The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-30

and upon which you may now look
with supremest satisfaction. You have
not erected this monument exclusively
to the Confederate dead of our own
State, nor do we con6ne our loving
tributes to them alone.
We embrace in the wide sweep of
our afectionate remembrance all who
laid down their lives in defence of the
rights and liberties Of the Southern
States and people.
From the cold blue lakes upon the
Canadian border to where the warm
waves lap softly upon the yellow sands
of the Gulf, on thousand hillsides
and in thousand valleys they Sleep
some beneath monuments like this,
some in private cemeteries, thousands,
alas! in unknown graves. We love
and honor the memory of all alike.
They deserve such tribute if mortal
men ever did, and never was it paid
more sincerely than now and here.
Stand, then, bronze image Of him
who wore the Gray! Thou canst not
meet with calmer mien than did he
the sunshine and the storm. Not more
enduring is thy granite base than the
love Oh which he rests. Thou art
triumph of art he was Gods gift to
his country. Thou shalt perish, but
he shall live forever in the hearts of
his people.
Colonel Waddell's Grafton occupied
an hour in delivery.
COL. CHEEKS SPEECH.
Mrs. President, and Ladies of the
Monumental Association, Fellow
Citizens, and Comrades:
had hoped, Mrs. President, that
you would not call on me for speech
and had made this request Of your Ex-
ecutive Committee. But they, like
the rest of the good women of North
Carolina, have way of doing as they
please and we men cannot stop them.
1t is good for us that we cannot, for
they are always right; and we, nearly
always wrong.
Were it not for this trait OF char
acter in our women, this perseverance
which never surrenders, and which
laughs at i'm impossibilities and cries
"It shall be DONE" this large assemly
of patriots would not be gathered here
to-day to witness the unwilling OF this
beautiful monument dedicated TO the
Confederate dead
The daughters of this grand old
Commonwealth, always modest, anna
BILE and true, pure in thought, honest
in their convictions and firm in their
resolution, never surrender or retreat
when once they unfurl their banner
in campaign of mercy or of love.
"Forward" is their command, and
victory their goal.
Hard times may come; money may
be scarce, the living soldier may have
lost his admiration tor the deeds of his
dead comrades, the patriotism of the
man of the present generation, may
like the courage of Bob Acres, have
oozed out at his boots, and legislators,
whose dull apprehension could not
appreciate the rich legacy of honor
bequeathed our State by her dead he
roes, and who for time may stop an
appropriation to perpetuate their mem
ory-yet when the voice of woman is
heard-the women of North Carolina
GOD bless them torever)-they who
have not forgotten the dark days of 81
and IS, speaking in her firm and
modest way and saying that this mon
ument shall be erected, notwithstand-
ing your unfriendly legislation, then it
is that her low sweet voice, as enrapt-
uring as the song of the Sirens and as
mighty as the thunders of Jupiter,
startles the men from the seashore
to the mountains, and behold this pol
ished shaft as if touched by the wand
of the magician leaps forth from out of
the rough quarry at her command.
Yes, the Monument is here. This
column that will transmit to ages vet
unborn the merits of the Confederate
soldier, owes its erection to the patri-
otism and perseverance of the true
women of Ne-th Carolina. And while
it bears on its face an inscription that
tells gallant deeds of brave men, that
record is but half told tale; along
with it, side by side, upon that same
pillar should be another inscription,
to tell posterity of the suferings and
Of the sacrifices and of the devotion of
the true women of the Confederacy.
In behalf of the living comrades of
those to whose memory this monu-
ment is erected, and in behalf of the
widows and children of the departed
dead, and in behalf of brave people
everywhere, desire to thank you,
Mrs. President, and through you, all
the other good ladies of North Car
DINA, for your noble efforts to perpet.
uate the virtues of our dead comrades.