The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-05-12
WAEELER HERO
AT CHARLESTON

CONTINUED From First Page.)
limited resources of the federal govern
ment
"The armies of the south laid down their
arms but not one iota of their belief in
the, truth and justice of their cause did
they surrender. With energy and deter
n,ination they met the new problems con-
fronting them.
''Above the carnage, above the wall of
widows and the cry of orphans, above the
desolated homes, above the fields over
grown with new forests, there arose a new
civilization and a new union, one niche In
whose temple holds a figure whose name
shall be honored throughout the ages.
Lee, whose matchless. skill, whose soldier
spirit, whose wonderful endurance was
only equalled by the grandeur of soul,
which, accepting the fiat of war, lived out
to its full close the nobest life recorded
in all history for the admiration of all pos
terity.
LAS between the soldiers of either SIDE
there was no real enmity Mutual admir-
alton for each others prowess is the SEN
timent of all brave men, and with admira-
ton respect naturally increases.
'"The lifetime of a generation has soft
encd the memories of that conflict, and
side by side both north and south have
stood together in battle against a foreign
foe.
I'VE meet here to cherish and intensity
the memory of the great struggle in which
you were actors. Your devotion to duty,
your courage in battle and your unmur-
muring endurance was your heritage from
your anees tors"
General Wheeler touched upon the oues-
tion of expans on by declaring that south
ern soldiers and southern statesmen had
even taken d prominent part in ali move
ments looking to the enlargement of our
territory.
Praise for Southern Presidents
History for all time" he said, will re-
cord that it was under southern presidents
that we have wrested from the wild In
dams the greater part of the S22, 3SS square
miles which lay between our thin lines of
settlement on the ocean and the Mississippi
river; and under southern presidents that
we have added to this domain an area nine
times as great as the present area of the
original thirteen states.
>'While the various negotiations were be-
ing had, and our dominions were being en-
larged adding to the glory of the country,
chiefly through the influence of the south
ern element, most bitter opposition was de-
veloped in other parts of the Union.
ut is matter of which the southern
people may well take pride, that during all
the great progress and advancement of our
country, including the armed contest of
last year, and which l am glad to say now
appears to be happily ended no section of
our land has been more devoted to the
cause of our country and to upholding it's
honor and prestige than the people of the
southern states
''Those upon whom rests the cares duties
and burdens of government have encount-
cred no embarrassments or complaints or
criticism from southern states. None of
their brave volunteer regiments have asked
to be returned from fields of active duty,
and when the requests have come from gov
errors of other commemorative. volun-
teers from the southern states have
promptly begged for the honor of filling
their places in the front Of battle.
'Trhe position in which the American peo-
pie find themselves today was not sought
by Them but Is the logical result of con-
ditions thrust upon the country by course
of events beyond our control. If it be said
they were foreseen and predicted 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
confronted by grave respons blites. The
suUeme test of American Institutions is in
Nolved, and the American system of gov
eminent is on trial.
at is said by some that while England
Holland, France and other nations NAV
extend a protecting hand to people and
lands separated from the home country.
beneftlng both the protector and the pro
tected. that we shall be utterly unable to
accomplish such purpose To admit this
proposition is to admit that our system of
government is lacking in the essential
qualifications which every sovereign power
should possess In one year we have rison
to the first place in the family of nations;
to make the smallest retrograde step
would be at the expense of the prestige
we have won. To return to the starting
point of year ago would be to lose what
It would take century to regain. In ans
n those who that tho p01gov Of
our forefathors forbade the extension of
territory, I would point to Jefferson and
the Louisiana purchase. Monroe and Fo"-
ida, Polk and Texas, and the vas. territory