The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1891-06-06

up by the thousands present. W
only wish we had the space and tim
to give q more full account of thi
eventful occasion this week. The fol
lowing is
GEN. WALTHALL's ADDRESS:
Ltsdies and Gentlemen:
After the lapse Of more than quarter O
a,century since the war ended between tn
North and South, We come to offer Mississip
PTS formal tribute to those who fell upOl
tsle Southern side.
This tasteful monument. due to woman
zeal; Is u lasting but tardy testimony of
hearts of the people since they, whose vir
tues 1t commentaries. laid down their live
for the honor Of the State.
A generation has well nigh come and gon,
ment'now Is proof that We act upon no tran
sient Impulse, but q strong and stable senti
ment which has endured and will endure.
This day is distant from the stormy periot
TO which these rites relate; the martial ar
dor which the notes OF war aroused has lon.
ago abnted and the seal of Southern homo
has been set upon the pledge Of peace: yet
a1ter all these years, we arc here to declare
before the world that this monument betok
ems our cordial recognition and deliberate
sanction OF the intent and Of the action OF
those whom it commentaries, and that it /.
our public attestation that their intent was
pure and their action honorable.
Neither time nor change nor circumstance
can alter this our mature conviction and tt
openly affirm it here. this vast concour,e o1
the people have assembled it Is for this that
men and women, old and young, OF every
shade OF taste nnd opinion and from every
vocation In life. have come together today.
me" Go not come to celebrate a National
holiday. nor a day signaiized In history by
some great civic achievement, nor the ami
versary OF some decisive battle that fixed a
Nations fate or swept away some old land
mark of our race. 1t is not ambition, nor the
hope of gain, nor self-interest In any form,
that brings together these earnest men and
women. They are not here to ask anything
grievance. nor to petition for any redress,
nor to protest against any wrong. With
good will to the Powers that be, to each othe,
and to the world. they come upon Il peaceful
u mere sentiment. that brings them together,
but it is m clevating and an ennobiing sen-
timent. The soldiers come to attest thesincere
motives and the honorable conduct Of their
dead comrades, during the perils and trials
Of our bloody struggle and thcy,and all others
here. come to give their sanction and en-
dorsement to the objects and PURPOSES of
this great gatlerins OF peaceful citizens.
Assembled for such purpose. we naturally
look back to the causes and the conduct Of
tho civil war, that We may see for what, and
how. those to whom this monument Is reared
struggled and suffered and died.
The occasion permits but Il cursory review
nnd al: affords : no opportunity to make contri-
briefly on what Is history now, and what it
teaches and illustrates.
In the foreground stands the monumental
fact, always to be kept in view. that al
and settled finally, that Il State cannot Sc
cede from the Union, it was not 80 settled In
1861, and the absence OF q power. In this gov
ernment q granted powers to coerce 9
BY actual force. and the forced construction
Of the Federal Constitution, which exists
now, had not then been established.
Without looking further back for the ORR
gin and advocates Of the view Of constitu-
tional power on which, the Southern people
took up arms, 1t may be said that John G.
Calhoun, in his day, was its leading repre-
sentative and exponent. and 1t was Of him
that Mr.: Jefferson Davis said. In the United
passed the @ ordinance @ of secession Se Was
the wisest statesman I ever knew"
Devoted to the peculiar interests and insti-
tutions OF the South. but All ardent lover OF
PEACE rnd ,9: Sf he Union all through his
I'd for . strict construction Of the Federal
Constitution and persistenly claimed for the
states every right which they had not sur
ms nAHcal knAos*CGny nau tle ehuofse-
ment OF long list 81 olstlnsuished names.
out, as 70 its leaolnR ieatures, tnefe was none
y Mr.. Davis, despite some divergence In
heir views touching the limits Of q States
By his powerful reasoning Mr.. Calhoun
'0qgbt 10 ENFORCE certain sOund ana saluta-
y lessons OF constitutl0nal Interpretation,
which, had they been accepted In both Sec
ions OF the Union, as they were IN one, our
'ountry would a. nave oeen spared four years
y waste ana sunerng ana Dlood. But they
we're re1ected. ana out OF the construction,
On constit9tS aS arose ne Ksanc conflict OF
aimed, as We Dellevea, by the fundamental
principle OF popular liberty, we staked our
III upon the supreme sovereignty OF state
md the 1nalienaDle rights OF the people OF
ne States. ..
Our cOnstructlon 0i tne constit9tion lost
much favor TO when u was entitled, because
slavery Mas snelteIea unaer the sovereign-
Y OF the STATE, e, IN. and IN 9nr sro contention we
'ncounterea al the pre1ualtcse &C. against slav-
Igreed with Us on the questlons involved
vhen eDstfactly c0nsi4ereG, reaolly adOpted
my construction which looked to the over |
brow OF that institution
But we did not go TO war for slavery, |
h0u9h slavery was lntefWoven with the
auses, ana intensined the bitterness OF the |
,sf' M ana ~ tne rate OF stavery was t forever set
ed into It by reckless public men, who had !
lot counted the cost, tor the great leaders, |
md notably MIR. Davis, were slower In the |
movement than the masses OF the Southern |
|e0ple. We did not take up arms because we |
VeTe dissatisfied With our form OF govern |