The Brookhaven leader., 1891-10-22
ELOQUENT AND TRUE.
4 SOLDIERS TRIBUTE TO
RIGHTEOUS CAUSE.
Patriotic Words of Gov. Stone
mt the Confederate Vet
Grams RC-UniOn.
PITY for the Coward who Apologies and
the Braggurt Who Boasts.


portion of Gov. stones speech before
the Confederate Veterans Reunion
at Natchcz:
We are here, fellow soldiers, more
for the purpose of commemorative the
past, than for building for the future.
I'm the beginning of our struggle we
were all young. and filed with the
hopes and aspirations of youth. and
knowing little of the stern realities
of war we promptly responded, with
celebrity, to the roll call of our respect
i've States. When we look around It's
now, instead of the young men and
bcardlesS boys of 1860, who were my
comrades at Manassas and Cold Har-
Dor and Gettysburg, and who were
your comrades at Shiloh and Nicks-
burg and Atlanta, we feel that we are
in an entirely different presence we
recognize few of the same features,
but behold in the same persons the
gray haired veterans of 1891. Yet we
know they are the same men, and if
there were among lis Il ''dOubtlng
Thomas the proof is at hand. The
honorable scars worn by most of them
place their indemnity beyond question.
These are indeed they who fought the
battles of the COnfederacy and whose
star went down in defeat, but not in
diShOnor. You are here today as
. proud and honorable men. IIonoung
each other, honOred 10y your former
enemies for your prowess as soldiers,
and honored by the civilized world foI
your patriotic devotion to the cause
for which you fought When impair
tal history shall record your deeds
the brave and the true everywhere
will honor You.
pity the poor coward, if there be
such, who apologies for, or the bait
ant braggart who boasts OF what he
did us il Confederate soldier. lie who
did most only did his duty to his
country. He who did less deserves
its condemnation. The Confederate
soldier, like the Union soldier, owed
his allegiance to his country; and
like the Union soldier, he fought and
died for a righteous cause; and the
only reason why | am not as well sat
isfcd with the part we took in the
late war as have been with that
taken by our fathers in the revolu-
! tionary struggle, and the only reason
why am not as proud of the soldier
of Manassas and Shiloh and Gettys-
burg and AppOmattaX, as of those of
Bunker Hill, Trenton. Lexington and
Yorktown, is that they were not sue
cesstul. Then away with the coward
~ cant that plties and apologies for
the Southern soldier, because he fought
and fell in cause that he "believed
to be right" | assert to-day, as con-
iidently as did Yancey or Toombs
or Davis i'll 1861, that it was just
and righteous cause and that the Con-
federate soldier not only thought he
was right, but he fought and died in
that cause and is entitled to the same
need OF praise, and of honor, and of
glory from his people, as is the faith
fui Northern soldier who fought and
died beneath the folds of the stars
and stripes fighting for the integrity
of the Union. They succeeded, and
we were compelled to yield to the SUI
pcrior force of overwhelming num-
bers. The arbitrament which we in
vOked failed lis, and we, in good faith,
accepted the result, and are today as
conscicntiouSly loyal to the govern
ment Of the United States as we We're
when the great leaders in the South
ern armies were fighting its battles
OH the plains of Mexico. We, who
fought for the principle of the rights
of the States under the Constitution,
are to-day as loyal to the Union rs
those who fought to maintain it. The
motives and the principles of the one
were as pure and patriotic rs those of
the other. | repeat, my comrades,
that we are as loyal to the government
of the United States and to the Union
as are those who fought against us
and | would not if | could, by mo-
ton of the hand, dampen the ardor
of any man, either North or South,
in his patriotic love of, and devotion
to the Union and Constitution of the
United States as they are to day but
any Southern man who would, from
cOwardice or sickly sentimcntality,
withhold from the faithful COnfeder-
ate soldiers the commentator of hon
Orable motives, and chivalrous bear
ing as in Il just and righteous cause,
is unworthy Of the name of American
citizen.
While the cause for which we
fought persisted, and the question of
the right of States to withdraw from
the Union has been forever settled in
the negative, and pray that the set
Element may never be disturbed, yet
there is no treason in dwelling upon
the sad memories of that defeat; or
in meeting or relating our eternal de-
votion to each other, our undying
love for the cause we lost, or i'll max
ingan annual pilgrimage to do homage
ut the shrine of our buried Contedel-
acy. If these be treason, then we are
guilty, but in Heavens chaneery we
shall find orr justification, our acquit-
tai and our reward.
''My comrades, as time passes, and
age with its stealthy steps creeps upon
us, we cannot, we must not forget our
duties to each other. But us the
shadows of memory lengthen and
grow dim as the evening of life APP
prOaches, and we look back upon the
hardships and tolls and privations
through which we passed from 1861 to
1865, we are filed with wonder why
we do not wish to forget the war and
everything connected with its history. |
But not SO. The recOllections thereof
are dear to the heart of every true
soldier, and they will be cherished as
lSSl.1 L., Al