The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-05-09
CONFEDERATE MEMORIAL
DAY MAY, 10

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AS each year passes and the time
! draws lear when the people of the
South assemble to pay their annual
! tribute of love and remembrance to
those who gave their lives while fight
ing to uphold the honor and to pre-
serve the liberties of their section, We
are forcibly reminded Of the rapidly
timing ranks of the survivors of this
great struggle and that within few
more years, the last one OF them will
have crossed the river, where the
sound of battle cannot disturb his
peaceful slumbers. The cause for
which they so brayely battled was lost
and the flag that they bore over so
many fields of courage, where death
and it's victim stood face to face, has
been furled forever with the sanctity
of peoples love resting upon it, and
stained with the life blood of some
of our best and brayest sons. But de-
spite all Of this, they have not died
in vain, for in their deaths they have
endriched the pages of military history
, and furnished an example of patriot
ism and devotion that will be An in
spiration to all who live after them,
and which will be remembered as
long as time endures.
But how can we best observe the
day? It should not be made a gala
occasion that deprives it of it's true
significance and beauty, and where
the lessons We should learn from its
observance are ignored and will soon
be lost. Neither should we observe
it with malice in our hearts, but 'rath-
er h the spirit of love and forgive
ness for the injuries We have suffer-
ed. But while we approach the day
with these feelings we can still be
proud of our gallant dead and en-
shrine them forever in Our hearts.
They are not here to speak for them
selves, but if they could make their
wishes known, we may be sure that
they would endorse the sentiments
expressed above. The occasion should
be made use of to inspire the hearts
of the rising generation to always
bear in mind that many Of them are
descended from these truly great men,
fot they were truly great in their
patriotism, and that it is incumbe
on them not to bring reproach on the
names they bear and in which they
may we'll take an honest pride. but,
Remembering at the same time that a
name is noble only when nobly borne.
Then, too, it must be borne\in mind
that the spirit of true patriotism is
one of the noblest attributes of hu-
man character, and that the man who
is lacking in this is lacking in all else
that can make man either great or
good.
We but honor ourselves when We
honor our gallant dead, and it is a
beautiful and appropriate custom TO
tell of their deeds on the battlefield,
tell of their unfinching heroism in
the time that tried the souls Of all
true men, and to decorate the graves
with beautiful flowers, as appropriate
memorials of our love and remem-
brance, at the same time lifting our
hearts in an unspoken prayer that
we may be strengthened in our de-
sires that our lives, in all things, may
reflect honor on those who have pas
sed into the Great Beyond
And to you, felow-soldiers of the
Confederate army, the writer makes
this, possibly his last farewell words,
prayer: That the blessing and pro-
lection may rest upon you In your
declining years; that you may have a
su1ciency Of worldly comforts until
the end; that you may have that
serenity and peace which can come
only from the consciousness Of duty
we'll performed; and that, when your
eyes shall close on earthly scenes,
you may drd everlasting peace and
rest in the Paradise Of the Blessed
Dead" To the end, as you have been
in the past, be true to yourselves,
your country and your God, and
when you rest under the sod OF the
land that you loved 80 we'll, the how-
ers, planted by loving hands. will ex-
hale a perpetual fragrance from
your graves.-W. D. Wood in News