Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-02-24
SOLDIERS EUL0GIZED.
Soldiers are a Necessity to Pro.
gress of World. lndispen-
sable in War and in
Peace.

The soldier is necessary and dis
tinct character in every age and
every civilization. In the earliest
records we have of any people we
find among them the soldier, in
war to fight, in peace to watch; in
war to labor, in peace to wait. He
was product of natural evolving
conditions of the world. He was
produced for a distinct purpose and
labored for definite end. The SOL
dier was never free from the re-
sponsibilities imposed by the ma
ton or the tribe. He was often
times an advanced slave, glori6ed
by: some deed of valor, strength or
strategy. A knight he may have
6een, wearing the spur Of king; a
laborer we see him in Egypt's great
civilization when Khupn called the
GLORIOUS" began the construction.
of the great pyramid of Czech. We
see him in Macedonia; at his home
in Sparta, bidding farewell to moth
er and friends, on the Acropolis and
at Athens, his armor glittering in
the sunlight of Greek day. What
would Ninevah or Babylon have
been without him, and what did he
at last do for them? He wrought
cities out of chaos, and made ruins
out of cities; he built empires Of
human suffering and sighs, and then
destroyed them with floods of hu-
man blood. In making world of
progress he destroyed nations, in es-
taoll>hlng the religion Of Christ he
cut through dense pagan practices
with the sword. 1t is at Thermopy-
lac that we see the Persian and
Greek die like men, one rejoicing
at victory, one sighing over de-
feat, both heroes. In Gaul with
Caesar, in the forum Of Rome be
proclaims truth for which he will
die. And so we might go on and on
and show who took part in making
history for the world. In war q sol
-taa:sEsyi;a i; peaes ii M IS g. eTsf.
where, in every land, in every time;
no civilization has a history with
out the soldier. So it seems that
the soldier is part in the great
economic plan of creation. We
might arrange them in three class
es.
The soldier of fortune, the soldier,
of adventure and the soldier of
principle or patriotism. Now to the
laslSand best belong the southern sol
der of 1861. All praise to him dead
or living. Whep the clouds gather
ed and the lightning flash of pa
triotic brotherhood tingled in the
breast of every southerner the thun-
der broke in awful cadences over
the lives of these men. When the
call for volunteers came echoing
down through the mountain gorges
of Virginia, North and South Caro-
lima and Tennessee, spreading over
the lowlandss of the coast and mid
die states; when rne day of muster
ing in came, and our mothers and
grandmothers handed to the boys
in gray the sword or musket that
spoke the words war; and death
when, with eyes full of tears-those
holy crystals of the soul-they
prayed Gods blessings upon them;
when the train moved out of the
station amid the shouts of God
bless you," when a quiet fell upon
the town so appalling, so sacred;
when this occurred. was it anything
but love, duty or patriotism that
bade the star in mans life move on
to battle with a foe for principle?
What was it that took him from
home and loved ones but the saving
of that home, and saving of honor
of a land, and the preserving un-
tinged the flag Of proud people.
Into the war, into the night sped
the cars bearing the braves. What
was it that gave the men to their
fate, when on the field of battle,
counting the moments bv the blood
drops from his side, he called to his.
comrade, Don't give up, boys,'':
and died when man after man, yes
hundreds, thousands-fell in the
conflict of might and numbers
against right and home. When after
the struggle a calm fell, peace de-
clared and though it was like
dove, her wings made a shadow
deep and long upon the face Of our
fai1 land over men, ragged, tired
and hungry, over-powered, not
beaten, turned homeward-alas,
where were their homes? These
men who had fought with patriotic
fury, suffered privations unequaled,