The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-06-08

ern people may well take pride. that
during all the great progress and ad-
rancement of our country, including
the armed contest of last year. and
which | am glad to say now appears
to be happily ended, no section of oar
land has been more devoted to the
cause of our country and to uphold
ing its honor and prestige than the
people Of the Southern States.
Those upon whom rests the cares.
duties and burdens of government
have encountered no embarrassment
or complaints or criticism from
Southern States. None Of their brave
volunteer regiments have asked to be
released of active duty and when the
request has come from Governors OF
other commonwealths, volunteers
from the Southern States have
promptly begged for the honor of
filling their places in the front of
battle.
The position in which the Ameri-
can people find themselves to-day
was not sought by them. but is the
logical result Of conditions thrust
upon the country by a course of
events beyond our control. Ii it be
said they were foreseen and pre-
dicted. it must also be admitted that
no power in our grasp could have
stayed the tide. and now we stand
before the gaze of civilization confront
ed by grave responsibilities. The SUI
preme test of the American institu-
. {
system of Government is Oh trial.
'.It is said by some that while
England. Holland, France and other
nations may extend a protecting hand
to peoples and lands separated from
the home country benefiting both
the protector and the protected, that
we shall be utterly unable to accom-
plish such a purpose. TO admit this
proposition is to admit that our
system Of Government is lacking in
the essential qualifications which
every sovereign power should pos
sess. In one year we have risen to
first place in the family Of nations;
to make the smallest retrograde step,
would be at the expense OF tfpe
prestige we have won. TO return to
the starting point of a year ago,
would be to lose what it would take
century to regain. In answer to
those who say that the policy of our
forefathers forbade the extension of
territory, | would point to Jefferson
and the Louisiana purchase, Monroe
and Florida, Polk and Texas, and the
vast territory acquired from Mexico,
and later to Andrew johnson and the
acquisition of Alaska.
If there be any who contend that
we should not permit the Island Of
Cuba to become part of the United
States, and its people if they desire
it, to enjoy all the rights of Ameri-
can citizenship, have only to point
to the official declarations of our
great statesmen commencing with
Thomas Jefferson and cunning
through almost the entire period of
the first half of this century. During
al that period our honored states
men and Presidents from jefferson to
Buchanan laid down in their message
and state documents the Imperative
necessity of making the Pearl of the
Antilles part of the United States"
In concluding his address Gen.
Wheeler paid an eloquent tribute to
the women of the South and the part
they bore in the war and the dark
years that followed, saying:
"Although some of those blessed
women are still with US, many more
have long since gone to their reward,
but they have rocked in. cradles, the
principles, minds and characters
which are to control the future of
their beloved land. The thought
which | wish to impress upon the
minds of the generation to whom we
must soon intrust sacred charge,
for the Comic lerate soldiers race is
nearly run, and the I'M uctiop which |
would leave with your sons and
daughters-for the daughters have
the nobler part, and / know they will
faithfully perform it's this:
..See to it that the women of the
Confederacy have, in their Posterity,
a monument more lasting than any
that could be built of stone"