The age-herald., 1900-05-18
THE TROPHY OF WAR
 TURNED OVER TO CITY

city of Birmingham, came duly at hand. l regret that the pressure of public busI- ness is such that I do not feel that it would be right for me to leave here before the adjournment of congress. With sincere ap- preciation of the honor conferred, l am, yours truly, o. ". UNDERWOOD
 Mayors Speech of Acceptance
 The ceremonies were opened with an in- vocation of divine blessings by pr. B. D. Gray, pastor of the First Baptist church.
 After reading Mr Underwoods letter, Mir. Wood formally presented the gun to the city, and then introduced Mayor Dren- nen. who in behalf of the city accepted the same. Mayor Drennen said:
 MT Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen All Birmingham has looked forward with pleasurabe anticipation 10 the placing ot this Spanish cannon here today.
 ''In behalf of the citizens of Birmingham I want to thank the members of the Com mercial club and our distinguished con gressman, Hon. o. w. Underwood, for their successful and untiring efforts in securing this gun
 Its capture and presence here today demonstrates to the world that wherever the foot of the American soldier treads the soil that the American people can float the flag of the American nation.
 We honor and respect our heroes, for true greatness is never over-estimated when it has for it's object the building up of q community state.
 We are proud of the wealth and progress Of Alabama; we are proud of her substan- tial cities and towns; we are proud of our governor and governor-elect; we are proud of our congressman and distinguished United States senators we are proud of our military and our ex-secretary of the navy; but above all we are proud of our stalwart and independent citizenship.
 'lt affords me great pleasure to welcome you to a city that twenty-eight years ago was an old cotton field, and today boasts of the Largest population of any city in Ala bama; city that has the handsomest churches in this state; the best public school system in the south, and a city that sets the price of pig iron for the whole world
 In the name of the people of Birming- ham and this municipality 1 again welcome you"
 Col Herberts Speech
 At the conclusion of Mayor Drennen's speech MT. Wood introduced Colonel Her bert, who was requested to give something Of the history of the American vessels en- gagged in the battle of Santiago and his con
 
 speech was very interesting.
 He said that it afforded him a peculiar pleasure to be present and to tell of his connection with the fleet that won at San hago. He said that every American yes sel except one, the little Glocester, had been reported from the naval committee of the house Wh he was a member of it and later he commissioned them into the ser vice while he was secretary of the navy. He said the gun then before his audience the story of reunited and and that that story told the history of Bir- mingham; that while the south was smouldering in the ruins and wreckage of war, Birmingham was conceived in the mind of his friend, the late Col John T. Milner, and that while the south was al- most without hope Col. Milner was not He said great industrial center was then waiting here to block the railroads and rivers that had been engaged in the trans portation of soldiers, with commerce. He said that with the reunited country the south can put her cotton in Europe and that Birmingham can put her pig iron in Boston and even in Pittsburg without duty He referred to James R. Powell as the builder of Birmingham and predicted some day there will be erected in Capitol park a monument to him and to the late Dr. Henry M. Caldwell He said. that here were working forces that had brought to- gether the citizens of the north and the citizens of the south, but the greatest force for the welding of the two sections he said, was the Spansh-American war, when the soldiers from the south and the sol diers from the north fought side by side for their common country.
 He referred to the period immediately following the civil war and said that the chief difficulties of that time were the politicians.
 He spoke of the bloody-shirt waving of cheap politicians and of the efforts to keep alive partisansm and sectional strife, and of the careful avoidance of controversies by the southern members of congress. He said that among the leaders who had been prominent in bringing about the present conditions existing between the south and the north and the elimination Of sectional feeling was the illustrious Alabamian and American, Alabama's distinguished and il- lustrious senator, John T. Morgan. He said that Senator Morgan had been a con sistent friend of the navy and had sup ported every measure for it's upbuilding Another force that helped to reunite the people of the two sections wsR that of Grover Cleveland, who during his two terms president appointed southern men to cab inet and other positions of trust. He said that these appointments were made without reference to whether the appointee had been federal or Confederate soldier Cleve- lands defiance of England in the Vene- zuelan boundary dispute, he said, further tended to create a feeling of good will among all Americans, both north and south, aHd eHdt idteI appointments 10 commissions as major generals in the American army of General Joseph Wheeler and General Fitzhugh Lee by President Mckinley had given the climax. He said there were diff ferences as to the Spanish-American war, but that it came and that every man is glad that the United States were ready for it with soldiers and guns. The sacrifices the American soldiers had made in times of war, he said, would be pointed to with pride. He closed by saying that no country can become great whose people are not ready and willing to make sacrifices for it's liberty and honor.
 Col. Samford's Speech u When Colonel Herbert had finished his speech Colonel Sanford was introduced. As he arose some one in the audience re- marked: He's good 1ookin' man." whereupon Colonel Sanford said: "I would much rather some lady had said that"
 Colonel Sanford referred to the incidents leading up to the ceremonies then being held, and paid tribute to American sol