The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-06-01
TContinued from last week.

lCOOClnuoO IrOIl last WSSh.l
Many years ago, before the Nor
man Conuueror stamped his mailed
foot on the neck of PROSTATE SaxoT
England, some wandering barbarian
of the continent then unknown te
the world, in mere idleness, with
hand or foot, covered an acorn with
little earth, and passed on regard
less, on his journey to the Dim Past
He died and was forgotten; but this
acorn lay there still, the mighty
force within it acting in the dark
ness. A tender shoot stole gently
up; and fed by the light and air and
frequent dews, put forth its little
leaves, and lived, because the elk or
buffalo chanced not to place his foot
upon and crush it. The years
marched onward, and the shoot be-
came saplin, and its green leaves
went and came with Spring and Au-
tum. And still the years came and
passed away again. and William, the
Norman Bastard, parcelled England
out among his Barons, and still the
sapling grew, and the dews fed it's
leaves, and the birds builded their
nests among its small limbs for many
generations. And still the years
came and went, and the Indian hun
ter slept in the shade of the sapling,
and Richard Lion-Hearted fought at
Acre and Ascalon, and Johns bold
Barons wrested from him the Great
Charter, and 10! the sapling had be-
come tree; and still it grew, and
thrust its great arms wider and yet
wider abroad, and lifted its head
higher and still higher toward the
Heavens; strong-rooted, defiant of
the storms that roared and eddied
through it's branches: and when Co.
lumbus ploughed with his keels the
unknown Western Atlantic, and Cor
tez and Pizarro bathed the cross in
blood; and the Puritan, the Huge
not, the Cavalier and the follower Of
Penn sought a refuge and resting
place beyond the ocean, the Great
Oak still stood firm-rooted, vigorous,
stately haughtily donaineering over
all the forest, needless Of all the cen
turie3 thar had hurried past since
the wild Indian planted the little
acorn n the forest: stout and hale
old tree, with wide circumference
81 Dir: = r,.anv rod o. cr~nr-19. as1d
Fit to furnish timber for a ship, to
carry the thunders Of the Great Re
public's guns around the world
Thus it was with the Confederate
soldier, planting the seeds of new
South with the same traditions, the
same civilization, the same coura-
geous people with the same determi-
nation, the same bravery and the
same character cf the old South,
without the blackening influence of
the negro slave, and the mighty
force within it acted in the darkness
Of the reconstruction. Business en-
terprises stole gently up, and the
new South, fed by the judgement
and the brain and the determination
Of the Confederate soldier, put
forth its branches Of industry
spreading its arms, of commerce
wider and yet wider abroad and lift.
ting it's head higher and still highe,
toward the Heavens, strOng-rooted
and defiant of the storms of partial
ity and political favoritism that
have roared and eddied through its
midst, until today the great South
still stands, firm rooted, vigorous
stately, welding it's vast indunce
over the destinies of the nation as il
was wont to do and furnish timbers
for the Ship of-State to carry the
thunders Of the great Republic
policies around the world. Surely
the South is coming into its owr
again, and the welcoming song mus
indeed be sweet to the ears of tht
Confederate soldiers.
Fourth. The cause for which th'
Confederate soldier fought wa
right and he knew that it was right
Il there is any Individual with whom
| have less patience than any othe
it is he who upon the platform ant
in the press in a lukewarm, apollo
getic, and, if you please, mollycod
ding expression gives vent to hi
opinion that the Confederate soldie
fought for what he believed to b
right. For what he believed to b
right, indeed! If precedent is an.
guide, if argument has any convinc
ing force, if approving conscienc
has any solace, if subsequent apprc
baton on the part Of those who fo,
merly disagreed with him, be an
vindication, we can assert withou
fear Of successful contradiction tha
the Confederate soldier fought, BILE
and died, for what he knew to b
right. If the constitutional righ
of free people to regulate thei
own local affairs as they deem best
and the inalienable right Of all fre
men to defend their home from ir
vasion and plunder, if these thing
be wrong then the cause for whic
the Confederate soldier fought We
wrong and | have no defense to max
for him. But if to fight because tn
land they loved was invaded, if
fight because the principles the
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