The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1911-06-01
MEMORIAL. ADDRESS
BY MR.. K. c.. DUNN.
Delivered to The Buck kitChin Camp, u C. w. at Scotland
Neck N. C., on Wednesday, May 10, 1911.

| CnorlSNcO were attempted 10 DG
wrenched from them. if to fight be-
cause the constitutional rights which
| were justly their own were denied
them, if these things be right then
| the Confederate soldier was ever
lastingly and eternally right and to
him be all honor and glory for the
fight he made. He contended for
the most precious principle that ever
dominated the human soul, the in
alienable right of seIf-government,
and he barred his heart to the storms
and dangers of war only to defend
his fire-side and his home. Neither
spoils, nor personal glory, nor ma
tional aggrandizement, nor lust for
power animated his bosom or nerved
his arm. Without compromise or
modification and with never sug-
gestion Of contrition or concession
the Confederate soldier lived and
died in the accepted faith of his
fathers. He went into battle not
alone to vindicate a constitutional
argument, because his heart was
throbbing for his hearth-stone.
Here was the land which gave him
birth, here was his childhood's home.
here were the graves of his dead,
here was the church spire where he
had learned that it was not all OF
life to live nor all of death to die,
and it was upon this consecrated
ground that no hostile foot should
ever tread save over his dead body.
And yet with such Codrus like per-
sistency have those Of the North,
through the medium Of the press,
the platform, and the pulpit, dinned
it into our ears that slavery was the
cause of the Civil War. ! very much
fear that would be the answer of
seventy-five per cent Of the children
in the schools of the South to-day.
Do the histories you are using in
your school teach that slavery was
the cause of the Civil War? II they
DO, in justice tear them up. Are you
telling this to your children and to
your childfen's children? In justice
t. these brave men and six hun
dred thou sand more OF them, tell
it TO them no more. deny the as
sertion in the name Of the tradions
of the people against whom this vile
SANDER is made. | refute it i'll the
rorra IF tssa SIX ~u~1~79 = thousand
Confederate soldiers not one in ten
of whom had any financial interest
in slavery. | deny in the name of
the Emancipation Proclamation, is
called by its own author war mea-
sure for war purposes. 1t is not my
purpose Or intention at this time to
speak to you Of the cause of that
war, yet conducting a research for
yourselves if you will bnt go deep
enough you will find that the
cause of that great struggle is the
very question now engaging the at
tention of the Congress Of the
United States-the protective tariff.
Surely justice and right must ere
long raise up some one, able, broad
minded, fearless, who will write the
story of the true causes Of that
mighty struggle and faithfully de-
pict its stirring events.
The position of the South until
recently, was, and even now | may
safely say, is very much like that of
| Uncle Alex, the venerable darkey
with an old gray mule, who called
upon a veterinary surgeon with the
inquiry, rs you a hoss doctor?''
"Yes," said the surgeon. well,
dis here ole mule he's sick and doan
! wanter lost old Pete. Can you
gimme some medicine fur him?"
Writing prescription the doctor
said, "take this paper. to the drug
store and get this medicine and a
glass tube open at both ends. Put
the medicine in the tube, run it
down Pete's throat and blow. y
Some days later the veterinary met
Uncle Alex much bedraggled and
ashy and asked, Flows Peter
"Pete. he's all right, but | amt, "
said Uncle Alex. whats the
matter?'' cts dis away" said
Alex, Il took the medicine and a
glass tube as you told me, and ]
stuck it down Pete's throad, / did. =
"Did you blow?" asked the doctor
mo, SIR said the darkey, "old
| Pete he done bowed fust.". Surely
the Northern historian has "done
blowed fust,'' and the medicine
W01CQ ne mas UlOW0u uOWu CIlG I'LL Od
of the South has been the bitterest
meanest, and the most distastefu
medicine that has ever been blowr
or by any other means gotten int
the system Of fair land. Confede
rate Veterans, Daughters of the
} Confederacy, mothers, fathers
, school-teachers, all of you, let u
; rise up in our might and do some
blowing on our own account and lie
, the truth be known to the world.
And lastly, but by far the creates
factor contributing to the makeup
of the Confederate as the most capa
BILE, courageous, and efficient soldie
that ever answered the call of dut.
was the fact that he was SUSTAINED
and inspired by the grandest bod.
of womanhood the world has eve
: known-the Southern woman. Wha
shall say of her? What could | sa,
of her that would do her justice
Where shall her story begin? Wher