The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-05-05
Grafton Of Gen. Jeha B. Gordon.
At the Laying OF the Foundation Stone
of the Confederate Soldiers MoDH-
ment at Montgomery. ON Wednesday,
April 2Ss- 1856.

Mr.. Chairman, Ladies, Brother-soldiers
nd Fellow-citizens The invitation OF
our committee found me epgrossed with
he cares and conflicts OF important BUSH
Tess engagements but it would have
zen accepted mad the burden upon me
,een ten-fold greater. That request closed
With these Impressive words: Ii viii be a
memorable event, upon historic ground
This invitation appeals to your patriot
sm."
Perhaps no more appropriate line OF
bought could be pursued by me than the |
ne suggested by these closing words.
The events OF this day viii be ''memora |
bic" because the monument whose louuda- |
lions we are assembled to lay will testify
to future ages Alabama's appreciation OF
the courage, fidelity, devoted patriotism
aud sell-sacri6ce OF the braYest and best Of
her sons.
This ground is "historic'' because it was
the home CT a race antedating the red
man by centuries because the Spanish
cavaliers pitched their tents upon these
bills nearly 200 years ago; because 1t was
the probable birthplace and home oil
Weatheriord and Tccumseh but, more !
Than all, because here was born the Con
tederate States Of America" Here, amidst
the PRAYERS and hopes, the aspirations and
apprehensions Of proud, brave, Tree ana
freedom loving people, was
cHmsrESED THE YOUNG REPUBLIC,
destined to only four years of meteoric
lie renown. Here the Chief Executive
ii that young repubic-lts first aud iis
last President--cailed by the united voice
of the representatives, Of his people, moi
s-tly but iirmly assumed the siupendOus
responsibility of his high Office. / may be
pardoned, even Ia his presence, brief al
lusiOu to two memorable occasions-the
only two-upon which it was my priv
lege to meet him from 1851 II 1863. These
occasions illustrate the very climax IN
the aptithesis OF fortune The one was
IN victory, the other in defeat On the
one he was a President on the other a
prisoner. On the one occasion he rode
with lofty bearing on tie battlefield OF the
1rst Manassas, the constitutional COM
mander- in-chief OF a victorious army ON
the other he lay incarcerated in Fortress
Monroe the vicarious sufferer for his van
quished people.
A,Istw MIN in that first great conflict
Of the C1nfederacy, with the shouts OF VIC
corious legions in his ears, and the glory
# battle on his face, he was in the me
rid an blaze OF his fame, Commanding the
unqualified confidence OF his Southern
couutrymen and the attehtIo OF ChrIsten-
loan. But as prisoner, stripped OF all
power save the power to endure sustained
| oy that IN jesttc spirit which no force nu'
death could conquer, awaiting his ludl'
cial trial and all its consequences win a
repose OF mind, an equipoise aud dig
uity of demeanor rarely equaled and never
| excetled-it was then that he bound nim-
sell to the hearts OF his people in deathless
| affection aud rose to the subiimest height
I~uf the morally heroic. OF these two
| scenes the one in the Fortress was morg
profoundly impressive. Its lesson Is oil
| Iaeslimable value to the Young men o.
our country. 1t teaches that no revulsIor
| in political fortunes, however sudden oil
extreme. can oyerwhelm or crush the mar
whose aims are lofty and
WHOSE LIFE Is BLAMELEss.
To my mind, great and grand as he wa
at the head OF nation, he was create
aud grander still as a nations prisoner
And when alterations and bitter mem
Dries are gone, when the crucial test o
historical analysis sh Ill be fully. fairl,
and truthlully made then his name ant
his fame. his conspicuous services to thu
country before the war, his uurivaleC
State papers and manly ulterauces durins
the war, and his moral elevation an'
matchless fortitude as prisoner OF Stat
after the war, will command universal re
spect and challenge unqualified adnira
ton.
The third and last thought suggested b,
| your committees invitation, Is, that tn
occasion appeals to our patriotism"
embrace this truth in its broadest an,
most circumscribed significance. Thi
memorable event upon historic ground
| will assuredly increase the strength an
enlarge the scope of the patriotism" 0
this people. The natural, logical, inevita
bic issue of this and all analogous event
must be to enhance the self-respect, aug
ment the seIf-relIance, exalt the manhoo
and heighten the appreciation OF this p-o
ole for their past history and achieve
Inents. and therefore intensity their Low
of country The converse proposition
equally true. Should we build no mouu
ments, write no histories, cherish n
memories of the men aud the deeds whic
truthful history would make immorta
we would sap the most solid foundatio
of our manhood and bring certain decay t
the patriotism OF our people The soldie
or the citizen of the North or the Sout
who would frown upon scenes like this /
either section, who does not esteem oh
renown won by both armies in THE lat
war. as enrichment of the history an
alliment for the patriotism OF the Who'll
people, is narrow in conception and jaur
diced in vision.
The thought of Lord Bolingbroke wa
the true one, that patriotism must +
founded on great principles and supporte
hv great virtues" 1t therefore follow
, that the more commendable the prime
pies aud the higher the virtues while
moved and supported the course OF eac
section in the late war. the more IIfe-giN
ing is the nutriment afforded to the patr
otism of all by their contemplation. L.
each section, therefore, while apDreciatin
the virtues of the other, add to the aggrt
gate patriotism OF the country by
PERFErUArING IN BRASS AND MARBLE
shafts, and granite piles the valor OF il
sons, and emblazon every page Of its hi,
tory with the glory OF their achievement
| am not of those who sympatbiz= wit
the spirit OF that narrow though paCrioti
, fcnizen of England who declare that hig
praise of the Romans was detraction OF tn
Britons. Nor can | suppress contempt fc
that myopic statesmanship-tha polite;
amaurosis in this couI try-which sees j
merited tributes to Confederates implie
detractiOn OF the valorous Federals. O
the other hand, | acknowledge inferiorit
. to no man in admiration of the broad lit
erality which prompted the eff''rt {
Charles Sumner to strike from the fla IS
) the Union the names OF the battles betwee
his estrauged and embittered countrymen
vet / subscribe neither to its policy nor t
its Justice. All honor to the spirit of tn
man who facing a storm Of political wrath
could rise to the lofty purpose of destroy
ing all mementoes of Northern trump
over his Southern countrymen All homo
to the eloquent utterances by which h
sought to make practical his magnanimou
conceptionl But | utterly Dissent iron
the opinion that such obliteration wa
either essential to the determination of th
sections or just to the intrepid armies o
the Union. The one thing essential to tn
manhood and self respect, and, therefore
| repeat, to the patriotism OF the people, i
that exact historic justice shall be metet
TO each army and all sections. Let mali
cious detraction cease let enyy-whicl
enslaves ignoble minds-find no place il
the breast of any lover of trnth. "Witl
fwhat measure We mete, it shall be meas
uied to YOU again" A Just apprecia iol
of the motives that impelled and of th
heroism which sustained each army an,
section in their Titanic conflict, is tn
symbol IS we'll as sustenance of patriotism
Illiberal criticism is not only unpatriotic-
it is irrational. Merited encomiums O
, Southern heroism is implied eulogy 0
Northern proves, which, inspired by de
votion to the u ion of the States and sus
tanned through privations and blood b.
, the profoundest convictions, brought a
last this lion-hearted section to defeat an,
surrender. On the other hand, laudation
OF the great com nanders OF the Army o
the Potomac and of their fearless follower
| ,hx. h,,sff ,hai-