St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-05-15
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
Address of the Ex-President of the
Confederacy at Montgomery.
He Pays Tribute to the Sons of Alabama
who Sacrificed Their Lives For what
They Conceived to BE Their
Constitutional Rights

MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 30.-The
ceremonies yesterday attendant upon the
laying of the cornerstone of the Confed-
crate monument were very elaborate and
| imposing, and attracted a large and en-
thusiastic crowd. Ex-Governor Watts
presided. He made a brief address, and
| then introduced Jefferson Davis, who
spoke for half an hour. After the Ma
sonic ceremonies reception was held by
Mr., Davis in the Governors room in the
historic capitol. Thousands of Confcd-
crate veterans attended and shook hands
with the ex-Confedcrate President.
Mr.. Davis address is as follows:
1t Is deeply gratifying to me to be pre-
! sented'bv one upo niwhom leaned for advice
| when advice was wanting, whose stern
| qualities always made me sure that the
| Judgment he was drawing came from the
| bottom of his heart. When you called MN
away, the place was missing WHICH he once
| filled, and have always desired to lay my
| hand upon him again. Applause Thus 1t
| was the other night, after years of separa-
| ton, some people in the room gave sar-
| men embrace. But our hearts We're young
| though our heads were old. Associated here
with so many memories NOR e. s t dananr
GUS for me to attempt to speak to you as my
! heart would prompt me. Not that am al
ways treasuring up bitterness against any
! miration for our beloved people. APP
plause. To avoid, therefore. any thing
whic. might be prompted by the fuliness OF
my heart, for 1 believe am case, hardened
| In that condition of non citizenship which
| leaves me very little to fear EapplauSei. Tor
| the purpose of guarding others rather than
| antf how foran
| might read which would not contain any
thing that would be constructive or hlrtful
You 70 t are in the house OF Your frends"I
| My friends, partners in Joy and sorror.
| in trials and suffering, have come to join
| you in the performance of a sacred task; to
| lay the foundation of monument at the
| cradle of the Confederate Government,
| which shall commemorate the gallant sons
| of Alabama who died for their country;
| who gave the lives, a free Will Offering in
| defense OF their rights of their sires. won in
the war of the revolution; the State SOW
! ereignty, freedom, independence, which was
| left US as an in heritance to their posterity
| forever. These rights the compact of Union
was formed not to destroy. but the better
MES this can not have attentiveiv read the
| articles of confederation oriof the ConstItu-
| ton OF the United States, the latter formed
| and designed the better to effect the purpose
| of the first.
1t Is not my purpose to dwell upon the
| events of the war. They were laid before
! able a manner as to require no supplement
| from me. They were laid before you by one
| like 4Eneas, "Cuncta quorum vidi ct magma
| pars full" General John B. Gordon was the
soldier who, when our times seemed darkest
|. at Petersburg, was selected by his chieftain,
General Lee, as the best man TO lead the
charge to repel the beSieginS army; to make
a sortie and attack in flank and reverse; to
double up Grants army and. IT may say so
in his presence. he failed, but it was due to
the failure of his guides to carry him
whore he proposed to go. Again, that man
and gallant soldier was the one upon whom
Lee called at Appottomax. when he wanted
to know whether 1t was possible to break
the line that obstructed his retreat toward
the mountains Of Virginia. He answered
OF hard fighting his division was worn down
to q friZzle. 1t being then impossible to
break the line that INSTRUCTED his march to
out knowing, perhaps. that Washing ton ever
used the expression. said IL could reach the
mountains of Virginia he could continue the
war for twenty years. But when he found
that the line witch obstructed his retreat
could not be broken, he said there was moth
ing to do but surrender.
Be 1t remembered that Lee was not the
man who could contemplate 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 Grant: 81 have come to
treat with you for the purpose of surrender
ing, but, General Grant. understand that
will surrender nothing that reflects upon the
honor of my army" Grant, like a man, said
himself.
1t is not my purpose, either, to discuss the
political questions on which my views have
been elsewhere or at other times freely ex-
pressed; neither to review the past, except
In vlndication of the character and conduct
on this occasion.
That we may not be misunderstood by
such as are not wilfully blind, it may be
proper to state In the foreground that we
have no desire to feed the fires of sectional
hate, while we do not seek to avoid what
ever responsibility is attached to the belief
In the righteousness of our cause and the
virtue of those who risked their lives to de-
fend 1t: Loud applause and cheers Re-
people, and the apothegm that forgiveness
Is more easy to the injured than to those
who inf1ict an injury has never had a more
powerful illustration than in the present at
t1tude OF the two sections toward one an
n.imity, would have indicated that
there should have been full
restoration of the equality, privileges and
benefits as they had preexisted. Though
faithfully kept your resumed Obligations as
citizens, and in your impovershment have
borne equal burdens without equal benefits.
additional proof of you fidelity, and pray
God to give you grace to suffer to be strong.
When your children's children shall ask,
'What means this monuments" there will be
the enduring answer, at commentaries the
deeds of alabama's sons who died that you
and your descendants should be what your
fathers in the war for Independence left
y0n.'
Alabama asserted the right proclaimed in
the Declaration of Independence as belong
Ing to every people, She found that the
compact of the Union had been broken on
one side, and was, therefore, annuIled; that
the Government of the United States did
not answer the ends for which it was insti-
tuted, and with others of like mind proceed
ed to form a new confederation, organizing
Its powers in the language of the Declara-
ton of Independence in such form as
RRnmad To am mos lralx To- heir