The age-herald., 1899-11-13

| its influence upon the social and political | conditions and interests of Alabama and | of the entire south.
 Alabama, lying on the middle line of the 1 tier of the extreme southern states, was l fairly typical of the south, and what was | true of her people was equally true of l those of her sister states, for she fairly and worthily reflected the customs, habits and
 sentiments of the entire section. l shall l not attempt to analyze causes or philoso- 1 phize upon results, but shall deal only with the indisputable truths of history. l From the time of the admission of Ala | bama into the Union until the beginning of the war between the states was the | golden era of the south. do not desire | to be understood by this stateent as re- ferring alone to her increase in wealth 1 and population, or to her marvellous agri- l cultural development ana progress for | such results are possible of accomplish
 ment by people, while their intellectual, | moral and social interests do not keep
 pace with their purely material progress and development.
 l The true greatness and glory of a peo- | pie can never be safely measured by the | gross standard of numerical or financial | strength.
 There are often elements and incidents
 of greatness and glory incomparably truer | and nobler than these.
 1 Alabama is those palmy days Gas still . she does) in common with her sister | states of which she was the type and ex- 1 ample, gloried not alone in her wealth and the strength born of her great re- l sources, but in the intelligence, culture, | courage. honor and statemenshp of her | sons and the matchIess and manifold | graces and charms of her daughters. Weighing we'll my words and speaking l in the light of familiar history. I assert 1 that in the land which Alabama fitly typi- | fled and at which fanatics rallied and on which self-righteous Phar1sees poured out
 the vials of their wrath humanity in that 1 era of which speak, reached it's 1oftiest i stage of intellectual, social and moral de- l velopment, and civilization its high water | mark.
 | This statement will doubtless meet dis sent at the hands of many, but the appH- | cation of the true test and standard of l civilization and social virtue will demon- | strate its truth beyond cavil or dispute. The society of Alabama was synonymous with all that was cultured, elegant, chiv- l alrous and refined, and was, indeed, the 1 type and standard of earth's highest civ 1 flization. To this we have the testimony of a distinguished and dis1ntereste ted wit | ness.
 More than forty years ago there came to America a famous English author who was received with that honor and hospitality to which he was entitled both by reason of his great personal worth and his literary reputation. After a protracted stay in the city of Philadelphia distinguished citizen of that city himself gentleman of broad and 1 liberal culture, who had represented his government as minister at an important diplomatic post said to his guest: "You have now seen and studied the people of the north and you should now go south and mingle in the best circles of southern society, and you will meet there the highest type of human civilization the world has ever seen."
 
 Wealth was never the standard of worth or money the measure of merit under the social system of Alabama.
 The gates of that inner circle where grace and culture held sway opened not to gold en keys, yet modest merit and true refine ment though poor in purse, never knocked in vain for admission.
 The influences which swayed and the principles which controlled that system were based, not upon financial but moral wealth; not upon a plethoric purse, but upon intelligence and culture; not upon
 bullion, but upon breeding; not on guilt edge bonds, but gentle blood; not on saudy apparel, but on genuine worth The primal principle in social ethics was that money could not purchase the insig- mia of social rank distinction. The standard of female virtue was high CT than in any other land under heaven; and in country and in no age of the world was ever woman treated with such chivalric courtesy and .deference or her name and fame so saerediy guarded or so promptly and bravely defended. Society in that era was perhaps in the eyes of some who live in this day and gen. eration, unprogressive, and not up to the
 standard of the present time. The marriage pledge to cleave each unto the other was observed with fidelity un- euuaIed in any age of the world Men reared under that system do not,
 as I have read some do now, swap wives
 as savages trade squaws. Divorees were most rare, and the divorced parties did not, ere the ink was dry upon the divorce de- cree rush to the embrace of new spouses. In that day and time no man sought con- soation for outraged honor at the hands of a court or jury. No jingling of the guinea healed the hurt that honor felt.
 Rarely indeed, if ever, did a suit for loss of service of a daughter or the alienation of the affection of wife ever stain and blacken the docket of court in Alabama. The seducer of confiding girldhood or the defiler of a marriage bed had paid the pen atty with his life, and a jury of the slayer's peers, with hands upon their hearts, ex- ecuted the unwritten law of a lofty and cllivalric social system and declared him not guilty
 There may be those who call the civiliza- ton which excuses, yea, demands and jus tifies such results, barbaric; but 1t is in finitely nobler purer and safer than that
 so-called higher civilization which finds in sordid gold soothing for wounded honor, and an emollient for family pride insulted and fair fame stained and blackened by the lecher'S touch.
 If the prevailing sentiment of that cial system which mperatiyely forbade that any man should barter marital honor or family pride for gold was barbaric,
 while that society which weighs honor and virtue against sordid cash is civilized, then God grant that such barbarism be never supplanted by such civilization. Social conditions productive of men of courage and honor and women of grace and modesty and virtue, developed and produced also orators. statesmen. soldiers and men distinguished in every field of high and important endeavor.
 The bar of Alabama has always stood upon a level with that of any state in the Union and the decisions of her supreme courts have always been and are yet ac- cepted as the highest judicial precedents and authoritfty.
 Four score years her sons have been con- spicuous in the council halls of the nation and never has one proven fafthless or drought to his state reproach shame