The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-05-17
Honor Paid 70 Memory =
M Confederate Soldiers
Ho0prable Ih6nas Mellow of York in MemoriafDay Ad
dsess Gives Convincing Argument That Course of
Southern Soldier Was Right and His Cause
Was Just-Pays Beautiful Tribute to
. Daughters of Confederacy For
Work They Have Done.

cred ut the Sumter Cemetery on Me-
mor>ei Day by the Hon. Thomas r.
Mcpew OF York at the annual Me-
msq1ei Day exercises:
- 9dam freaadsnt. Ladies' and Gen.
tlsmen: esteem II privilege and
IN honor to join In this days solemn
exspeises. r1fty -one years ago the last
hatsop fag OF the south was furled.
Our couP1ry wee . land of ruins and
evs94 holpa wss house Of mourning,
Hveevwhefs could be seen black veil
I'd ngures Of lonely and grief strick-
sn women bending over new made
gravea and. hearts Qsliverins with pain
were achlns for the sound Of voices
which had been stilIed forever In the
shock of t2ttle.
Amid tfsls gloom Memorial Day was
sstabnshsd In The South In 1866. II
u = day nnered to the memory of the
confsdsrsts dead. II u I'M occasion
when We ldFs 10 pause Il, our busy
lives, to give expression 10 the feelings
which animate us all a. I'VE contem-
piate for btier hour the virtues and
achlsvsmsnts Of the Confederate SOL
der -,
Il some ahOughfless ono should in
Quite Of us why II Il. after the lapse of
half . century. we continue to OBJ
ssrve this, Aay, when all Of the issues
'out Of whtsh the war grew have been
settled. wnsen the passions and hate
whleh Il 2 surrendered have pass-
"a away. Rbd when we are once more
> free. iuittd and happy people. ]
An@ger, because this day with It's as
eoc(etions!And memories embodies the
noslest s42ugh,. ideals and aspira.
tiops Of qnr people In the proudesi
perCPd of;stheir history. because ir
joip(ns wfth the few surviving Con.
federates 10 celebrating this day W,
rsnaw and reafIirm our faith in the
tus(1re Of the cause for which the,
serYPd ano;for which they died: be.
cauaA 8e4~s n -. them. to, oursslxe,
AMI ts ouf children to see that histor,
,ussass IN in the sight Of postss.
ny. <asI 80
but Fshsii' usc worry little of ths
time allowed me In justifying the Con.
fsderate soldier. Others have done
thef better than can ever hope e
10. l know how hard II II to do /,
rightly; how impossible Il Is to do 1,
woFhiiy. His fame Is SECURE and es.
tablished. secure by reason of what
ne dared and what he achieved
Who" says swinton. the Northern
historian. that ever looked upon II
can ever fo-"et that army of tatterel
uniforms bright muskets, tha
BODY Of Incompatible infantry. which
for -four years carried the revolt upor
iss oayoncts. opposing constan
front TO the mighty concentration o,
power brought against 1t. which, re
ceiving terrible blows. did not fail t.
sive the like. and which. vital In II.
parts. died only with It's annihiiation.
Al the beginning Of the war tn.
south was without an established gov
ernmcnt. without arsenals or factor
les. with no organized army or navy
and. from first to last could enrol
only 100000 men I'm her army; with
no credit among foreign nations. with.
out recognition from any of the pow
crs OF the world. yet. in tho face OF
all these .treincndous difficulties, n
wsged partially successful war with
ono Of the most powerful nations oi
the world. rich I'm all OF the resources
OF war. with armories and arsenals
with an organized army and navy, and
with an army numbering. from frs,
to last. nearly three million mon.
The mere statement of these facts
forever established the high quality
and character OF tho Southern SOL
der. The Macedonian Phahnx O,
Hexander, the Tenth Legion of Caesar
and the old Guard of Napoleon neve,
exhibited upon the battlefield higher
Qualities Of endurance and splendid
courage than tho Southern soldier
and his heroism was only eauallcd by
the loyal devotion and self-sa criflce of
the Southern women.
we 40 not think 1t Is any longer a
question even among the best in
formed scholars OF the North as To
the legal and moral right of the Soutl,
to have secedcd from the Union. The
iesai 'risht OF the South to withdraw
from the Union Is 50 clear among all
the abiost scholars and historians
that the North no longer disputes 1t.
How could they. when they are con-