The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-09-30
GLOWING TRIBUTE
To ihs Young Men Ct The South Dur ng
Tie Civil Var Period
THE BRAVEST AND BEST

Rev, E. A. Osborne Makes Interest
ing Comparison Between the Spir-
it of the South and the Conditions
at the Time of the War With
Those of the Present.
At a meeting in Charlotte, \. 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
10 the spirit of the young men OF
the South during the civil war 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, Just such
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. II
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 PATH
otic race Of men ever lived than that
which peop5ed the South. Their
life .was. :rustic;r simple. plain, m II;
pretentious. These are the very con; cor
ditions that are calculated to prodg.st:se,' e
the spirit Of daring, self-relianlE;es, nlE;es,
and mahhood. They produced those
splendid qualities Of human nature
THE Southern army illustrated
that. 1t was not a well-disciplineal,
army. It was not a remarkably well
drilled army, but it was one OF men
men who loved freedom, men Who l 3
loved their homes, men who loved
constitutional liberty, men who low
ed their own simple, life. They
didn't care much about money. II
was not a money-making age IN the
South, with one or two exceptions.
Here and there 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 IS
a necessary condition of patriotism.
Commercial men who do not own
their homes or who are so much m
terested in business that they spal@l
little time at home dc not possess
the same love of home and country
that rural life produces. They want
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 viii
yield the last drop Of blood in his
body to resist any invasion by hos
tile forces.
and so, while we have paasioD-
ate, tender and romantic love for
the South continued Colonel Os-
borne, II doubt very much if under
similar conditions today we would
be able to produce as strong exam
pies OF courage, fortitude and dar-
ing. believe we, especially the Deo-
pie of North Carolina, are q war
like race. | 70 not believe there IS
one more so on the American coR-
tinent. When the United States cali
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 had seen
40 years before. But ! saw also a.
different class OF men, different
spirit ard 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 comb
dence in the rectitude Of their cause
and in their duty to fight.
1T thrills my soul with a prcu-
liar sensation to think OF the wonder
ful genius that led the Southern
armies. Very likely the world VIII
never witness again such brilliant
galaxy of men. Christian men, Of
cultivated minds, broad and deep
learning, soldiers, who trusted III
the Triune God for the Justice OF
their cause and willingly laid their
lives on the altar.
IL shall never forget the feeling
Of pride and JOY the soldiers Of the
Confaderacy felt when they Thought
Of the glorious SemmeS dominating
the broad ocean and bringing terror
10 the enemy. While the hcstS OF
United States ships were lowering
about the coasts keeping olt what
little bit Of commerce the Sonth
might have received, this one man
was frightening the ships OF the enc
my ont of their wits.