The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-06-13
Veterans Stirred.

Veterans Stirred.
oil R. E. Lee, Jr., Grandson of
the Great Confederate Leader,
Speaks to United Confederate
Veterans at Richmond Reunion,
Reviews the Struggles of the
Sixties and Tells Some Important
History.
Col. r. f. Lee, Jr., grandson OF the
NOUS Confederate General whose
,rne he bears. was one OF the speak
IS at the great reunion OF the Lhlted
,nfederate Veterans in Richmond,
is address being pronounced one OF
le leading features OF the conVen-
on. Col. Lee spoke i'll part as foi-
)ws:
There never has been q more crit
al neriOd Of American history than
hat which ushered the year looo
non the worlds stage OF action.
the trouble was not OF recent origin,
was not the spasmodic outburst OF
n hour, nor the stubborn and sense
Z. 80 resistance Of factiOus malnte-
ance OF groundless opinions, but
.as the result of the existence OF an
aponizing forces operating for
bnp time in the country, the seeds
|rinc first sown by the fOrefath hers,
ome in the fertile valley OF the
amps. and some fell down on the
ock-bound coast OF New England.
ectional differences exhibited them
elves long before the adoption ofthe
Federal constitution.
"For the purposes OF this occasion
BE- care not how the African slave
Erst placed his unhallOwed feet on
southern soil. Suffice it to say tlaC
lthough the South had at one time
10 incOnsiderable career OF maritime
adventure. no ship or shipmaster OF
lers had ever in n single case been
implicated in the illicit African slave
rade.' Her greatest men always
maintained slavery to be the most
dangerous element in the country:
Prom the beginning the statesmen OF
. he South scented dangerin the great
race problem with which they were
being saddled and the question that
WAS uppermOst i'll their MINDS was
what shall be done with the emancl-
'ated serf?
THE EVILS OF SLAVERY.
much as deplore slavery, said
Patrick Henry, Il see that prudence
Forbids it's abolition Henry Clay
asserted that The evils of slavery
are absolutely nothing i'll comparl-
son with the far greater evils which
would inevitably follow from sudden,
Igencralan indiscriminatc emanclpa-
ltion.' Aud again he says: III were
| to invoke the greatest blessing on
earth which heaven, i'll it's mercy,
[cOuld bestOW on this nation, 1t would
i be the separation Of the two most
numerous races of its population and
their comfortable establishment IN
distant and distinct countries. Mr..
Mason, of Virginia, went farther in
declaring the traffic is Internal. 70
permit it is against every principle
| Of honor and safety Nr. Calhoun
was of the opinion that the existing
relations between master and servant
cannot be destroyed without sub
iecting the two races to the greatest
calamity and the section to poverty,
4 oh
Virginia in October, ITS, and
| Georgia, in 179S,passed acts prOhib-
iting the importation of slaves. The
former act provided for penalty OF
900 pounds, and also every slave
imported contrary to the true inter
est and meaning of this act shall,
upon such importation become free,
thus, to the everlasting credit OF the
South, upon whose devoted head the
walls of holy wrath have been 80
unjustly and brutally poured out for
propagating, nOurishing and harbOr-
ing slavery, she leads the world in
an earnest attempt to prevent the
very thing of which she is accused.
MOVE FOR EMANCIPATION
During the fight of 1S2O21 which
resulted in the Missouri compromise
SO little had slavery become politi
cal question, and as further proc
that the Southern States had not al
that early period banded together
i'll support of the system, the States
OF Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee
were earnestly engaged i'll practical
movements for the gradual enanci
patton of their slaves, and this gOO(
work continued until it was arrested
by the abolitionists, who insisted
upon cOnvicting as criminals those
who were so we'll disposed to bring
the very result at which they them
selves protested to aim. PROMISED
emancipation refused to submit itsel
to hateful abolition
FINALLY scheming politicians 'in
vincible in peace, invisible in war,
took advantage of the fortunat,
state OF affairs, adopted slavery TO
their slogan, and Il vehicle for thei
ends.
The South is charged with a de
sire To destroy the Union. AS fai
and impartial aiudge as Lord Wolse
ley falls into this error when he says
Few will find fault with the men @
the North for their manly determine
ton, come what might, to resist ev
cry effort of their brothers in tn
South to break up the Union
Secession was not preached for tn
first time in the South, as is so we
pointed out by the Rev Dr. Mckin
of Washington, ID. c., q gallant Coz
federate soldier. 1t was threatene
i'll the North four times before Sout
Carolina seeded The first time