The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-01
TRY II ON!
T HE w HE N
MORE SOUTHERN ELOQUENCE.
Gov. Watts's Fulsome Eulogy Of JEFF Davis
and the S0uth's Lost Cause.

MONTGOMERY, Ala, April 30-Owing to the
crush of report last night, the following speech
of Governor Watts, in presenting Mr. Davis, yes
terday, was crowded outs
II can scarcely express to you how proud am
in having the honor of introducing before you
to-day the ex-President of the confederate
States, now known as the chief of the lost
cause. Before he was elected President of the
confederate States knew him simply by repu-
tation as the fearless commander on the field OF
Buena Vista, as the distinguished Secretary of
War in the Cabinet of President Pierce, and as
the representative of the grand old State of Mis-
sissippi in the United States Senate. After he
was elected President of the confederate States
as one OF the members of his Cabinet. / was,
therefore, associated with him for eighteen
months iii intimate and almost daily relations.
Before knew him personally admired him as
an orator, a statesman. When l left his Cabi-
net in October, 1863 after having been selected
by the good people of Alabama as their
chief magistrate. | not only admired him
as soldier and statesman, but loved him AS a
man: and now after twenty years of an eventful
career he appears before US to-day, and that
which calls him here to-day is full Of memories
and fills US with notions. see, In my mind s eye,
two great sections of republic of States, divided,
two great peoples springing from the same sod,
speaking the same language, worshipng the
same God, and processing to love the grand prin-
ciples of republican government. under hostile
banners. / see a four years war; l see alternate
victories and defeats; l see the horror, ard the
woe, and the gloom which enveloped our land as
with some mighty funereal pall and now that the
war has ended sea the sisterh0od or our fair
ing flowers upon the graves of the IGNORED dead.
Are we ashamed of this homage to the memory
of our lost ones2 No, no, no, my fellow-country-
men They fought for liberty, they died for
liberty, and posterity will treasure their names
to the most distant times Applause. We are
called hero to-day to erect a monument over
those noble heroes who fell in a glorious cause,
and he is coward, let him live in the North or
in the South, or in the East or in the West,
who would cast slur upon the emotions which
animate the great people of Alabama in the dis
play Of their affection to-day. Prolonged ap-
plause.l My felldw-citiZens, these graves of our
soldiers deserve the erection of monument /
have not forgotten an incident that happened
during the progress of the war. | remember,
after the battle of Gettysburg the turning point,
perhaps, in the history Of the war between the
States, that Abraham Lincoln standing upon
the heights of Gettysburg, on Cemetery Hill,
surveying on one side the graves of the Union
dead and on the other, in the valley beneath, the
graves of the confederate dead, some gentlemen
stepping up to him said. in substance: Mr.. Lin
coin, the man who defended the heights will live
in history YES said Mr.. Lincoln, these men
will live in history, and likewise will the men
who attacked these heights live in history And
], too. most fondly hope they will, my country
men. Fellow-cit!zens, that was a prophecy from
a great and good man. When the shadows of
prejudice and passion, generated by the war,
shall have passed away-for twenty wears is
day to them-the dear people of the North will
indorse. the dear people of the North
will fulfill. the prophecy of Abraham Lincoln.
Now, fellow-ctizens, erect this monument to
perpetuate the manly courage of the Dead build
it so high that its peak will kiss the first beam of
the morning sun. Let it be grand in all its pro-
portions-grand as the courage, bravery forti-
tude Of our men whose memory it is intended to
perpetuate. Carve on it the estimate in which
you hold these dead heroes, and leave a space
upon the northern portion of it for another peo-
pie, in some future time, to carve the estimation
in which they hold these dear boys who died in
attempting to achieve what they believed to be
their rights and the rights of constitutional lib
erty The people of the North, the magnanimity
of the North, the sterling men, the good men of
the North, will some day write upon that monu-
ment the fact that these brave heroes who are
dead here were their common countrymen, and
were defenders of liberty. Enthusiastic ap-
plause.] Fellow-citizens the time is coming.
and believe it is not far hence when the people
of the North, and the people of the East the
people of the West-the people of the South
already do twill take up this bloody shirt,
that has been faunted in our eyes for
twenty years. ana will fold it up and
bury it so deep tnat the hand of
will never find it. Applause and
cheers They will bury it in some secluded
spot with no headstone to mark it's eternal
resting place. Now, fellow citizens, desire to
introduce to you this grand old man. / desire
to say to you why we love him. We love him
because he has ever been true to constitutional
we love him, because he has ever
been true to the people of the South, and we
love him. above all, because, in the time of mis-
fortune in the prison at Fortress Monroe his
do war Scad nd clad
blood. ILong applause.l And hence we love
him now. Now. Mr.. Davis, Mr.. Davis takes
position beside the speakerl desire to present
you to our Alabama people, and you must per-
NIT me to cay, low-citizens. that in all my
reading of ancient and modern history, l have
never read of single man who possessed the
sterling qualities Of Jefferson Davis
Long and repeatedly renewed applause and
cheers as ex Governor Watts ended and Mr. Da-
Wis stood forth.