The age-herald., 1902-02-23
Aabaman Entertained Southern Society of That City With Brilliant Address the Land of Dixie and the Part Her People Played in the Formation of Country

New York, February 22.-(Special )-At the annual banquet of the Southern So- ciety tonight Joseph J. willett of Ala bama was the principal speaker. Judge Augustus Van Wyck also made a strong address.
 MT. Willett spoke as follows
 "In the early settlement of Texas, while immigration was pouring in from the other states, the first question which met stranger after he had crossed the Sa- bine River was, What did you do at home that you had to come hereT And not infrequeutly that stranger had left his home In the older states under cir cumstances alike embarrassing to him and to his creditors, with the words e. T. posted up on the door of his late abode, which was well understood to mean Gene to Texas. I will not ask any of you tonight What did you do that you had to come to New York, or if you left G. N. Y. on the door of your home in tho South? Such questions might call for explanations, which are alawys em- tarr ass!ng, and particularly so upon oc- casions of this kind. MT. Dooley has said the reason why reform was so difficult in New York is that 1t Is full of men who have been chased here by the sher- l ifs from the four corners of the land. l This may explain some of the difficulties | WI ich beset your Mayor and District Att I torney but I am sure this does not ex- | plain why the Southern Society Is in creasing in such numbers. or why 1t is in such a hourishing condition as to mem hership and social graces.
 | My pleasure in being with you tonight is great, but the greatness of my subject rather overwhelms me. There are times lxariS nd Ia ri such virtue alone do lay claim this ev- ening in venturing to address you on the subject assigned me.
 Washington Always Interested.
 "The story of Washington however, vii. never grow old or cease to be in- teresting. While he was living in retire ment at Mt Vernon, after his terms as | President had expired, Bonaparte, who wes just entering upon his neteoric ca | reor, upon being presented to our Min 1 ister in Paris, asked, How Is your dis I tinguished countryman, General Wash; ington? Upon being informed that he | was we'll replied: Yes, and it will al- | ways be well with him, for Washingtons s | fame will be secure when my name shan have beer forgotten. The most durable | monument may perish, but neither the forces of nature nor any crime of man
 
 of public and private virtue. As Bancroft has we'll said, But for Washington the country could not have achieved Its in- dependence, but for him 1t could not have formed Its union. ard but for him 1t could not have set the Fedtrui Government in successful notion What can say, what car any mar say of i'm which has not heen already rendered as familiar as household words, not only here, but thr oughout the civilized worldf Hcw can 1 add anything to what has been said by Guizot, John Msrshall Jared Sparks, Ed | ward Everett, Washir gton Irving, Ban croft and Lodge? While Washington was | q true type of tho South, his fame docs not belong to her alone nor does she so l claim him. His part end her part in the | Revolution would have been of no avail | but for what was so gloiiously done in council and n arms by brothers in the Middle and New England colonies. Nor does h's fame belong to any na,ion or any age. Wherever human beings throughout the world have erected an al- tar and get up q government dedicated to l liberty regulated by law. these may clam Washington for their countryman. The majestic story of that life, whether told in the pages of history CT in the verse of Lowell and Byror. never grows old and will never cease to claim the atten- ton of the sons of men.
 While l may not say anything new or interesting on the subject of Washington, perhaps l may, in bringing you a mes sage from your ancestral homes say something of that portion of the union wherein the bones of your ancestors are buried and in which you first saw the light, which may not be altogether with out interest to you. Glorious Southland. l. thou art still true to thy inherited valor | and incomparable graces. Neither the corroding marks of time, poverty or com | mercialism nave taken away from thee aught of thy sweet gentleness, thy he roic and accomplishing fortitude or pa | tient enc, gy. Like Washington, you have parsed through deep waters and have | had your Valley Forges, Brandywines. | Monmouths and GerInantowns, but like | him you have exhibited a loyalty and 1 constancy to nigh ioeals which no re- verse no hardships, no incompetency. no treachery, could shake or overcome. | The honor and courage of your sons on hundreds of bsttlefields and the virtue and gentlenoss of your women. virtues pro servative of all other virtues. have wor the admiration of the world and shed an imperishablc lustre on thy fair name | The past, at least. is secure
 John Milton has well said, War has made many great whom peace makes 1 small But we can say of the south as | Milton said of Cromwell. while she show l led herself Rreat in war. peace hath made