations that cannot be taught
the lesson Of Self-Sdcrifice and devotion
Of the slave'in any other way If
time is ever ripe for noble deed, now
is that time, for the grand, courteous
Southern slave owner is fast passing
away. and to erect the monument
would be to hand down to poSterity
an open book in which our Southern
children can learn that every negro is
no black fend." The North would
not understand the sentiment. OF
course not.
Erecting this monument would in
fluence for good the present a-d COM
ing generations and prove that the
people Of the South who owned slaves
valued and respected their good quail
ties as no one else ever did or will do.
4 70
Of the affection Of the owner toward
the slave and refute the ISLANDERS and
falSehoodS published in Uncle Tom S
Cabin"
There did exist in the days Of trial
and hardship not only perfect under
standing, but the kindest sympathy,
and on thousands Of plantations and
in homes where every white male on
the place able to bear arms would 90
to the battlefield the helpless families
Iuf women and chileren were left en-
! tircly to the care and protection OF
| the trusted slaves.
No une who was rocked to sleep by
the sweet lullaby Of the faithful black
nanny. listened to her weird
ghost stories, nurSed at her breast or
| PLAYED about her cabin door would
ever be willing to have these tender
| memories die out. There is the side of
sentiment, the side Of gratitude, that
| those who have felt the touch can
never give up nor can they forget the
debt due the faithful ten per cent Of
EsfaveS that r1Llaiued with theiI mas
tiers after freedom. "
Erect the monument. 1t will re
suit in much good, as it will tell
future generations that the white
men of the South were the nagro'S
friends then, and that the men Of the
South are the negro'S best friend now.
Instances portraying the fidelity of
the slaves might be told to fill endless
volumes and would recite the sweet est
stories of heartfelt devotion, the most
unSeltiSh acts, prompted by pure love;
Self-forgetting, they would sacrifice
comfort-yea, even go hungry
with a smile serve those to whom they
felt an undying fealty. They could
not express all they felt, but for mann
| uly gin VI OOJ OCOiN
work and suffer and teach a blessed
lesson Of endurance and glOritied for
titude, for, as Miss DromgoUle sc
Sweetly expressed it:
Her face is as black as ebon,
Wrinkled and scanned and old,
But her heart. k now, is as white as snow
And true as the rarest gold.
Her brown hands, old and feeble
With the touch of passing years,
Would Danish each trace of care from my
| face
And brush from my heart the tears.
| Nanny and friend. / love her,
Humble and all unframed,
But love to trace i'm her love the face
That robbed years have claimed.
| Her face is as black as ebon.
Her soul as fair as the day;
; And her prayers, l know. wherever 60
Will follow me all the way"