Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-09-25
CHAPTER TX.
THE NEW AMERICA.

Another year of struggle and suffering,
hope and fear, CASTOR had passed, and
still he was no nearer the dream of real
lied love. If anything had changed, the
generals pride had added new force to
his determination that his daughter should
not marry the man who had defied him.
His chief reliance for Gaston's defeat
was on time, and the broadening of Sal
lies mind by extended travel. He had
sent her abroad twice. and this year he
sent her to spend another three months
In Europe.
These absences seemed only to intensity
her longing for her lover. On her return
the general would burst into a storm of
rage at her persistence. She had ceased
to give him any bitter answers. only smil-
ing quietly and maintaining an ominous
silence.
He had a new cause now Of dislike for
the man of her choice. CASTOR had be-
come a man of acknowledged power in
politics and was the leader of a group of
radical young men who demanded the
complete reorganization of the Demo
cratic party, the shelving Of the old tim
ers, of a radical program upon the negro
issue
RadicaIism of any sort he had always
hated Now as advanced by this young
upstart, 1t was douby odious. The gem
eral had never given much time to his
political duties, but his name was pow
er, and he gave regularly to the campaign
committee the largest cash contribution
they received.
He tried in a clumsy way to put CASTOR
off the state executive committee, but
failed He saw CASTOR quietly laughing
at him. Then he opened his pocket book
and worked up a machine. 1t was
formidable powed, and CASTOR feared It's
influence in the coming convention.
While this fight was in progress, and
M -, rr,.ffr Of
the Maine in Havana harbor stilled the
world into silence with the echo OF its
sullen roar. There was moments pause,
and the nation lifted its great silk battle
flags from the capitol at Washington, and
called for volunteers to wipe the empire
of Spain from the map of the western
world.
The war lasted but hundred days, but
in those hundred days was packed the
harvest of centuries.
War is always the crisis that flashes
the search light into the souls of men
and nations. revealing their unknown
strength and weakness, and the changes
that have been silently wrought in the
years of peace.
In these hundred days, statesmen who
were giants suddenly shrivelled into pig
mics and disappeared from the nations
life. Young men whose names were un-
known became leaders of the republic and
won immortal fame.
We were afraid that our nation still
lacked unity. The world said we were
mob of money-g rubbers, and had lost our
grasp of principle The president called
for 125.0O0 men to die for their flag, and
next morning 100000 were struggling for
place in the line!
We feared that religion might threaten
the future with its bitter, feud between
the Roman Catholic and Protestant in
great crisis. We saw our Catholic regi-
ments march forth to that war with
screaming fife and throbbing drum and
the flag of our country above them, going
forth to fight an army that had been
blessed by the pope of Rome! The flag
had become the common symbol Of eter-
nal justice. and the nation the organ
through which all creeds and cults sought
for righteousness.
We feared the gulf between the rich
and the poor had become impossible, ana
we saw the millionaire's son take his
place in the ranks with the workingman.
The first soldier wearing our uniform
who fell before Santiago with a Spanish
bullet in his breast, was an only son from
a palatial home in New York, and by his
side lay a cowboy from the west and
plowboy from the south. Once more we
showed the world that classes and clothes
are but thin DISCUSSES that hide the eter-
nal childhood Of the soul
Sectionallsm and disunity had been the
most terrible realities in our national his
tory. Our fathers had poet leader whose
soul Dreamed a beautiful dream. called Il
Pluribus Unum. But 1t had remained
dream. New England had threatened Sc
cession years before South Carolina in
blind rage led the way The Union was
saved by a sacrifice of blood that appalled,
the world. And still millions feared the
south might be false to her plighted hon.
or at Appomattox. The. ghost of secession
made and unmade the men and measures
of a generation.
Then came the trumpet call that put
the south to the test of fire and blood.
The world walked next morning to find
for the first time in our history the
dream of union a living fact. There was
no north. no south,-but from the James
to the Rio Grande the children of the
Confederacy rushed with eager flushed
faces to defend the flag their fathers had
once fought.
And God reserved in this hour for the
south, land of ashes and tombs and tears,
the pain and the glory of the first offering