The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-05-15


the ages that have preceded YOU and
If YOU wish to be foremost in the files /.
of time YOU must be up and doing"
Passing from his boyhood days, Col. |
Herbert dwelt upon the associations
of his early youth the friendships with
the boys of those old and honored
families of Laurens. Declaring that
If he could name each OF the boys and
girls which he knew in his youth and
then trace accurately his or her ca
rcer in after life, such plain unvar-
nished story would be one of the most
pathetic, and at the same time, one of
the brightest chapters in history Col
Herbert singled out but one of his
boyhood friends, viii Farley. and
traced the long friendship from the
claimed in the old school house on
rough the years at the University of
Virginia, until they came together for
the last time during the Gettysburg
campaign, in the spring of 1868. Here
they were together for awhile OIL
this meeting Col. Herbert spoke at
length and took the opportunity 10
lay such a beautiful tribute at the
feet of his friend as has seldom been
heard coming from the lips of any
man. Major Farley was killed at
Brandy Station few days after see
ing Col. Herbert.
My young friends, with memories
of my childhood crowding upon me
have dwelt a long time upon the past,
but cannot find it in my heart to
apologize. 1t is because of that past,
which | have been calling to mind,
that YOU are today what you are, and
that to YOU have come down not only
peaceful and happy days under self
government, but also the priceless
memory of the heroism and patience
and endurance Of the generation that
secured for you these blessings. Cher
ish forever in your hearts the images
of Hampton and Butler, and r. II.
Anderson and Gary and Kershaw and
Evans, and Todd and Ball and Conway
Darlington, and Farley, and the thous-
ands Of brave soldiers who stood by
their sides in battle; and do not
forget those survivors of the war who
piloted South Carolina successfully
through the horrors OF reconstruction.
Cherish in your hearts too, the mem
ory of those blessed women from
whom you are descended, women who
gave up all that was dearest to them
father and brother and lover and
husband and son. AnG then why and
wherefore OF all this the causes of that
bloody war, the Qualifications of your
forefather-all these you should know
1t should be taught you in your schools
and by your parents at the freside
81 eXhort this generation to study
the principles that were at stake in
that great war between the states.
Study carefully the story Of our Fed
eral Constitution and the manner in
which 1t was upheld by the statesmen
OF your section in the crusade that was
being waged against the South, from
1881 to 1861. Mr.. Ball in introducing
me to you spoke in complimentary
tones of book | have recently writ
write an accurate history of the caus-
es of our great war. II | have sue
ceeded in this. then | have shown
clearly to Northerners, who shall read
ii that the Southern States had good
reasons for believing that they had
the right to secede, and that 1t was
their duty to fight for the independ-
ence of the Confederacy, and ! have
also shown to the Southerncrs, who
shall read it, that the North had good
reasons for believing It was right in
fighting for the preservation OF
the Union. That great war was not,
as has been sedulously taught in so
many school books, Shareholders
rebellion" While on the one side 1t
was a war for the preservation Of the
Union, on the other 1t was war by
Shareholder 81 and non-slave- holder,
standing together for the right of self
government handed down to them from
the fathers, and during the war as
we'll as afterwards In reconstruction
days, for the supremacy OF the white
race that had been ordained by AL
mighty God. Slavery was an incident
OF the war, and 1t went down forever
We all thank God that 1t did. Seces-
sion was Il disputed right. 1T is set
tied forever; so mote it be- The I'm