The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-01-25

United States, or to the people
of the United States, but by the
citizens, each to his own State
in it's sovereign capacity. If the
latter was the correct interpre-
tation of the true relation held
by the citizen to his State and the
general government-and a care
full examination of all the evil
dence at hand, the terms of the
first union formed between the
colonies in 1774, the Articles of
Confederation of 1777, the Con-
stitution of 1787 (the present Con-
stitution), with contemporaneous
debates, goes far to sustain it
then the War between the States
was not one of rebellion by the
South, but of coercion by the
North, and against constitutions
al guarantees but whether the
one or the other, we will not
undertake to determine, as no
good purpose would be subserved.
Sufficient for us to know-and
for this purpose alone do we call
attention to it-that the great,
the Incompatible Lee and his
right ARM, the invincible
Jackson, with so much of the
Cromwellian spirit, force and
character, who overcame all but
the last enemy, death, and those
who went out with them, COM
prising all the flower of our
youth, thousands of whom sleep
on the hillsides of Virginia and
elsewhere, but some few-ah!
only too few-remain with us to
this day, went forth to an infer
no Of battle lasting through four
longand bloody years, their hearts
swelling with those impulses
which in all ages and lands have
caused the patriot to- die, and not
to rivet the chains dare and to
upon the poor unfortunate ne
gro, who in his helpessness is
now, as | must believe he was
then, an object of sympathy
with every true Southern man.
They believed that the rights
guaranteed to them under the
Constitution were being ruth
lessly trampled on, they knew
that the land of their nativity
was being invaded, that their
homes, around which clustered
tender memories of sister, moth
er, wife, were imperilled and fol-
these. so dear toall English-speak.
ing people did they enter that
fierce and fateful struggle, ir
which our men gave an exhibi.
bition of matchless courage anc
our women of heroic sacrifice al
which all the world wondered.
We lost, and desolation, bleak
and dreary, covered us as with E
pail. There was the destruction
of material prosperity which
had been many generations ir
building, with the complete i'm.
poverishment Of those who ha(
known nothing but luxury, thu
uprooting and casting out of ;
civil polity under which ou
beautiful Southland had prosper
ed, and under which we thel
thought it could prosper, ther'
was that brooding which eve
follows the failure of earnest
honest and courageous effort; il
every community, in almos
every home, by almost ever,
fireside, their hearts calling ou
in plaintive mother-love, wer'
our Rachels, weeping for thei
children and refusing to be com
: forted because they were not
! We heard that peace had come
but it was not for US to feel, O
one of our poets to sing.
Peace! and no longer from it's braze
portals
The blast of Wars great organ shake
, the skies!
But beautiful, as song of the in
mortals,
The holy melodies of love arise!'
Such devastation had bee
; wrought by the invading armie
{ that the peace which came to us We
, rather that spoken Of by Tacitu
They made a solitude and ca
it peace" Our hearts were sore
;. our spirits grieved, but we di
. not permit black despair to com
5 in and lodge with us, and no
: that we are a reunited country
2 the bitterness following that il
e ter-necine conflict having bee
] changed into sorrowful but prou
a memories, looking back at tt
d horrors through which we pas
a ed, believing with Emerson tn;
l. every, evil to which we do n,
J. succumb is a blessing, KNOWN
} that when the shadow and gloo,
n was darkest, God was there and
g the midst of it, we can say, g
). is well', and there comes in
r, our hearts a peace like to tn;
e which the Christ whispered {
II the Sea of Galilee."
j. The grave issues, the joinder
le which caused so much sufferin
e sorrow, ruin, have been settl,
er for all time, and we press onwa
N in our magnificent developmer
" but we will not forget the her
G. ism of the men and women
v that day. No one expects us
le do SO, all would despise us if ,
e. did, nor will we ever cease to 10
n the dear old Arcadia, with it's
m fining and ennobling influence
ry 1t was to be expected tn
ne many changes would result -fre
f. the civil war ChanUa wo,