Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1907-08-08
The SPIRIT OF THE SOUTH.

1.-THE dying out of the confederate
war spirit-an Indication that the man
of the South is first of all an American
and not merely a Southerner-ls once
more testified to by the great falling oil
in the number OF camps of confederate
veterans. Nearly four hundred such
camps dropped off in 1906, and the
cause for it is credited largely to gen
eral apathy. Against this decrease is
credited only Al new charters issued,
or a little more than ten per cent of the
number of camps lost. There are
dou btless at work in the So nth as in
the North the same causes productive
of attention to more important and
timely matters han the memoir OF a
fratricidal war; and it is high time, as
we approach the h~alf-century distance
from that war, that we should note less
the camp fires and more The blessin gs
which have sprung from their ashes"
This may be all right from the view
point of the Commercial, and we do not
question the sincerity of it's patriotism
nor it's due appreciation of the "bless-
ings'' it enjoys, but we cannot permit
it's editorial to go unchallenged. 1t is
all wrong. Incorrect in statement;
unsavor in spirit; false in deduction,
and absolutely abhorent and repulsivs
in its attempt to place commercialisn
above patriotism-not that the South
is lacking in industry, nor in ability to
work out economic problems to COM
mercial advantage, but that behind
these is a sturdy patriotism that elimi-
mates personality when principle be-
comes involved and makes heroes
ready to sacrifice their fortunes and
their lives in defense of their convic-
tions of right.
It was the spirit OF ericalism,
banded in legislative power, that pre-
cipitated thai fearful conflict which the
New York Commercial speaks ofabove
as ga fraticidal war" and the states
men of the South of that day saw it as
clearly then, with all its invasion of
States rights, and its menace to the
perpetuity of our free institutions. as
the rolling years have since evolved it,
and they dared to call 'tO arms" And
the greatest glory of the outh-we care
not what lies before her in all the years
to come-is the character of her sol
ul0TN Liz "II11lA LILO COh-
hict brought before the world and ac-
centuated. And God grant the day
may never come when the press of the
South shall fail in it's duty by the MEM
DRY of the Confederate Soldier or the
righteousness of the cause in which he
fought.
The New York Commercial may take
whatever comfort it pleases from the
dropping off of camps of Confederate
veterans" We do not know whether
it's statistics are correct or not. The
~'dropping off, may be due to the dy-
ing off Of the battle-ground heroes, for
the youngest OF them are old men how.
Rather, therefore, han take comfort in
''the dying out of the Confederate war
spirit, as indicated by the dropping
of" of flour hundred such camps,
the Commercial should view with
alarm that at this late date "forty-one
new camps were organized ir a year.
This is the more remarkable, and gives
us the cheering satisfaction that the
spirit of patriotism-the spirit of liber-
ty-love of righteousness and reverence
Tor the Southern Confederacy are still
with US.
The highest tribunals of our juris-
prudence have vindicated the theory of
government for which we fought,
and the maturer wisdom which comes
with these latter years wins even from
our former foes the frank confession
that we interpreted the constitution in
accordance with the teachings Of the
fathers of the republic, while the whole
world pays willing tribute to the splen-
dor with which that unequal contest
was waged through all those stormy
wears, that knew neither fatigue nor
tear.
When the jealous historian shall
come to make cold and Unconditional
comparisons of the great battles of the
world, if we measure greatness by dar-
ing and mortality, he will write high
above them all-Gettysburg.
When sentiment and admiration shall
seek to pencil the features of the idea
: soldier, the kings and captains of al
former years-the Alexanders, the Cae'
sars, the Bayards, the Galahads, the
Wellingtons, b Napoleons, a give
no more than a faint foreshadowing o.
the flower of them all, who bore th'
name of g
This to the New York Commercial, al
an expression of the sentiment of thu
South in regard to the Southern Con
federacy, and how we are teaching ou
children to hold it..
There is no case OF indigestion, NJ
matter how irritable or how obstinat,
that will not be speedily relieved b.
Kolal Hha min fantnr Ii