The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-04-27
JUDGE WILLIAM H. THOMAS, ORATOR OF DAY.
 DELIVERED FORCIBLE AND ELOQUENT ADDRESS

As principal speaker yesterday on the occasion of the Memorial exercises, Judge William H. Thomas of Montgomery spoke as follows:
 MT. Chairman, Ladies of the Memorial
 Association. and Ladies and Gentle
 men:
 It is with no ordinary pride. though with misgivings that l come before this assemblage to cast another pebble at the base of memory's monumental shaft.
 Presumptuous, 1t may seem, for one not having anxiously watched that war-cloud the political horizon of the North. tc attempt a full expression of the senti- ment of him who stood by principle in Deaths dark hour. or hope to gain the attentive ear of those who. though tear fully, contributed the hearts choicest blessings to that cause.
 Standing here in the Cradle of the Confederacy," where for many years the patriotic and eloquent of our State have extolled the virtue and pictured the hard ship of the Confederate soldier, cannot expect to advance anything new, or speak of him and his cause more tenderly. And 1t Is with reverent love, l shall repeat again the story that is told; not that you who knew and loved the dead soldier may know him better and love him in memory more dearly, but that the youth and young manhood the maiden and young womanhood personally knowing
  for which he left his home, his kindred and loved ones, to fight and bleed and die. 1 shall be happy. indeed. II any thing l may say should cause one boy or girl to wish to study the South's cause in the light of true history, that they may view the Confederate soldier as he was.
 South of 1860.
 Now gaze with me through memories retrospect, at the panora ma of the South of 1860. Behold land spread out be- fore you, her fields waving with the green corn of spring, making gladsome music to the rustic of the winds: with fields rolling as the seas. Its spheres of golden grain lowing at the approach Of the gem tie zephyrs; with fields clothed in white- ness like that which greeted the famished gaze of the IsraelitiSt most when the Oriental wilderness was transformed into an Eden by sweet mama from Heaven. Yes. behold the South. decked as the G. real Goddess wresthed in smiles of peace and prosperity and singing the joyous psalms of local self government.
 We were blessed with the wealth Of a nation and q genial cline. and our peo- pie were fast entering the front ranks of mystical science. and clevating iter~ ature, art miraculous and genius divine. Our political horizon for half century previous had continued to grow clearer with brighter light, till no cloud re- mained: but now it's beauty was marred heinz collected. grew black as death and not less fearfuly omlnous.
 The Storm Must Come.
 Rut the storm must come. and in 1881 the electric spark 'eaped athwart our Southern skies" and ere long the rever- bera tions of our Civil War were echoed around the world. Ft. Sumter signal: the onset-belching direful thunder, armed with winged lightning invokes all Christ endom 10 witness d contest surpassed that nf ha oVertbTOU nf Milton : warning Angels Never before had the historian chronicled such "a cruel and re- Ientles strife in which the son wa! turned against the father. and brother against the brother. The poets harp was never tuned 10 sound so grand an epic: nor "clansmen met upon the field foe more worthy of his steel" Many gal lant Southern son attempting to with stand the onset Of an enemy tpick as autumnal leaves" poured out life in bat tie. Ask the winds that sigh and mourn continually through the graceful brancncs of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks, II not every hero that lay down beneath that shaai to die, had not proved himself worthy the fervent prayers breathed for him Tn distant home The many deeds or nonie daring of those following the nlish'' Forrest. charging with the fearless stew, art or led on to victory by the powerful Fjtzhugh Lee. needs not, as the charge of the Light Brigade Tennyson to set i'm pOetic or historic fame. Yes. there was
 Cannon to right of them
 Cannon to left of them.
 Cannon in front of ther
 VolIey'd and thundere1.
 storn1ed at with shot and shell
 Boldly they rode. and well.
 Into the jaws of Death
 Into the mouth of Hell.
 When can their glory fade? for
 All the world wondered And honored tho fight they made Honored the chivalric spirit with which s.ss soo on0 Ynef fhe S5s O0c' of the foe on