Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-04-22
THE SOLDIER OF 1se1-1eos.

tinct character in every age and every
civilization. In the earliest records
we have of any peoples wo find
among them the soldier--in war to
fight, In peace to watch; in war to
labor, In peace to wait. He was a
product of the natural evolving con-
ditions of the world. He was pro-
duced for a distinct purpose, and
labored for a definite end.
The soldier was never free from
the responsibilities imposed by the
nation or the tribe. He was often
times an advanced slave, glorified by
some deed of valor, strength or STRAIT
egy. A knight he may have been,
wearing the spur of the king; la
borer we see him in Egypt's great
civilization, when Khufu, called the
Glorious" began the construction
of the great pyramid Of Gazeh. We
see him In Macedonia; at his home
in Sparta, bidding farewell to mo-
ther and friends; on the Acropolis,
and at Athens, his armor glittering
in the sunlight of Greek day What
would Ninevat or Babylon have been
without him, and what did he at
last do for them? He wrought
cities out of chaos, and made ruins
out Of cities; he built empires Of
human suffering and sighs, and then
destroyed them with floods Of human
blood. In making world of pro-
gress he destroyed nations; in estab-
fishing the religion OF Christ he cut
through dense pagan practices with
the sword
1t Is at Thermopylae that we see
the Persian and Greek die like men,
one rejoicing at victory, one sigh
ing over defeat--both heroes. In
Gaul with Caesar, in the forum of
Rome he proclaims truth for which
he will die.
And SO we might go on and on
and show who took part in the maxi
ing of history for the world. In war
a hero, in peace statesman; in war
soldier, In peace citizen. He Is
SNSiy w hSi0, III CfOly ldho, Ill SNSIy
time; no civilization has history
without the soldier.
So 1t seems that the soldier is
part In the great economic plan of
creation. We might arrange them in
three classes. The soldier of fortune
the soldier of adventure, and the sol
dier Of principle or patriotism. To
the last and best belong the South
ern soldier of 1861. All praise to
him, dead or living. When the clouds
gathered the lightning flash of patri-
otto brotherhood tingled in the breast
of every Southerner-the thunder
lives Of these men. When the call
for volunteers came echoing down
through the mountain gorges Of Vir-
ginia, North and South Carolina and
Tennessee, spreading over the low
lands Of the coat and middle States:
when the day Of mastering in came,
and our mothers and grandmothers
handed to the boys in gray the
sword or musket that spoke the
words "war" and DEATH" when,
with eyes full of tears-those holy
crystals of the soul-they prayed
Gods blessing upon them; when the
train moved out Of the station, amid
the shouts Of God bless YOU" when
a quiet fell upon the town so appall-
ing, SO sacred; when this occurred,
was 1t anything but love, duty or
patriotism that bade the star In mans S
life move on to battle with foe for
a principle?
What was it that took him from
home and loved ones but the saving
of that home, the saving of honor of
a land, and the preserving untinged
the flag Of proud people? Into the
war, into the night sped the cars
bearing the braves. What was it
that gave the men to their fate, when
on the field of battle, counting the
moments by the blood drops from
his side, he called to his comrades,
Don't give up, boys" and died?
When man after man-yes, hundreds,
Thousands fell in the conflict Of
might and numbers against right and
home; when after the struggle a
calm fell, peace declared, and,
though 1t was like dove, her wings
made a shadow deep and long upon
the face Of our fair land--over men,
ragged, tired and hungry, over-pow-
cred, not beaten, turned homeward-
alas, where were the homes? These
men, who had fought with patriotic