The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-07-07
"SOUTHERN
IDEALS .
Subject of Address by Hon
e. N. Thomas Before the
Gulfport Chautauqua
THE HERITAGE
OF THE SOUTH
Ably Defended by the Distinguished
Speaker-His Strong Appeal to
the Present and Coming Gen.
erations

Hon. E. N. Thomas, of this city
and candidate for Governor, ad
dressed the Gulfport Chautauqua or
Wednesday morning. His speech wa:
we'll received BY those assembled, ane
from the New Orleans Picayune we
clip the following
The subject, Southern Ideals,
was admirably treated by the Hon
E. n Thomas, of Greenvlle The
audience was not large but was thor
oughly appreciative and frequently
applauded the speaker. He said II
part
Whether we are cognizant of II
or not, there IS that which differen-
tiates the people of semi-tropica
countries from the people of more
northern climate. Those who have
given to this subject any thought al
all will agree that this difference Is
the result Of climatic conditions
The early settlers OF New England
the Puritans, aad the early settlers OF
the South, the Cavaliers, were com
pared.
Religion to the Puritan was com
pressed IN the one word duty, said
the speaker. s'and his Christ was the
God of duty He labored with the
fixed anticipation of finding his re
ward when lile's work was. done. The
Cavalier found in this life much that
was charming and inspiring. To him
life was worth living He received
his inspiration from the beautiful
E AZ
with YOU.
Both Cavalier and Puritan were
of that kind OF material of which char
acter is built. but the heritage of the
South was the ideal OF the Cavalier
and it IS OF Southern ideals | speak
today.
"To the cavalier the mountain
ranges spoke not of gold or mineral
wealth that might be hidden beneath
their rugged peaks, but rather stood
as sublime incentives for deeds OF
herOisn for country. and for home.
Honor was to them synonym of re-
ligion, and t',e only fear they had
was that of being ungentle and un-
kind to those who needed their gen
tleness and kindness. Their men were
in every essential gentlemen, ana
their women occupied the superlative
position in their world
Our ancestry, becaure of their
ideals, were strong, generous, cour-
ageous, trustworthy, honorable, gen
tie and true, hence at the very in
ception Of our national life, when the
opinions of mankind required that
they should separate from the moth
er country and wage war for their in
dependence, they looked to the cava-
liers for one wise enough to draft the
Declaration of Independence, and
the selection fell on possibly the
greatest of American statesman
Thomas Jefferson. When a man was
needed to inspire with courage and
confidence the anxious, earnest, un-
drilled and disorganized patriots OF
the colonies that they might combat
strong, well-equipped and organ
lied army, they turned their eyes
southwark and Washington, the cav
alier gentleman of Virginia, was chos
en- leader.
The Puritan and the Cavalier
shoulder to shoulder and man to
man, were victorious, both in times
of peace and war, yet each clingins
to his own ideals and therefore in
evltably drifting apart, until the clasf
Of 1860 came. Looking back now
after the smoke of battle has cleare,
away, after the bitterness and strife
is over, every thoughtful, unpre
JUDGED student of the causes of thi:
war must confess that this was a wa
of ideals-a clash between the Puri
tan ideals and the ideal of the cava
lier.
Il wish to call your attention t.
the value of your heritage by remind
ing you of the heroes of the Soutl
who participated in this great drama
"The first to stand steadfast fo
| the ideals of his people was that dis
tinguished Mississippian, Jefferso
Davis. Measured by the rule of sue
cess, other names might be enrolle
more conspicuously in the hall G
fame than his. Measured by the rul
of unselhshness, chivafrous devotio
and loyalty to principle and right, a
he saw it. no American citizen
greater than he He was leader VOL
thy of the steel of any foeman gIol
ious in war. wise in state craft. an
yet the greatest service he rendere
his people was in the hour of defea
when, by his own vicarious sacrii
cial example he taught them how eve
in poverty sorrow and defeat. to ma
tain with dignity and fortitude the
principles and their ideals"
Tribute was also paid to Gener
Robert f Lee as soldier and as
man in the highest terms also Stol
wall Jackson, and to the Confedera
soldiers, heroes all" he said, q
following their principles that co
strained their leaders,
"Sad and sorrowful as were Il
i days from 1860 to 1865, the cup
I sorrow had not yet been filed v
: must grope our way amid wrecks
5 home and fortune, in. the debris
Z poverty and sorrow, through the m
night darkness of negro suprema
5 and carpetbag intoleran
] and venality. The trial of our fai
!. was terrible Could we yet cling
: the ideals of our cavalier ancestry
t would our courage and fortitude f
sake rs Thank God, there W