Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-02-10
aneech of Col. JOhnNOn,

HiISlO w I'ai uV''0u - 4 '" v" w
my view to II State, in extent an
empire, AMI with u history that
does not pale before the lnstrc o.
QreGian or Roman story. Thcrmo
pyl,r itsclf'is matched by the Alamo
that scpulcre of horoes; and ifonc
Spartan fled to tell the tale, no Tex
an survived the fortress that never
surrendered. | might well pause
here to night and in this company
to draw from my personal rccollec'
tions the praises due that great
State, whose territory | have tray
crsed from the Sabine to the Stalk.
cd Plains, from Galveston and In
dianola to Belknap; whose sol! |
have helped to till; whose hospitali-
ties / have enjoyed, and whose peo'
pie ! have admired for their cour-
age, intelligence and untiring enter
prise. Indeed / am bound to Tex
as which distance nor time can wea-
ken. Ir was my dear fathers adop-
ted home; and the only wish he ev-
or expressed concerning his mortal
remains was, "that little Texas
earth might rest upon his breast. "
He valued his citizenship in Texas
beyond all price, and when it was
proposed that he should change it
in order to gain II largo lawsuit by
transfer to the Federal Courts, he
replied, "Not for silver no gold my
citizenship IN Texas has cost me
fortune and blood, and | viii! not
part with it fol any consideration
But I am warned by the presence
here of many invited guests that
this is no place for personal remi-
niscencc or State pride, that we are
assembled as brethren of a sacred
cause, and although no State can
answer more nobiy than Texas at
the roll call of the Confederate dead, :,
yet it is from no narrow standpoint
we must look, as we lift the veil that
shrouds our holiest and tendcrest
griefs.
We are told that in the old time
the Egyptians placed by their ban
quet- board, among the roses and
wines and costly dishes, skeleton,
that they might remember they
were morld. 1t is with n contrary
but more ennobling purpose, | con-
ceive, that your sentiment summons
to our presence and minds and
hearts on this festival occasion, the
Confederate dead: it is that this
stately procession of the knightli-
est dead that ever died may for a
moment shed their glory through
the gloom that ovcrhangs the land,
upon the hearts gathered here to
remind us that we are immortal
We are, ! trust, chastened as we'll
as exalted by the thought that ours
is q race Of hcrocsl and it is well
that ever and always we should ro-
member this. that we dcflo not with
spot or blcmish the snowy cscutch-
con that is our heritage. We would
not bart r the stai..lcss name of our
unhappy people for the ovcrdowing
cup Of unrighteous prosperity and
triumph. ... ....
The Confederate Dead! Tn the
memories stirred by these words
are mingled what shattered dreams
of glory, what tender regrets, what
a priceless legacy of undying fame
Who were these men that we should
so value them? We're it for moth
ing more than their martial valor
and prowess on the field we might
well be proud Of them as country
men. They were the gaycst and
tho gallantest gentlemen that ever
went down to battle, the stoutest
soldicry that ever brcastel the food
of death; and their cheer had q ring
of victory in it that made com.
rade's blood to bound and the foe
mans heart to quail when he heard
the exultant shout. In the charge
they pressed on with confident and
rosistless courage, and Voc TO the
enemy who urged too rashly their
sullcn retreat. They never learned
to fly, and in the last moments of II
hopeless struggle, the victors could
not stand before their assaults. If
you Judge them by their achieve
ments against overwhelming num-
bers, no contest in history can equal
their unavailihg resistance. They
met in the field tho flower of the
youth of every land, allured by the
stipend ofthe Northiand Celtic fire
was quelled and Teutonic stubborn
ness melted like wax, and well knit
phal nxcs of the West wcro shat
tered by their blows. Tho soldiers
who upheld for four years the cause
of the South will rank in history
among tho first for courage, endu.
rance, discipline, cheerful ness, in.
telligence and humanity.
But i is not as mere soldiers VIC
must view our dead. They were
the champions of a noble cause, the
cause of constitutional liberty and
ofimmemoriable rights made sa' red
by the muniments of more than six
hundred years. They represented
moreover the principal of selfgov-
ernment, of local freedom, and of
the right of people TO decide their
own political associations. In them
was struck down these ancient and
honorable ideas; and the communi-
ty of nations allowed itself TO listen
to and virtually to approve the plea
of the imperial and irresponsible
Capitalization that triumphed. We
have no complaints to make; but
when startled liberty in other lands
turns hither and thither for sympa-
thy or aid, We can only point them
to the lists where our champions
lie slain, but not diskonored.
In this view the Confederate
dead have a claim upon the whole
world, a claim as yet unacknowel-
dyed, but which we may trust to
II