The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-06-16
THE SOUTH TO
SOUTHERNIzE NATION
FULL TEXT OF CONGRESSMAN
LEVERS SPEECH.
The Southern Ideals Which For More
Than Fifty Years Ruled the Ma
ton Are More Essential Now.

The following is the full text of the
eloquent and thoughtful speech Of
Hon. A. F. Lever, delivered before the
Alumni association of Newberry COL
lege on Tuesday morning. 1t will pay
you to give it a careful perusal.
1t is we'll to keep before the youth
of this day the ideals of the old
south and note Of warning against
the tendency to socialism and COM
mercialism is timely.
The speech of Mr.. Lever is one of
the strongest heard at commence
ment season in Newberry in a long
time and it was delivered with a force
which evidenced that the speaker felt
the truth of the message he had
brought.
Mr.. Lever ranks high in the con-
gress of the nation and at the same
time keeps in close touch with the
people of his district and of the
state and is deservedly popular.
He was introduced by Hon. Arthur
Kibler. president of the association.
Mr.. Levers Address.
Mr.. Lever spoke as follows:
If this nation is to be saved from
the perils which threaten it, it must
be through the educated conservatism
of the South.
The North has beer taught to be-
lieve that the seed out of which grew
rfris natien were: planted in the soil of
Massachusetts when the Mayflower
struck shore. The sectional hister-
ian, deaf to the facts, has written it,
and many have believed it. 1t is a
perversion of the truth.
This nation is of southern orr
gin, it comes of southern parentage-
It was a southern brain that con-
ceiyed the idea of liberty under law,
it was southern courage that fought
and won the battle that fixed that idea
as an everlasting fact. But for the
spirit Of Jefferson, the idea would not
have been born; but for the patience
and wisdom of Washington, it would
not have lived, and the conservatism
of southern craftsmanship must, in
the end, preserve it as an imperish-
able heritage to humanity.
For sixty out of seventy years, the
South was the dominant power in the
nation. Her leadership was absolute
and undisputed. The voice of her
craftsmanship was the voice Of the
people.
1t was the business of the Old
South to rule. The character OF her
institutions and the natural propens-
ity of her people for political life de-
veloped the nations greatest leaders
in political thought. Each plantation
was miniature government in itself,
depending for its peace and prosper
ity on its masters sense Of justice
and right. She was university in
which the fine art OF statecraft was
taught. and her people were post
graduates in the science of political
disputation and wisdom. She was an
arena in which was fought out the
vital problems of national life, a
parliament in which giant mind
grappled with giant mind, where in
tellectual gladiators dared to shlver
their lances against worthy foeman,
where trained men fought with trained
men, and brought forth truth.
Her statecraft was laid in justice
and conservatism. and her statesman
ship was a beautiful idealism in which
the material interests of the nation
were made to walk in perfect harmony
with the finest sensibilities of man
kind, and progress went forward
without a jar.
The people themselves, deeply at
tached to the home, loyal to consti-
tuted authority, filled with an abid-
ing faith in the principles underly-