The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-03-04
DID THEIR DUTY ACCORDING TO
THEIR LIGHTS.

WHICH no ID IeulethoeIed ny Cue peOpl
Of every part of the country. Yeste,
day we printed a few words from
speech made in New York city on tn
. occasion of the honoring Of this dis
tinguished anniversary. II was de
livered by Colonel John R. Fellows
) native of Arkansas and an officer il
: the Confederate army during the civil
war. In responding to toast he no
only acknowledged he was a traitor t.
the Union, but that he had Away
felt his crime and knew that lie ha,
deserved hanging.
How different was the expression o
another ex-Confederaie who was en-
gagged in a like celebration in Chi
cago. The speaker was Hon. W. G
P. Breckenridge, member of Con
gress from Kentucky, and the circum
stances under which lie was celebra.
ting the day was as a guest of the
Union League Club, prominent SO.
cial and political organization of Chi
cago and distinetivcly Republican as
to party sentiment. Here is an extract
from Mr.. Breckinridge's eloquent ad.
dress:
The surprises of my life, in the last few
years, have been such that scarcely any
thing surprises me now, but that KEN
lucky Democrat, who was Kentucky
rebel and went into the war at the drop of
the hat and staid in until there was no.
body to carry the corpse or bury him,
should receive an invitation to come to
Chicago from this club to deliver patri-
otto speech on the I'D February, / con-
TESS, was something in the nature of a
surprise. daughter and applause) do
not think that would have accepted it.
considering the public duties which de-
yolye upon me toward the end of the ses-
sion of Congress, if it had not been that
such an invitation, coming in the way
that it did, could have no other possible
answer than its prompt and graceful ac-
ceptance. There is not much difference
between us, nor has there ever been SO
much difference between us as would an
pear on the surface. l think that we
know each other well enough now-those
OF us who have looked at each others
eyes down the cleaning barrel of the rifle
or through the smoke that came from the
cannon-those of us who experienced the
kindness, the generous gallantry of the
soldiers who had fought us for four wears
ana who received our surrender with that
modesty that almost shrank from giving
pam to him who had fought and who had
yet to surrender. We knew that at the
bottom each did as God gave him light,
ana tired to do the duty which was laid
upon his conscience and his heart. Though
we might have seen it in a different light
now that it is all over we have lived long
enough to bury its animosities and to
leave It's anger and its bitterness behind
ana yet to garnish into our hearts with |
love That Shall know no cessation all that |
was heroic during the four years of terri
nc but glorious warfare, in which the
American people showed that they were
indeed worthy of the old pathetic descrip-
uon OF mankind, "that he created man
kind but little Lowell than tho angels.
never in all my life, from my earliest
have known the need of the
DIVISIONS OF that war. / can say tonight
under this roof that there was never a day
when did not wish for every part of the
country of which had been citizen that
T. = should have a career of prosperity and
Ihnrn LIl
dld not expect, it the Southern COnfed-
'racy We're successful, that by some trea-
y or other organic instrument there would
&c between the two confederacies such a
ihioh us would give to each the control of [
ts own affairs, and yet give to both the
Whole united strength of both as against
III external enemies.
This speech was received with I'M.
pounded applause. There was no
ak of treason, no confession of crime, I
10 expression of thanks that bis neck
ad been saved from merited halter
MI was manly, frank, outspokeu and |
rave; and yet his hosts of the Union =
league Club applauded him to the d
cho. Of course they did. What G
lse can You expect eff brave men ? y
hey love and honor men who are !;
rave and true and heroic. Such men 4
'cognile their peers even if those had t
cen their foes The words of Rreck .
ridge are noble embalmment for
rinciples of honor, devotion and pa
iotism that are immortal. The man n
no has done bis duty according to t,
s lights is the man above reproach. d
very honorable man in the world II
i'll give bin due respect and credit. G,
Q has filled the measure of every
ortby demand. 1t is upon this con- d
ionsness of duty done that the old te
ldiers of the South can safely rest. Ii
n approving conscience is all the re- SC
mpense they can hope for or receive ty
: their labors and sufforings.-[ New h,
leans Plcayune. 81
Love laughs at locksmiths, crimes '"
d criminal courts. A convict at the IN
ench penal settlement, says the e'
TaS Sittinqs. who was nnderp,;,r )u