St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-30
A LITTLE TIN GOD.
jeff Davis in the Role of Second-Hdition
Prophet at the Alabama
Celebration.
he Indulges in Another Of His Famous
Retrospects of the
Rebellion,
And Claims That the United States
Had no Right to Coerce
the South.
The Unreconstructed Rebel Wor-
SHIPPED and Feted to His Entire
Satisfaction.
AIabanna,s Monument.

top and premises were covered with people
gathered TO witness the laying of the cor
ner stone of the Confederate monument, or
as some expressed it 1.-THE official burial of
the Confederacy" The skies above were
clOudleSS and pleasant breeZes waited the
breath of flowers from the city. The
foundation of the monument only was
ready, presenting a surface of thirty-fiYe
feet square. Near at hand stood the corner
stone on which in raised letters was the
inscription:
Corner stone laid by ex-PreSident Jeffer-
son Davis, April 29, 1885,.
Opposite this was large platform for the
speakers. The procession formed in front
OF the Exchange hotel. Mr. Davis, his
daughter. eX-Gov. Watts and Hon. Ii. C.
TOmpkins, chairman of the committee of
arrangements were in carriage drawn by
four white horses, each led by negro in
livery. The next carriage contained Gen.
and Mrs. Gordon, his daughter and Mrs.
Clement Clay and was surrounded by sur
vivorS of the Sixth Alabama and other Con
federate veterans. The procession was
preceded by a cavalry and artillery escort
and was further made up of other local
military, the uniformed rank Knights of
Pythias, Grand COmmandry of knights
Templars and Masonic bodies from differ
ent parts of the States. The demonstrations
along the route
WE'RE AS ENTHUSIASTIC
as they were yesterday. EX-GOv. Watts
presiding officer of the occasion, opened the
exercises with reference to the Importance
of calling down the benediction of heaven
upon the occasion, and requested the Rev.
Mr.. Andrews, pastor of the NJ. E. Church
to pray. The prayer was earnest and sim
pie. Ex-Gov. Watts then presented Mr..
Davis in brief speech. 1t was some mo-
mentS before he could proceed, as the
cheers were again and again repeated.
When there was sufficient quiet Mr.. Davis
said:
1t is deeply gratifying to me to be presented
to you by one on whom L leaned for advice
when advice was wanted, whose stern quail
ties always made me sure that the judgment
he was drawing was from the bottom of his
heart. When you called him away, the place
was missing which he once filed and 1 have
always desired to lay my hand upon him
again doing sol. Applause. Thus it was
when we met the other night after years of
separation. Some of the people in the room
gave Sardonic smile to see old weather.
beaten men embrace, but our hearts were
young, though our heads were old. AsSo-
ciated here with so many memories thrilling
and tender, 1 have felt that it was dangerous
for me TO attempt TO speak TO you as my heart
would prompt me. Not that 1 am always
treasuring up bitterness against any one, but
] am Overfowing with love and admiration
for our beloved people. Lorg applause. To
avoid, therefore, anything which might be
prompted by the fullness of my heart, for /
am caSe hardened in the
CONDITION OF NON-CITIZENSHIP
which leaves me very little to fear, Tap
plause] for the purpose of guarding others
rather than myself, have prepared notes
that might read which would not contain
anything that would be constructive or hurt
nj lVOicpS-GO
You are in the house of your friends. Ny
friends, partners in joy and in sorrow, in
trials and suffering, have come to join you
in the performance Of n sacred task, to lay
the foundation of a monument at the cradle
OF the Confederate government, which shall
commemorate the memory of the gallant sons
of Alabama, who died for their country, who
gave their lives, free-will Offering, in de-
fense of the rights of their sireS won in the
war Of the revolution and the state sover-
eighty, freedom and independence which was
left us as an Inheritance to their posterity for
ever. These rights the compact of union was
formed not TO destroy, but the better to pre-
serve and perpetuate. Whose denies this
cannot have attentively read the articles of
confederation, or the constitution of the United
States. The latter was formed and designed the
better to effect the purposes OF the first. 1t
is not my purpose to dwell upon the events
of the war. They were laid before you yes
terday by that great soldier in SO able a man
Gen. John b. Gordon was the soldier
who, when our times seemed darkest
at Pittsburg, was selectede by his chieftain,
Lee, as the best man to lead the charge to
REPEL THE BESIEGING ARMY,
TO make sortie and attack in flank and re-
verse, to double up Grants army, and, if
may say so in his presence here. he failed
but his failure was due to the failure of his
guides to carry him where he proposed to CO.
Again, that man and gallant soldier was the
whom q
when he wanted to know whether it were
possible to break the line that obstructed his
retreat towards the mountains of Virginia
He answered that it was impossible-that
after four years of hard fighting his division
was worn down to fragment. 1t being then
impossible to break the line that obstructed
his march to the mountains, Lee, like WASH
tngton, without knowing perhaps that Wash
Ing ever used the expression, said if be could
reach the mountains of Virginia he could con-
tinue the war for twenty years. But when he
found the line which obstructed his retreat
could not be broken, he SAID there was moth
ing to do but surrender. Be it remembered,
however that Lee was not the man who con-
templated surrender as long as he had the
power to fight or retreat, and when he came
to the last moment of surrender he said to
Gen. Grant: II have came to treat with you
for the purpose of surrender, but, Gen. Grant
understand, will surrender nothing that re-
fleets upon the honor of my army" Grant like
man, said he wanted nothing that would
have that effect, and that Lee might draw up
the papers himself. 1t is not my purpose
either to
DISCUSS THE POLITICAL QUESTIONS
on which my views have elsewhere and in
other times been freely expressed, or to re-
view the past, except in vindlcation of the
character and conduct of those to whom it is
proposed to do honor on this occasion. That
we may not be misunderstood by such as are
not willfully blind, it may be proper to state
N fOrpOrOnn1 WE aci IN
feed the fires of sectional hate, while we do
not seek to avoid whatever responsibility at
taches to the belief in the righteousness of
our cause and the virtue of those who risked
their lives to defend it. Loud applause and
cheers. Revenge is not the sentiment of a
chivalrous people, and the apothegm that
forgiveness is more easy to the injured than
TO those who infct injury, has never had a
more powerful illustration than in the pres
ent attitude of the two sections toward one
another Policy, in the absence of
magnanimity, would have indicated
that in restored union of the
states, there should have been full restora-
tion of the equality, privileges and benefits as
had pre-existed though this had not been the
case. Yet you have faithfully kept your re-
sumed obligations as citizens, and in your
Impoverished state have borne equal burdens
without equal benefits. / am proud of you
my countrymen for this additional
PROOF OF YOUR FIDELITY,
aud pray God to give you grace TO suffer and
be strong. When your childrens childen
shall ask what means this monument, there
will be the enduring answer, it commentaries
the deeds of Alabama's sons, who died that
YOU and your descendants should be what
your fathers in the year of independence left
YOU. Alabama asserted the right proclaimed
i'm the declaration of independence as belong
ing to every people. She found that the COM
pact Of the Union had been broken on one
side and was therefore annulled: that the