The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-06
GLOWING TRIBUTE
10 the Young Men Of the South During
the Civil War Period
THE BRAVEST and BEST

At6Vs Es "a oSUOh hO HAoAS
ing Comparison Between the Spir-
Il of the South and the Conditions
at the Time of the War With
Those Of the Present.
At a meeting in Charlotte, n. c.,
by the Confederate Veterans on Mon
day to pay tribute to the memory OF
Admiral Ralph Semmes. the great
Confederate naval hero. many excel
lent speeches were made. Rt. Rev.
e. A. Osborne spoke with reference
to the spirit of the young men or
the South during the civil wal pc
riod and the exalted type Of leaders
produced, which he does not believe
could be duplicated today under
similar conditions.
Perhaps this country Will never
produce again." he began. lust such
q race of men as that which lived
in the last century. Especially does
one feel this to be true Of the great
leaders Of the South. We may pro-
duce as great men or greater men
even in different directions, for the
world Is growing. Humanity Is not
diminishing at all in its powers. IT
is developing under Christian civil
ization. But the conditions under
which Semmes and the other great
leaders were born and reared were
peculiar and have now passed away.
Especially was this so Of the South.
| don't suppose that a more patri-
otto race of men ever lived than that
which peopled the South. Their
life was rustic. simple, plain, un'
p~retentious. These are the very con-
ditions that are calculated to produce
the spirit of daring, self-reliance
and manhood. They produced those
splendid qualities Of human nature.
The Southern army illustrated
that. 1t was not a well-disciplined
army. It was not a remarkably wei!
drilled army, but it was n Of men
men who loved freedom. men who
loved their homes, men who loved
constitutional liberty. men who low
ed their " simple life. They
didn't care much about money. 1t
was not & money-making age in the
South, with one or two exceptions.
Here and there a fortune had been
accumulated, of course. But the
vast majority of the men in the
Southern army were Of limited
means; men who owned little homes
In the country. To own the soil IL
a necessary condition Of patriotism
Commercial men who do not own
their homes or who are so much In
terested In business that they spend
little time at home do not possess
the same love of home and country
that rural life produces. They wan,
to live and enjoy their wealth, too.
The man who owns his little home in
the country, whose living depends
on his tilling Of the soil. lives for
his home and his family and will
yield the last drop Of blood in his
body to resist any invasion BY hos
tile forces.
And so, while we have a passion
ate, tender and romantic love for
the South" continued Colonel o.
borne, II doubt very much II under
similar conditions today we would
be able to produce as strong exam
Piles Of courage, fortitude and dar-
ing. I believe we, especially the peo'
pie Of North Carolina, are a war
like race. I 70 not believe there Is
one more so on the American con-
tinent. When the United States call
ed for troops in the war with Spain
the young men Of the South hurried
forward. 1t was my privilege to be
with them for a time. saw the
same enthusiasm which I had seen
40 years before. But I saw also a
different class, of men, a different
spirit and a different state Of morals
from that which prevailed on the
previous occasion. / cannot but
doubt If they would have shown the
same dash. the same absolute conf
dence In the rectitude Of their cause
and In their duty to fight.
1T thrills my soul with a pecu-
liar sensation to think Of the wonder
full genius that led the Southern
armies. Very likely the world will
never witness again such a brilliant
galaxy of men. Christian men, of
cultivated minds, broad and deep
learning. soldiers, who trusted in
the Triune God for the justice of
their and willingly laid their
lives on the altar.
II shall never forget the feeling
Of pride and Joy the soldiers Of the
~Confederacy felt when they thought
Of the glorious Semmes dominating
the broad ocean and bringing terror
TO the enemy. While the hosts OF
UBited~States ships were lowering
about the coasts keeping out what
little bit Of commerce the South
might have received, this one man
was frightening the ships Of the enc
my out Of their wits"