The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-06-24

poltical equality with those who were
once our enemies. In this great Centen-
NAL Exposition of Tennessee we have De-
fore us a magnificent exhibition of the re-
suits of southern enterprise and prosperity
TO gladden. the hearts of our people ana 10
crafty the pride of the people of this great
| state. And today the people of the south
are as earnest in their attachment TO our
| common government as those OF any otner
mart of the Union and would make as great
sacrifices, if need be, in defense of our gov
! eminent as could be made by any 0tner
part of the American people. Enjoying
neace and liberty today we can refer with
bride TO the courage and heroism of our
soldiers in the late war and to the gal
lantry and skill of our officers. And when
| impartial history comes to be written we
| do not doubt but that it will be seen that
! they were never eXcelled in the qualltles Oh
patient endurance and manly courage by
any other people.
Character Of Confederate Leaders.
The names of Jefferson Davis. X; Il.
Lee. Stonewall Jackson, Albert Sydney
Johnston. and many others of our heroic
leaders. will 20 into history ilumned by a
| halo of courage and skill and purity OIL
| life and patriotism unsurpassed by any
other names in history. AS
Indicating the faith of President Davis III
God and his devout earnestness, recall
attention to the closing sentence OF ms
inaugural address, after his election
under the constitutional government Oh
the confederacy, made on the End Gay
of February, 1862. Raising his hands at
the close of his address, and looking t.
ward the heavens, he said: "And now,
oh, God, l commit my country and her
cause into Thy holy keeping" Thus
showing the solemnty with which ne
assumed anew the duties of president OF
the confederacy.
The Women of the COnfederacy.
History notes with its richest praises
the matrons of Rome. They were, no
doubt, worthy of all that has been said
of them. But their honors cluster about
them when Rome was great and veto
rous nation. This is not said to their
discredit, but to contrast with them the
noble and devoted women of the con-
federacy, the grandeur OF whose lives
and conduct was exhibited in cause
in which the odds were greatly against
their country, in which success was at
all times doubtful. | never felt my ina
bility to do justice to any subject so
keenly as l do when attempting to do
justice to the character, services and de-
yotion of the women of the confederacy.
They gave to the armies their husbands,
fathers, sons and brothers with aching
hearts, and babe them good bye with sobs
and tears. But they believed the sacri
fee was due to their country and her
cause. They assumed the care of their
homes and of the children and aged.
Many of them who, had been reared in
ease and luxury had to engage in all the
drudgery of the farm or shop. Many
of them worked in the fields to raise the
means of feeding their families. Spin
ming wheels and looms were multiplied
where none had been seen before, to en-
able them to clothe their families and
furnish clothing for the loved ones in the
army to whom with messages of love
and encouragement they were, whenever
they could, sending something to wear
or to eat. And like angels of mercy they
visited and attended the hospitals with
lint and bandages fer the wounded and
medicines for the sick and such nourish-
ment as they could for both. And their
holy prayers at all times went to the
throne of God for the safety of those
dear to them and for the success of the
confederate cause. There was courage
and moral heroism in their lives SUI
perior to that which animated our brave
men, for the men were stimulated by the
presence of their associates, the hope of
applause and by the eXcitements' of bat
te While these noble women in the
secusion and Quietude of their homes
were inspired by a moral courage which
could come only from God and the love
of country. l hope we are to have n
battle abbey, and if we should, the honor
of our southland demands that at the
same place there should be a splendid
monument erected to commemorate the
consistency, the services and the virtues
of the noble women of the confederacy.
And since the war; some of our grand
and noble women, the widow of Presi-
dent Davis, the widow of Stonewall Jack
son and the widow of Col. G. Nj. Winkler
of Texas, have earned the gratitude of
our people by books they have furnished
us, containing many valuable contribu-
tons to the literature of the war, and
supplying feature in it that no man
has or could supply.
To illustrate the character and devo-
ton of the wOmep of the cOnfederacy,
| will repeat a statement made to me
during the war by Governor Hatcher of
Virginia. He had visited his home in the
Shenandoah valley, and on his return to
the state capitol called at the house of
an old friend who had a large family.
at home, and inquired about the balance
of the family. She told him that her
husband, her husbands father and her
ten sons were all in the army. And oil
his suggestion that she must feel lone
some, having had large family with her
and to be now left alone, her answer was
that it was very hard, but that if she had
ten more sons they should all go to the
army. Can ancient or modern history
show a nobler or more unselish and pat
riotic devotion to any cause?
The Magnitude of the War.
There have been and there may still
be those who affect to speak lightly of
the confederacy, but cause and q coun-
try which it required more than four
years of terrible war and armies of more
than 100000 men. and which cost the
lives of hundreds of thousands counting
the loss on both sides, the expenditures
of billions of dollars and the sacrifice of
other billions of dollars worth of property
to overcome. can hardly be belittled by
any honest or sensible man. We can
well afford to await the verdict which
history will render on the men and
women of the late confederacy.
Governor Taylor Made II Great Hit.
Governor Robert L. Taylor is the hero
of the day. His whole-souled. tender,
sympathetic speech, poetical and filed
with loyalty to the United States and the
| flag of the free captured the vast audience.
| and "Our Bob is not only the pride of
the people in Tennessee. but is the toast
of all the delegates from other states.