The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-11-06

g JllAIHuti ll9ll I dEt oiittJ
Welchman. these southern states are
a grand division Of the Carth's sur
face that viii always be dearer TO the
SoUtherner than any other section on
the globe. 1t is our home, our heri-
tage. You must never get away from
that if you want TO be a true south
CTner
Ny old Confederate paused ana
seemed to be recalling something that
was not quite clear.
4 recall a picture" he at once went
on. IAN old painting I used to sec
when 4 boy. 1t is a picture Of one OF
our earliest Southern settlements. The
forest in front of the small clearing
in the woods is lined with savage In
dams. The settler is standing in the
door of his cabin With his smoking
rifle in his hand and a dauntless.
de~ath-defying light in his face. His
right hand is extended backward in a
gesture of protection TO his wife and
children. who are trembling in fright
in the room behind him. | suppose
he smiled, this southern home love
began back there. We have in the
course Of our sorrows simply enlarged
the borders Of our passion"
He paused again re~fectiVely. 81 am
recalling an experience of mine ana
trying 10 separate it distinctly from
later thoughts. one night in Virginia
after S~toneWall Jackson was killed at
Charlottesville. I was making an in
SpectiOn of our picket lines. ana Some
distance from our camp sat down. L
was q beautiful night and the depreS-
sion general at that time came over
me strongly. | began to analyze my
zeal as Il confederate soldier. ] sad
TO myself, Are you fighting to defend
the institution Of SlaNcrE2t My heart
yielded an instant honest answer M.
God knows there is no satisfaction N
hat idea to me. If the slave property
was worth as many billions as 1t is
millions and that was all | would not
move my little finger to go to war
for it Then the idea of secession as a
constitutional right occurred to me,
Is that your Inspiration NO | said,
that doesn't fire my heart, for though
j. was a right conserved by the cOnSti-
tuition in the understanding of those
who formed it. a right more bolster
Ously threatened and more agitated
hv Josiah Quinccy. Of Massachusetts
and the Eastern statesman, including
the whole party of New England Fed
eraIists, than by any one eleSe in 1915
But it was a right never intended to
be exercised. 1t was a provision,
such as should be put into any con-
tract. for the statesmanlile purpose
Of guaranteeing the balance of mutual
Interstate respect and not for the
purpoS" of contemplated !
recalled the message Alexander Ham
IitDn StIll lbbll MS dtdIl Dt1, 1tii
the people of Boston that l say for
| Gods sake quit trying to disrupt the
| Union. If they break this Union they
will break my heart That was as far
back as 1904, and | remembered that
my father used to quote it to me in
his own love for this Republic, Sc
| CesSion was a "ignt. a guaranteed priv
ilege under the constitution. But I
knew this was not the inspiration Of
my soldering in Virginia.
at that men Of my intrOspec-
ton happened to lift my eyes up 20
the stars and unconsciously glanced
| down the array of clustering constci-
| latiOns which fell away and away
| down the heavenly concave to the
| South. and my eyes rested there. Then
/ my heart gave a leap. | stood on ny
| feet. l had found the spring of my joy
/ in the battle. My back is to my
home l said. The enemy is here on
the border. / am in defense of Dixie
land
Ny boy he said, q have told you
the secret of every wound l bear. II
is the secret Of my comrades, Who
went with Lee. 1t was u white chief
tain'S secret. too. SO | tell YOU that
the true ~Southerner viii love his home
land and suffer for her good and for
her glory if need be, no matter in
what form the eanger comes. With u
it Was our OWN American brothers WIZ
came against US. And though you III
not have
But" I cried, trembling with my
heart shaken to its depths and not
cOmprehending the import of his last
words, Il do love my home. | Was
born here. My fathers and my people
are buried about me. l have scarcely
been elsewhere. | kno no other
love like this land. What is there fcl
me and for us? We cannot bear arms
for the South. There is no Toe at Qua
| JAaIn1-- 80. Z n TA1+ 40 ,lnvil 3-Apo with