The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-03-31
TX e SEC III LISM
Southern Repre- tatives, Now Have
Faith in the Union. III
Congressman Alien Pays Z Tribute to
the Stars and Stripes and Tells b
. Mighty Funny Story 800
of the War. ?zss
Especial Washington letter. 4.

Especial Washington letter. &s :
Senator Berry, of Arkansas, who re-
Gently delivered a speech in which he
praised the military and civil lead
ers of the confederacy. His remarks
attracted considerable attention in
the political circles of the nation
al capital, because they demon.
strated the fact that Senator Berry
is to-day as loyal to his early views
and principles as he was on that Sep
TENDER day in 1862 when he fought I'M
der the confederate flag, and lost his
leg on the battlefield. 4. 80 - .it*5':.
At banquet not long ago Represent
ative Allen, of Mississippi. was request
ed to respond to a toast, tour Flag"
and he did so with eloquence and quaint
humor which captivated the crowd. He
said: ''The toast brings to my mind
two flags. One of them to-day floats
over our heads; and would march
under it against the soldiers of any
nation in the world. But when was
boy there was another flag; and to
that gave my first allegiance. 1t WAS
the battlefag of the confederacy.
Il was fighting under that flag at
Missionary Ridge, and Bill Stokes was
beside me. Bill had been the bully of
our town; but he wasn't bully that
day. We were lying behind some rails,
and the confederate flag was flying
over US. Yankee bullets were pepper
ing those rails, and Bill and I laid snug
to the ground. Finally Bill said: John,
You amt no man of family. Just lift
your head and see how clus' them
Yanks is gittin'.' But replied that
while was not man of family. had
hopes, and I wouldn't lift my head at
that particular juncture. -.
"Just then brown thrush high in
a tree above our heads began to sing
merrily. Bill was lying on his back,
and I heard him mutter: oh, BIRDIE
birdie, if I had your wings just now
I wouldn't stay here and twitter to
them damned Yanks. I'd fly
Zone of the Yankee shells burst over
us while Bill was muttering; and he
didn't wait for BRIDES wings. He just
few, and left me alone. and I stayed
there and fought the entire Yankee
army by myself. Bill Stokes never bull
lied about me, after that"
Sectionalism in this country passed
away when war with Spain began.
That sectionalism which unfortunately
divided our country for a full genera
ton will never be revived. The affairs
of state are falling into the hands of
men who were born after the close
of the civil war; men who have no ami
mosities, nor recollections of suffer-
ings and deprivations; men whose am
bition is that our common country
shall prosper and compel the respect
and admiration of the nations Of the
world.
The writer often sees eminent men
who fought against each other nearly
40 years ago now sitting together in
close communion of friendship, talk
ing over the events of the war. Ex-
Senator Hunton. of Virginia, who COM
manded confederate brigade in Stone
wall Jackson's division, sits down with
Senator Quay, who was Pennsylvania
soldier, and they talk about the bat
tie of Fredericksburg; how foolishly
the Yankees swept up against stone
wall; and how pitilessly the cunfed-