Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-05-12
Confederate Memorial Day
The SOuth'S Pensive Holt
day Of the Heart.
After Patient YearS-but OF Heroic
Assertion by SOulh'S Defend
erS-Adequate Histories
Teach the True Mean
ing Of the Civil
" ar !.

Theodore MOmmSen, VINO nau Secp-
ed his mind in the history of the Ro-
man empire until he had made every
detail of it's martial story familiar
as his garter" declared that the Civil
War of the United States was "the
most stupendous conflict in all the an
nails OF mankind"
When an authority so high and so
Impartial thus characterizes the war
between the states, those who partic-
ipated In it and those who have in
herited it's glorious traditions may
well be proud of their participation
or their heritage.
Nearly half century has passed
away since hostilities began, but the
fervor of patriotism with which the
people of the South assemble on each
recurring Memorial Day. to commem-
crate the courage and self-sacrifice
of those who shed their blood for the
theory of government for which they
contended, shows no shadow of Weari-
ness or Indifference, and this Spon-
taneous tribute has become compo-
nent part of spring itself.
~
the South that this graceful and in
spring custom is kept alive, and the
South which owes SO much to their
patience and fidelity during the stir
ring period of the conflict, finds itself
under double obligation to them for
keeping green the memory of that inn
mortal cause.
Throughout the Old North State on
6Ionday-before another issue of The
Argus goes to press-the surviving
veterans, the sons of veterans and
-malB civic organizations will assem-
BILE in she various cities in martial ar
ray amp listen to the gifted orators
who regal the details of the Civil
War Garlands will be strewn upon
the graves of the distinguished dead
and upon the humber mounds be-
meath which sleep the nameless vol
unteers. In large measure business
will be suspended in order that all
may participate in these ceremonies
sand thus the memory of a great con-
.f1ict in which brave people contend
eed for great principle will be kept
alive.
It has become trite to recall the
heroism and devotion of the men who
wore the gray-The disparity OF num-
bers and resources and the unexaE-
pied mortality in such battles as that
OF Gettysburg. The names of the
leaders are perpetuated among the
children of today and after long
struggle adequate histories teach the
true meaning of the Civil War.
1t has required many years to diff
fuse through the minds of the rising
generation, and through all the chan
nels of information the real causes of
the Civil War, but at last we see JUS
tice done, and the shallow falsehood
which prevailed SO long, that we wag-
ed a war for the perpetuation of slav-
cry, is one of the errors which has
"'died amidst it's worshipers."
1t has come to be recognized that
the South contended was not only
vital in the formative period of the
Republic, but was SO strong that it
met with practically no denial. The
men who contended for strong CEN
tralized government as opposed to the
rights OF the states had to acknowl-
edge themselves beaten before the
very framework of the government
was established The reserved rights
of the states and the sovereignty OF
the states was clearly understood, and
in order that there might be no mis-
understanding, this fact was develop
ed still more clearly, after the adop.
tion of the constitution, by the elev
enth amendment
The right of the states to withdraw
from the Union was so well estab
lished that it was commonplace il
the debates of the states of the Nortf
during their discussions on the adop
tion of the constitution. In none wa:
it stronger than in Massachusetts, ant
New York. There are frequent in
stances in which the states of tn
North. long before it was wisely coun
selled that the ''erring sisters nigh
depart in peace" threatened to with
draw from the Union.
There has never been a cause il
the history of the world which ha
found such abundant justification a
the hands of time as this same theor
of government. The rights of tn
states have been confirmed by innum
erable decisions of the Supreme Couri
and while the dominance of an inter
ested commercialism has at time
made heavy assaults upon that theory
and isolated decisions have blinked a
a contrary view, the weight of au
thority rests so entirely with the ide
of state sovereignty that nothing ez
cept corporate desperation denies it.
The bitterness engendered by tn
Civil War has passed away. The las
lingering vestige of it was lost whe
the common call of patriotism sum
moned North and South alike to arm
in the Spanish-American War.
common danger and common glor