St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-10-08
What Manner of Man Was the
Confederate SOLDIER"

came heroes to wear the civic
crowns" The civil war over, the
record is being made up, the judg-
ment of history Is being declared and
published with here and there a dis
cordant note. The voice Of history
pronounces eulogism on the Confed-
crate soldier whose fame is being
perpetuated by the erection of mon
nments all over cur Southland. It is
said, and I believe it, "A country
without monuments is devoid of
heartfelt sentiment"
Again, an address from a Confed-
crate soldier would be incomplete
without grateful acknowledgements.
to the noble women of the South.
They were truly u companions, our
support, our guardian angels during
that long weary and bloody period Of
the war. Their graces, their cour-
age, their constancy, their prayers,
lightened our difficulties, relieved our
trials and assuaged even the humili-
alton of our defeat. God help them
for their patience with which they
endured privations and the cheerful
ness, with which they gave up luxn-
ries for the cause they loved. Who
can describe her conduct dnring that
wonderful drama of a thousand
bloody battle fields?
The Confederate sword broken, and
bloody, but not dishonored, and our
shield though battered and bent, yet
u%ntarnished, hang in the Temple of
Fame" as so many bruised monu-
ments to the valor, sacrifice and pa
triotism of the Confederate soldier.
Again, when the storm clouds shut
out the bright sunshine of our
country's peace and concord, we made
in our Southland a determined effort
to preserve the precious instrument,
the warrant of Columbia's liberty,
when the new Government, born at
Montgomery and Graded at Rich
mond, set up its standard the same
instrument which we had received OF
our fathers, yet pure, chaste, I'M
sullied Of the unseemly blemish put
upon it elsewhere by a selfish section
slism.
Small wonder is it indeed, that in
the smoke Of battle the Stars and
Stripes and Stars and Bars often lost
their identity, and we were mistaken
for each other. Both stood for es-
sentially the same Constitution with
this difference: that as the bars of
our banner we're broader than the
stripes of the Union flag, so we had
and upheld a broader view of the
Constitution and maintained it in its
pristine purity, Consequently as the
noxious vapors of animosity were
slowly yet surely dispelled by the
warm sunshine of subsequent events,
commingling with better knowledge
after the dust Of neglected precep-
tion was brushed from the pages of
our history, the impugning of our
motives was laid aside and contumely
gave place to credence, s~elf-confi-
dence yielded to a broader wisdom.
Our friends Of the North conceded
the strict constructionist was right,
and our beloved country took her
place among the willing nations, heir
greater, grander, than was pictured
in the most e%xtrayagant fancy Of the
American of the old days.
For our steadfast. faithful tenscity
in holding to the proper and true
construction through all the years;
for this. if for nothing else, the Con-
federate Soldier is worthy Of a well
come clear. clean and unalloyed, by
all true Americans. The love and
loyalty which the Confederate soldier
Ra7e to the lost csusezsnd to.the de-
feated banner is a demonstration of
the deep hold hat our aus had upon
the hearts Of Southern people and of
the absolute sincerity and complete
devotion with which they supported
It; but il is no evidence Of unmanly
and fruitless repining over defeat,
nor Of any lurking disloyalty to our
present government.
What more. did the Confederate
see and witness: VIZ saw u
go down with breaking hearts,
when our idolKed leader sheathed his
sword at Appomattox the world grew