The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-04
THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.

LECTURE By ALFRED H. wADDELI, NJ. C., AT
sTEINwAY HALL FORGETTING THE PAST.
Alfred NJ. waddoll, OF North Carolina, delivered .
lecture in Seinway Hall last evening entitled "The
Confederate soldern NJ. Waddell 10 . member OF
Congress and tho chairman OF Committee on Post
Olices Post Roads the House OF
The proceeds OF tho lecture to DO Tor the benefit OF
the Veteran corps Of the Forty regiment New
York Volunteers, OF which Private Miles ORieIv
was a member. On tho platform were cx Governor
Hoffman, Mayor Ely, General Smith, Rev. Hyland
Garrett ex-I.,sutenant Governor Woodford, Thuriow
Weed, General yen, DR. Deems, General Martin Nc
Mahon, Postmaster James, Post master McLcer, OF
Brooklyn, and Colonel Peitor. Music furnished
by the Governors Island band and by Mr. Pratt,
organist. Mr. Joseph W. Parker, President OF tho
Veteran corps of the Forty regiment, intro
duced Mr.. Waddell who spoke as iollows:--
SOLDIERS or THE UNIoN-My FRIENDS Cous.
rRyMkN:-rho man who could without mlsgivinRs oc-
Cupy lhs position assigned me this evening would 20
indeed unenviabie frankly confess that TINS is 10
mo Of sne most trying, as IL is one Of tho most
CRAFTY ing, occasions IN my experience. You asked
10 select my theme this evening s'fhe Conied-
crate Soldier" and the deed was as manly aud sener-
Gus IN you as 1t was acceptable and all those
who once bore that name Confederate soldier and
tho male citizen of the Confederate Staes nearly
synonymous terms. In no other country, With such
population and territory, was there such APP
PROCLAMATION to universal sodierhood rs was exhibited
there. No other government was ever charged with
armies In the good old conservative State in which
hvc--and which was SO aversc 10 the conflict before
u was beg un--ihe number OF soldiers exceeded the
number OF voters by 6,000-a fact which believe Is
without q parallel.
From the first fight at Bethel to The last at Ben
tonyile she front limo all the time, and her
list OF killed exceeds that OF any other state on either
side; yet this State mat voted down secession
by decided majority. All this wss--and with some
Of the Northern people, perhaps, stii-A mystery
The answer 10 that while tho people differed AS 10 Tho
abstract right OF a State to seccde,
iori such right. aud
while they all loved tho Union, they were almost
unanimous in the conviction That II State did secede
states had no right TO use armed force to
hold her and that the first duty OF citizen In UGH
TO his own State. This had been thu pohti-
opinions IN regard other States, they did not hssl
tate, issue, to take similar position. Hence
want an aristocratic government, because they
adopted the constitution OF the United States
almost verbatim, only INCORPORATING into u
OF the States and the general government
and fixing tho term Of the Executive at SIX years aud
declaring his neligbility TO second term Another
idea that they loved slavery and were
determined risk everything Tor IT, aud great stress
was laid upon the utieranos attributed distin-
guishsd Georgian, but which gross mlsrcpresen-
taton, that the new governments was TO be founded
upon slavery as rs corner stone. Yet only
owned slaves, and ! usscrt hero now
as fact wn,cn no Southern man win
deny, that not man III one hundred living there
at that time and perhaps not ono IN thousand,
would have shed drop OF his blood simply 70 save
that Institution. "A private soldier, u gentleman
ot education, assured during the war that
his association with MS comrades satisfied him Ihat
II the fret terminated successfully tor the Con-
iederacy the rank hle oil the army would
demand tho abolition OF slavery Ia some way.
The Confederate solder lett his frestde 10 light
III rough long and weary years for (strange as may
sound 10 some ears) love Of country and constitu.
tional liberty. lie beloved that he was defending
his home against an invader who was bent upon
his subJugaiion and dcgracation He was Just
as sincere ana honest as you werc, and ~ tho
Of conscience, and before tho Righteous Judge,
~ whose tribunal must all appear, ne will stand
acquitted OF any offence in THIS respect. es
RETURNING ARMIES
You overthrew him, ana returned, amid tho accla-
nations Of rejoicing millions, to happy and prosper
GUS homes. He went back through wilderness 70
kiss his ragged children, who cried fer brend Your
homeward march was along path strewod with gar.
lands and gaddened with songs oil triumph; his cas-
trod silently through land Of tears
Tho lecturer related many anecdotes and historical
incidents 10 illustrate tho heroic virtues oil Tho
soldiers OF both sides He sad,hat the great
OF the South doubled TINT they would succeed
until the Attn ofJuy, 1863 when the news from vicks
soldiers warmly eulog zed, and IN clsStng the
orator quoted tho song
by the flow Of tho inl aud =,
Whence the feets Of iron have ned.
Where the blades Of the grave prass culver
Asleep the ranks OF the dead -
Under the sod aad the dew.
Waiting the Judgment Day:
Cna.r the one the Glue.
Under en- other the gray.
Ex-Governor Woodford followed with an enthusi-
astic little speech he said they had come
together again c,izens Of common nag. and then
extending his hand and olasping that OF MI. Wad-
dell, he said, '.Wc shake hands across the bloody
chasm (Grcat applauss) And Will MI the chasm
with mutual love ana mutual trust, and roach to
IA, great level OF common citizenship"