The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-12-15
Address of II ~
~ Miss DunoUant.

Following is the annual address delivered
by Miss Adclla \. Dunovant State histo
rian Of the daughters of the Confederacy,
before the convention held in san Antonio
December 3-6
As the effective operation Of our orgauza
ton is dependent upon clear conception
Of The uuture and SCOPE of history, and as
MS scope embraces both human action ana
principles. l win discuss Principles an
Their Relations to Human Action
We seek 40 pearl on the toam crested
1 wave, nor golden ore on the surface OF the
] tcemlng earth; then, why seek We the peArl
OF trutO on opinion eNanesccnt wave; or
hope to md the golden vein OF RIGHT on
the external held Of circumstance Down
into the gulf OF the soul we must gu
| down to the depths and trace the pas
| sion veins, If would win the gem OF
truth, and set 1t In the golden light of hon
or unalloyod
Even our most earnest. ardent efforts to
| vindicnte the men of the Copledcr0cy be-
come futile by reason of our FAILURE to
search further than the surface of events
| Borne on by the subtle sophistrN thai ques
tt0ns of principle can be measured In the
scale OF material Interests we place the
principle of right in the scale of physical
victory, which Is as Illogical as would be
the attempt to balance an Esnu's moss or
pottagc with q feather dropped from an
angels wing. Principles must be measured
by principles. We should take the principles
which tho south represented and weigh
them against the principles represented by
We gather the few gems Of principle that
In tho great upheaval Of war were cast
dtmmed and broken. on the StyXian shore
I of the dccadeul South But we fall to dive
Into the depths aud rescue the smallest
fragment ~ every sorrow quilted gem. seal
them with ardent devotion, range them n
uubrokcn line on the tested chain Of evt-
deuce and bind them upon the brow OF clear
understanding that their translucent light
may put 90 shame the gaudy. manufactured
beads Of Assumptions Success
with what small efficacy are displayed
"a few disconnected gems from the SOUTH s
crown Of honor IL Is not necessary 20 prove
Day by day the wheel Of selfadula ton is
trampling thcm into the dust. The eyes ~
! introRpcctiun seem perSistcutly closed and
! beyond thc ycuecred present mono seek to
penetrate.
why permit We this to be?" seems watt
ed from the mystic realm whore dwell those
whose honor lies in our hands Upon that
| spirit winged message my thoughts mount
ana fcpbly teehly hutter in the radiance
has the Great Jehovah given man the privi-
| lego to ascend ana battle his soul in the
radiance that emanates from the Divine
| spirit why. II man Is amrnahle alone TO
physical force-'if man is subject 60 that
which governs the beast Of tho feldY"
WHY arc We given the power to enter into
the depths " The human snul and explore
the lahyrinth IT human joy. sorrow, pleas
/ urc, pain. hope, disappoint anguish
despair faith-why is this: II is that we
may know that man Is more than the crca.
ture of circumstance, that outward action
is not all, that II is the inward sprags
Of character thlt Justly determines man
position toward his brother man. 1t is
that we may see broader higher, deeper
than the narrow plain Of the present 1t
IL That we may not accept opinion. which
! today Is, and tomorrow Is whirled nv some
| htful gust into the vast desert of nothing
ness II Is that We may measure. and
weigh, and balance, man IN the mo- al
scale
That we should recognize the existence
and power of unseen forces IN nature, and
vet not consider human action further than
eXternalS seems unaccountabo
We see the storm come forth from the
! Creators workhousc, and. AS II strides
nearer and nearer In savage agitation the
cloud,m sniycrs and. the porteniuous SKY
a Weri background forms fnr the light
nlnrS IS they track the heavens with fan
ustlc nrid step. Ana the thunder, "a II
In grand applause sends forth decorating
rC0r. A this manifestation of the elements
mans understanding leaps and seek en-
trance Int" nature mysteries On tic
partly opened hook OF Nature Unseen
Forces But sealed pages refuse a com
pletc knowledge.
We see grim war come forth. and track
the Garth with human gore. and the hcav-
cus are blacker and the air Is pierced with
tones more awful than ever tempest sent
forth. But unlike the disturbance OF the
elements the hidden forces of which red
handed war is but the instrument can he
revealed; they can be tracked to the cave
Of human passion; they can he dragged he.
fore the tribunal Of Justice ana truth aud
can be confronted with ordinances based
upon principles that can never die.
Where are those ordinances 20 be found
In the constitutions OF the States aud OF
the United States and In the laws made
in accordance with those constitutions In
giving man "A moral standard of right ithe
Biblel the Creator has Indicated the nece . T.
IS for a political standard. That standard
is the constitution Of the United States.
T.ef lVrfa h..a I'll. L
not the government Of the United States
that Is declared to be supreme, but the con
stltutlon Of the United States, and the laws
made IN accordance With the constitution. %
Then, the constitution being declared SUI
premc. IL follows that obedience ~ due ana
that the party that disoheved Is the guilty
party. That Abraham Lincoln and his
party violated the constitution can be easily
proved by considering the nature Of that
The constitution Of the United states sets
forth the terms Of union between free SOW
ereign aud independent States, each reta n
ing rs separate Sovereignty and deegating
TO the general government only such pow.
ers as would be conduclge to the prosperity
and welfare Of all the members OF tho
Federal repqboe he SGSnsii.g6o1 w YES
states, and adopted by the states Thus
IL Is seen ihat the constitution made tho
Irlon. not thu Union the constitutions As
John C.. Calhoun once terseiy remarked
There would haye been no Union without
the constitution
we hear much Of the constitution, or in
terpretatl0n Of the constitution Every
president OF the United States. from Jeffer,
son 10 lincoln, held that he constitution
was compact between sovereign States
In the celebrated debate IN the United
states senate in 1898 between Mr. Calhoun
ana Mr. webster. the former established
beyond controversy thnt the constitution Ia
compact As he remarked ours Is q
system Of Federal states, each retaining its
distinct existence aud sovereignty"
In 1898 more than twothirds OF the
states gave that construction through
their representatives IN the United States
again. IN is6o. resolutions dec,arstory Of
those same principles were introduced IN
tho United s'tafos scnate by Jefferson
DAris and were passed.
As N the righteousness OF secession
ThA Eght OF accession vas bAesgnizsd In