Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1887 — THE LOST CAUSE. [ARTICLE]

THE LOST CAUSE.

Gov. Gordon Explains the Affection of the South for Jefferson Davis. In his speech at Cincinnati, Saturday night, Governor Gordon, of Georgia, al•fnded to the reception of Jefferson Davis at Macon as follows: It is charged that we cheered Jeff Davis. Does that going to war again? Let us reason Suppose we didn’t. Suppose we turned our back on this palefaced, broken down old man? What did he do that ! haven’t done? I don’t think I shot everybody, but I tried pretty hard. You might ask me to turn a cold ■ shoulder on the Wife oI my bosom. She went with me to the front. She followed me to camp. Sht shared my dangers even to the picket, and at times in the danger of cattle; and under Providence, I owe to her tender nursing, that my life was spared me. Why should I hate her? If we should turn our baekson tnat man, refuse him our sympathies,we would merit the scorn of every rave man in this audience, and you would feel absolute con tempt for us. When Jeff Davis left the United States Senate he left it full of regret and full of po itieal honors. For our sakes he be&ime poor and debarred forever from political honors in.his own country. He lingers to-day with broken health and scarcely a place to lay his head, dragging after him the wounded limbs with increasing suffering that, followed him from Buena Vista. What would you think of me if I said: ‘Xlo hence: I have no more use for you.” lam not going to do it. I would have contempt for General Meryon (who sat on the stage) if he went back on the grand old mime of. Abraham Lincoln. Putr yourself in the other fellow’s place. Jt was my fortune a few weeks ago. at Philadelphia, to take part in the celebration of the adoption of the Constitution, and when Georgia had taken her part f was proud as f stood In the streets to see the shattered remnants of .the Union army bearing the. shattered remnants of the old flags, and-as they were viewed by that October light amid the shouts of ten thousand throats, 1 felt that thrill that I knew was pulsating in the veins of strong, grand men, the remnants of the Grand Arniy of the Republic, why. shouldn’t I? They were consecrated to a cause which to those who gathered around them was holy as honor and troth. I would have no faith in home and liberty if those men did not love ti.eir liiig;-. too, we loved ours. Ltamggbt out of the universe when hatred of the South is eallid loyalti to the North. I ani going to show jom that our children should love their flags. A man is better who has the nerve to do Justice, whatever it costs. Was there any honor in carrying those old flags? They, too, w> re woven by the patriot ic hands of Southern women. They were delivered and brothers, consecrated by teaps-rtud prayers Some were rent *<vith bulTtetafblaekened with gunpowder and reddened with the blood of the brave. Don’t we btiild monuments to the Confederate dead? Why, Gen. Grant, the greatest General of the Union army, said he was willing to share in the dedication Of a monument to the Confederate dead. There isn’t goo- sense in it, and the man who tries to stir your passions, doesn’t deserve your votes. You see in some of your papers column after column about Rebel flags. This is the truth. I was there. There were in all that great city of Macon a dozen Confederate flags, and fifty thousand of the .stars and Stripes, and yet some people are so color blind that they could not. see anything but the rebel Hags, and yet the very carriage that bore Jeff Davis and -he horses that drew him were literally covered with Union flags The very house that he was in was cavereU-withdhem-so to almost bliud-diimr: Some speeches were made. A leader yns chosen to present a m omen to ofaffection to his wife and the great, el’inax of it was that the Union was rehabilitated even by warmer hearts than ever.