The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-06-25
NASHVILLE CAPTURED.
Continued from First Page


earth smiles with plenty. I love to
live on Southern soil, where the cot
ton fields wave their white banners
of peace, and where the wheat fields
wave back their banners of gold
from the hills and valleys which
were once drenched with the blood
of heroes. 1 love to live where the
mOckingbirds f1utter and sing in the
shadowy cOves, and bright waters
ripple in eternal melody by the
graves where our heroes are buried.
| love to breathe the Southern air
that comes filtered through jungles
of roses whispering the story of
Southern deeds of bravery. ] love
to drink from Southern springs and
Southern babblihg brooks which
once cooled the lips of Lee and
Jackson and Forrest and Gordon,
and the worn and weary columns of
brave men who wore the gray. |
love to live among Southern sun
shine, where every home is temple
of love and liberty. | love to listen
to the sweet old Southern melodies
which touch the soul and melt tie
heart and awaken to life ten thOus-
and precious memories Of the happy
long ago, when old-time darkies
used to laugh and sing, and when
the old-time black nanny sOOthed
the children to slumber with her
lullabies. But, oh, the music that
thrills me most is the melody that
died away on the lips of many Con-
federate soldier as he sank into that
sleep that knows no waking:
Il am glad am in Dixie
II doubt if the world will ever see
another civilization as brilliant as
that which persisted in the South a
third OF century ago. Its white
cOlumned mansions under cool
spreading groves, it's orange trees
waving their sprays of snowy bios
SONS, and its cotton fields stretching
away to the horizon alive with
toiling slaves who sang as they
toiled from early morn until the
close of day; its pomp and pride and
revelry; its splendid manhood and
the dazzling beauty of it's women,
placed it in history as the high tide
of earthly glory. But the hurricane
of civil war shattered it and swept
it away. Billions of wealth dis
solved and vanished in smoke and
flame. The South lost all save
honor. But the Confederate soldier,
the purest and proudest type of the
AnglO-SaXon race, stood erect amid
its charred and blackened ruins.
The earth was red beneath him, the
sky was black above him, his sword
was broken, his country was crush
ed. But without a throne he was nc
less ruler; though his palace had
persisted, he was no less a king
Slavery was dead, but magnificent
IN the gloom of defeat, he was still a
master. Has he not mastered ad-
versity? Has he not rebuilt the
ruined South?
| trust in God that the struggles OF
the future will be the struggles OF
peace and not war. The hand oil
secession will never be lifted ar
again. The danger to the republic
now lies in the mailed hand of cent.
rallied power, and the South will
yet be the bulwark of American lib
erty. If you ask me why, l answer
it is the only section left which il
purely American; l answer tina
anarchy cannot live on Southern
soil; / answer that the South has
started on new line of march, anC
while we love the past for it's precious
memories, our faces are turned to
| wards the morning
"But who will scorn or frown t,
see the veterans of the South's shat
tered armies, scattered now lik,
solitary oaks in the midst of a fallel
forest, hoary with age and covered
with scars, sometimes put on the ole
worn and faded gray and unfurl fo
little while that other banner, tn,
riddled and blood-stained stars anC
bars, to look upon it and weep owe
it, and press it to their bosOms, for il
is hallowed with recollections, ten
der as the soldiers last farewell.
They followed it amid the earth
quake thrOes of Shiloh, where ALDER
Sydney Johnson died; they followed
it amid the floods of living fire a
Charlottesville, where Stonewal
Jackson fell; they saw it flutter il
the gloom of the wilderness wher
the angry divisions and corps rushed
upon each other and clinched ant
fell and rolled together in the blood,
mire. They rallied around it a
Gettysburg, where it waved abov
the bayonets, mixed and crossed oil
those dread heights of destiny; they
saw its faded color flaunt defiance
for the last time at AppomattoX
and then go down forever in a tlooC
,, of tears"
Gov. Taylor brought down tn
house, or rather brought the oil
soldiers to their feet with shouts c
approval, when he sang in low
melOdious voice the words {
Dixie
= The speech all the way throug
was punctuated With applause an
. cheers, and when Gov. Taylor cor
cluded the whole audience CAV
him a regular ovation.
t Bishop Fitzgerald, who made tn
= speech of welcome, was receive
. . with great applause, and begun hi
! speech as follows:
/. Confederate Veterans, Our Hon
}. Ored GUeStS.-The pleasing duty {
= welcoming you to the city of Nasl
o vile has been in part anticipate
! by the spontaneous feeling of he
! people. You were welcomed befol
you started from your homes. 4
the mere announcement that yC