The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-04-30

terday Dy the great Soldler IN
so able a manner as TO require
no supplement from me. General John
B. Gordon was a soldier, who, when our
tines were darkest at Petersburg, was
selected by his Chieftain Lee as the best
man TO lead the charge. to repel the be-
seiging army, to make a sortie and TO
attack in the flank. and to reverse and
double up Grants army. and may say
In his presence here e failed, but his
failure was due to the failure Of his
guides to carry him where he proposed
70 go. Again, that man and a gallant
soldier was the one person whom Lee
called at Appomattox when he
wanted 10 know whether II we're
possible to break the line that
INSTRUCTED his retreat towards the
that II was impossible: that after n few
years OF hard lighting his division had
worn down to 4 fragment. 1t being
impossible to break the line that OBJ
structed his march, Lee, like Washing
ton, without knowing perhaps that
Washington ever used the expression,
said If he could not reach the noun
tains of Virginia he could continue the
war for twenty years, but when he
found the line which cbstructed his re-
treat could not be broken, he said there
was nothing to do but surrender. Be
IL remembered, however, that Lee was
not the man who contemplated sur
render as long as he had power 20
fight or retreat, and when he
came to the last moment of
surrender, he said to General Grant:
81 have come to treat with you for the
purpose of surrender, but General
Grant. understand, l will surrender
nothing that reflects upon the honor OF
my army Grant, like a man, said he
wanted nothing that would have that
effect, and that Lee might draw mp the
papers himself. II is not my purpose,
either, TO discuss questions or review
the past except in the vindication of the
character and conduct of those to whom
it is proposed to do honor on this occa-
sion. That we may not be misunder-
stood by such as are not wilfully
blind, 1t may be proper to state
in the foreground that we hay re
no desires of sectional hate, while we
do not seek to avoid whatever response
bility attaches to belief in the right
eousness of our cause and the virtue of
those who risked their lives to defend
it. (Long applause and cheers). Re
Venge is not sentiment of chivalrous
people, and the apothegem that for
giveness Is more easy to the injured
than to those who infiict an injury, has
never had a more powerful illustration
than in the present attitude o. the two
sections towards one another. There
should have been a full restoration of
equality, of privileges and benefits as
they had pre-existed, though tfIs has
have faithfully Kept Kept, your our y re-
sumed obligations as citizens and
in your timpoverishment have borne
equal burdens without equal benefits.
am proud OF you all, nay countrymen,
for this additional proof of your fidel-
ity. and pray God to give you grace to
suffer and be strong. When your
children's children shall ask what
means this monument, there will be the
enduring answer: 1t commentaries
the deeds of Alabama's sons, WHO died
that you and your descendants should
be what your fathers in the war Of in
dependence left YOU Alabama asserted
the night proclaimed in the Declaration
of Independence as belonging to every
people. She found that the compact
of the Union had been broken on
one side, and was, therefore, annulled;
that the Government of the United
States did not answer the end for which
ii was instituted. and with others of
like mind proceeded to form a new con-
federation organizing Its powers IN the
language of the Declaration of indie
pendence in such a form as seemed to
them most likely to effect their safety
and happiness. This was MOI a revolu
ton, because the State government,
having charge OF all domestic affairs,
both of person and of property. re-
manned unchanged. To call 1t revolu-
ton Is a gross Solecism (applause). As
sovereigns never rebel and as only SOW
ereigns &C inform to q national league. If
the states had never been sovereigns,
there never could have been a compact
of the Union. That the south did
not anticipate. much less desire, war is
shown by the absence of preparations
for it, as well as the efforts to secure a
peaceful separation. The successful
party always held the defeated respon-
sible for the war, but when passion shall
have subsidized, and reason shall have
resumed her dominion, it must be
decided that the general government
has no constitutional power to coerce a
State, and that the State has a right TO
repel invasion. 1t was q national |
From the early part of the century |
there had been prophecies and threats |
OF dissolution OF the Union. These |
began at the north, on the question of |
the balance of power and |
during the war Of 1912.
In the course of the year, the |
balance of power passed to the north |
and that power was so used that the |
south. despairing of the peaceful enjoy
ment of their Constitutional rights in
the Union, decided to withdraw from it
This without injury to their late asso-
ciates. The right to withdraw was
denied, and the north made ready
for war. Distant mutterings of the
storm were readily understood by
the people of Alabama. Grey-haired
sires and beardless boys, all unprepared
as they were, went forth to meet the
storm ere il burst upon their homes and
their affairs. 1t required no Demos
themes TO arouse them to the duty of
the invaders. No Patrick
Henry TO prepare them for the alterna-
tive OF liberty or death. Here was
people. not leaders, who resolved and
acted on the sentiment which inspired
all classes. yet believe there were verv
lew who did not regret the necessity
which left them TO the alternative be-
srawt.# 81. 1