The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-05-11

fill future American generations with that
spirit of emulation which would place the
American Commonwealth mgher IMAM
ever Commonwealth reached before. Inc
memorable law excerpts no creature from
the harshness of its provision, but IL can
not hush the songs sung in honor OF ne
roes. 1t can not hush the story OF the
mother to the child. 1t can not hush the
father as he tells his son, and 1t can NOT
hush history There it's destroying hand
Is palsied when it reaches forth to mar.
And what of that history? 1t is but that
sung of heroes-of that mothers story,
of that sires talk to son. Thus has MS
tory been written forever. Thus VIII MS
tory be written forever.
A nation united and warning against an
other nation has for itself the same song
of heroes. the same mothers story to
child and the same sires talk to son.
selves as these people did-warred as peo-
pie never warred before. each with its
monstrous bravery and monstrouS ell
fort the lines of history criss-cross and
time grows ,hoary before they are paral-
lelled for satisfactory consideration. VINO
began the war? What was done in Con-
gress? What politician blew the emberS
which had been smoldering from the birth
of the Republic? What greed here? What
retaliation there? How much provoca-
tion in this? How much resentment in
that? These are the things which men,
devoted to details and laboriously wiring
devotee of military art will go again along
the lines marked on the maps of Grant
and Lee; will read them as military crit
les read now the campaigns of Napoleon
and Wellington and show the mistakes
or the genius of either But the great
people of this country who will live in
| the future of it it will not delve in the
proceedings of Congress and conventions.
| These will be closed to them. Only a
word here and there of the fiery debates
which were but the tocsin of the struggle
| to come will be remembered by them. The
maps and lines of battlefields will be
blurred and effaced, and all that will re-
main to them will be the monuments.
Then there will be no question asked by
| the American, Who was right? be-
cause even now. before it can be put. the
| answer is framed. Both were right be-
| cause both died Tor what they believed
| Error in sentiment is made right by sacri-
| flee. not within the strict Interpretation
| or translation of the word. but he who
| lays down his life for an error has proved
| 1t right with him. And as he has given
| his life for proof. who is that lives would
| dispute? The future American will read
| why the Confederate was right or wrong
But he will never read that he was un'
| faithful to his stand. right or wrong
| He may read that 1t had been better had
| this or that been done by the Northern
or Southern people, but he will not read
where either stopped to inquire why thi:
or that was not done. For. with thai
| reader, all Is over. and his breast will
swell with pride as he closes his history
with the right or wrong, they died like
men who were right. and they were
right" Was this or that tactical move
the proper one at Gettysburg? Hush
| from across the meadow lying at the foo
of the gentle slope, across the meadow
mile away, a gray mist arises anC
| takes on the form of men in uniform
| How the earth trembles as against thi!
threat to the Union cause the missile:
are hurled like smoke played with b!
| tickle breeze it curls and twists. snake
like. but rolls on. 1t is a charge of tn
! men of the Confederacy-a charge in from
| of which was death-a charge in which
the assurance of right. 1t comes like tn
| sea comes. at times, and dasheS itself
| as the sea does at times. against tn,
rocks and flies into mist Over the wall
| behind, men stand with hearts filled I,
the uttermost With the assurance of right
| They, too. were there to die. Agains
the wall the wave breaks over 1t q few