The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-01-26


tion that all parties and sections
, have constitutional right, and over
and above all elSe-the patriotic love
and devotion O. the people are the
! impres snable fortresSes Of d nation $
safety!
To avoid the wrongs and secure the
rights mentioned in this brief review,
were among the things for which the
Confederate soldier enlisted, fought,
bled and died! On these principles
he stands today and courts the crit
icisms Of present and future ages.
We are not here to heap unmerited
eulogy upon the deeds Of our coun-
tryr1en, nor would we add an unmer-
tied star to the galaxy Of his fame.
But we do challenge the slightest
aspersion cast upon his honor, and
resent every assault made upon his
patriotic devotion.
The position Of vanquished army
and people is one of submission to the
will of the victor. hence the chivalry
Of vanquished soldier, and the pat
riotism Of conquered statesman, must
''bide their time'' for the verdict of
impartial justice If not now, future
generations must and Will accord /"
the Confederate soldier 4 patriot
ism equal to that Of the Spartan who
died at Thermopyloe.
The Confederate soldier has never
asked for public recognition as much.
The historian may even refuse to
chronicle his deeds in the annals OF
his country; the orator may never
speak Of his fame from the forum;
but neither the neglect Of the histor-
ian. nor the silence Of the orator
shall bury his deeds in forgotten
grave.
His chivalry at home, and his hero
ism on the battlefield have rendered
his deeds immortal, and the names Of
Jackson, and Johnston, and Hampton
and Lee are familiar to all the bab-
bling nations of earth.
The principles for which the Con-
federate soldier fought are now IN
corporated into the constitution Of all
the sovereign States Of our own reun-
tied country, from Maine to the Rio
Grande.
Therefore the heroism Of the Con-
federate soldier for constitutional
right has not been lost, nor has the
lesson Of his patriotic devotion pass
ed away.
Chivalry and patriotism are born,
and not developed! And once born
they never die, until the last vestige
of their parenthood has disappeared
from the earth forever.
They may be suppressed; overborne
and defeated; may sleep for centur-
les; but the germ is Of an immortal
planting, and therefore, can never
perish while love for God and coun-
try endures.
Sleep is not death! The. sleeper re-
wives again.
One by one 1.-THE Roman Grachii
died! They died! Freedom was dis
armed and patriotism slept!"
But in sleep it grew strong to
wrench the sceptre of dominion from
the hands of usurped authority when
the critical moment should come.
The Grachii died, but the spirit Of
the Grachii lived.
Rearmed in the chivalry Of Gains
Marius, the death of the Grachii was
avenged thousand fold in the blood
Of the Marion revolution.
"Give me liberty or give me death" ;"
was not the fulsome epigram Of a
mystic dreamer.
Since the days Of the Grachii, life
without freedom has been shorn of
its richest quality.
The older Grachus said to his assas-
sin: "You take the life of Grachus,
but the spirit Of G1achus still hves.'
AS I said before, We are not here
sir, to heap unmerited eulogy upon
the deeds of our countrymen.' But
rather to avoid that forgetfulness to
which we are prone concerning the
dead. It has been said that people
are remembered only while they live
and act. To this rule there must be
exceptions. Nearly an half century
Of busy active life: the busy activities
Of a generation too which knew no
war, have swept over the memory. the
names, the deeds, and the graves of
our Confederate dead. but thank God
sir. they are not forgotten.