The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-06-16


sacrifice.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are 1or-
getting the Old South, to- ing the
brightest pages in our h. Dry, Tor
getting the idealism that has given 50
much to the nation in the past, and
must ultimately save it from the break
ers ahead.
If this nation is great, if she has
wrought we'll, il her commercial and
industrial achievements are the marvel
Of the world, il she takes pre-era1-
nence among the great powers, It IS
due to the fact that she is built upon
the foundation laid by the wisdom
and conservatism of her ante-bellun
craftsmanship. And the southern
man who sneers at the accomplish
ments of his ancestors, and JOINS
their critics in passing adverse judg-
ment upon the part they took IN
making our national life, must be re-
garded as lost to se1f-respect, trail
tor TO his own people, an unworthy
son of a splendid sire. Such a man
forgets that the greater part OF the
history Of the nation is the history OF
southern men; such man has been
too busy to acquaint himself with the
accomplishments Of southern states
manship, both in the way OF furnish
ing the nation its highest conception
of right, and in crowning her with
material successes.
The career of the nation during
that time was succession of triumphs
in every field of human thought and
action. With the daring and courage
belonging to youth, she met and mas
tered every situation, solved every
problem, overcame every difficulty,
and routed every foe. Nations weak
and strong fell before the prowess
OF her unmatched sold;ery. Her can
dor with dealing with other nations,
her refusal to entangle herself with
affairs not belonging to her, were
more than a match for the willy
diplomacy of the oldworld. Religious
bigotry and intolerance dissipated
into broad and wholesome liberalism
under the influence of her guarantee
of individual freedom Of conscience,
and her jealous protection of the most
absolute liberty of thought and
speech, developed in her people that
independence of belief, political and
otherwise, without which, no people
can be of any special force.
The nation then stood for some
thing more than mere industrial and
material strength; hers was the
strength of lofty idealism, and her
victories, material and moral, are the
triumphant answer of the ideallst to
the materialist in government. The
very life of the nation flowed from
the fount of pure idealism, and yet,
notwithstanding that fact, she went
forward to industrial victories such
as the world has never seen oefore.
The spiritual and MAJ: rial forces OF
the nation were kept in perfect bal
ance, and progress came in perma-
nent form. Her craftsmanship,
while active and alive to material
accomplishments, was at the same
time careful not to allow these to
smother the moral forces of the ma
ton. The man was kept foremost in
mind. To his protection and devel-
opment, as such, the nation bent its
best efforts. The result was the
most harmonious. entity in the shape
Of human government that has ever
blessed mankind since the perfect law
was handed to Moses on Sinai. The
ideal had been reached; the hope of
the fathers had found realization,
and their wisdom was established be-
yond doubt, and it was the work OF
the southern man.
With the government of the nation
in his hands for SO many years, it is
a remarkable tribute t. his character
that not one solitary scandal arose