The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-04-30
ADJUTANT MARTIN.

lows:
Daughters of tho Confedoracy: Tho pleas
Ing duty deyolvos upon me, on behalf OF
Sterling Price camp. United Confederate
veterans, To express TO YOU their approcta-
lion of this splendid testimonial which.
with loving hearts and tlrolcss hands. YOU
have erected In memory Of tho valor. tho
devotion and the matchloss fortltude OF the
southern soldier. the private as well as
tho chieftain.
diers OF the South is above and beyond any
enlogium OF pen or tongue 1t Will halo all
the cycles Of time.
White 1t is true that the intrepid spirits
who followed their banners wherever they
floatod unappalod by any obstacles Or
any odds, and who gave their lives 10 their
country ON Il thousand fields OF honor
while it is true that they, from naladin to
private, need no towering columns OF
sculpturcd marble, no engraven bronze TO
perpotuate the memory ofetheir deeds still,
prompted by that homage which Is ever
paid to dauntless courage and chivalric dc
Notion to truth and to the right, and In
spired 10y that Nenerauon in which you
hold your countrymen, YOU, fnir md noble
daughters OF the South have reared this
stone In honor OF your dead and OF our
dead. The heart OF every oN-Contoderate
soldier living today gooa out to YOU in love
and In grateful appreciation.
Tho mothers of the Sou,s Language Is
dumb OF expression. thought is upo,ent
of conception to pay fitting tribute TO all
ihcy did, ull they suffered. al they en-
durcd
on this monument is inscribed
This stone shall crumhle into dust ere
tho deathlcss devotion of the women OF
the South shall lie forgot"
How true.
When this granite shall have vanished
forever when the grandest mausocums,
tho proudest palaces of the pOtentatcs of
earth. Ike Theb.s aud Tyre. are but
crumblIng ruins. sio respondent sheen of
the glory Of Southern women will illu-
mine the nges SIN unborn,
The courage of the lattlc, tho fortitudo
of the privalious OF camp and the suffer
ings of the hospital were but a part aud
parcel OF the soldiers life. the natural re-
suits of his poriuus environments, the
penalties, tf ] may use the word, of his de-
yotlon 10 his country, 10 hts cause and TO
his flag. And re- grand MS the Southern
soldier was In all these attributes OF hero
ism, his greatness and his glory paics
before the grander md the sublimer doyo-
tion and steadinstnoss aud faith Of the
Southern women In the days OF wrath that
poured out their desolation and their woe
upon our Southland during the four years
of war.
II is the heartache that Kills. II Is the
despair of the soul. with Ats warp and it's
| wool Of suspense and of longing and OF
! hope turnet " bitter ashes, that weighs
down the spirit with burdens like Pelion
| and 0ssa
| But the brave Southern women, reared
| In ease and luxury. with scarce ever n
dream even OF cares and vlcissitudes.
with all the agony that was theArs. never
faltered. The deep fountains OF their souls
wclled over With tears. and their bosons
were rent with Anguish. but they prayed
ham u..I
and they worlcod and with womanly ten
dcrncss they never let tho loved ones
fighting at tho front Know what their sor
rows ana their sufforings were Like the
boy with the VOLTS whelp hidden in his
bosom. gnawing at HIS very vitnls. they
endured their pain and made no sign
when Corncla. the Roman matron, was
asked by friend TO show her jewels, with
all n mothers pride. pointing TO her boys.
the Granhi she said:
These are my jewels"
And Southern mothers. wives sisters and
sweethearts. pointing TO the dear ones far
away, standing with their faces 10 tho
front. dauntless men mid the wreck nnd
wrath of war said.
These are our Jewels. more precious
than life Itself. but duty calls them, and
we give them 10 their country and our
hearts with thor lives. willing sacrifices,
If needs be, upon the affairs OF It's glory
and of its honor
II Is said that tho Spartan women we're
wont TO twine their raven tresses Into
bow strings for the Spartan soldiers gonE
forth 10 battle. The mothers Of the South
gave their tears. their prayers. aye. the
chrysen Of their very hearts blood TO the
immortal men who fought the bntllcs OF
the South. who carried their eagles In tri-
umph above tho fifc-creHted waves Of the
conflict on nine fields In every ten.
oh. the bitter hours OF tse long and
weary days of the war; Who can tell,
who can estimate the measure Of the woo
of these unoqualled women? In every
home was The wnll:
but oh. for the touch OF vanished hand.
The sound of ii voice that is stll,"
In baronial MANSIONS and In hillside
homes, from valley TO stream and from
forest 10 plain. was heard that sad refrain;
but the tender grace Of day that ID
VIII never come back TO me-"
But in the days OF their dosolatlon.
grand as they We're, splendid In all the
qualities that ennobie and glorify and
sanciiiy woinaphood. when 1t was all over,
when that flag which. next TO our God,
we all Worship had been furled forever.
II It were possible. they were grandcr aud
higher and stronger stili.
When war had ceased Its dread alarm"
and the few oil us who were left came
home, weary. worn, harefootcd and In
rags, We were met with open arms and
pressed to warm hearts that loved us And
when. after the frat few glad days OF
return. we looked about US over our land.
all rent and torn by wars rayagos, cities
and towns In ashes homes destroyed plan
tat!ons in wreck and in ruln---hll gone save
honor--Our hearts sank In despair as we
thought OF the future. But these true and
fearless women, still undismayed. said
to us:
BE OF good cheer. Fear not All VIII
be we'll"
They helped us. Yea. though they took
tho lead, as We gathered up tho tangled
threads Of what fate had left us and be-
gan life anew. as Ruth said unto Naomi,
they said each one TO W.:
Thy God shall be my God; thy people
shall DO my people: whithersoeyer thou
goesi. / viii CO."
All, with such inspiration as this. what
man could forget his manhood! And
through the years. as life and strength