Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1902-01-25
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS
By KATE MARKHAM POWER.

and waiting when the signal should
sound from the speakers stand in the
old Capitol. In the rich, musical voice
Of one of their gifted women it was
sent forth last Wednesday, and its
echoes have ere this reached the re-
motest confines of the State in which
and for which the labor is being so
well, so bravely and so lovingly kept
up by these bands Of noble women.
Still other pleasures which last week
had in store for the members of the
House were the very able addresses
delivered by Gen. A. P. Stewart and
Gen. Stephen D. Lee Of Confederate
fame. Gen. Stewart, 1t will be re-
called, was once Chancellor Of the
University Of Mississippi, and Gen. Lee
was more recently president Of the
A. & M. College. Gen. Stewart made
strong appeal to the representatives of
the people of Mississippi for the erec-
tion of monuments at Chickamauga to
commemorate the deeds Of valor Of
the Mississippi soldiers who fell there
and at Chattanooga. The battlefield
is now being transformed into a ma
tional military park and our State is
one Of the few Southern States that
has not honored her heroic dead who
sleep the long sleep there. All of the
Northern States have erected monu-
ments to their soldiers who fell on
those fields Of battle; some of them
are splendid tributes in marble and
bronze. Gen. Lee was asked to speak
to the House and he complied in a
manner that captivated his hearers,
so full was 1t of the fire of those old
war times Of which he was so con-
spicuous and so admirable a figure,
and, at the same time, breathing some
what Of these gentler times of peace
and the good will that should prevail.
The sight of these two Confederate he
roes standing together in the fast
crumbling Capitol of the State they
have loved and served so well-the
splendid bearing that was such pride
to all who followed them through
days Of blood" showing much of mil
itary erectness, despite the burden of
almost fourseore years; the noble
heads, wearing with kingly dignity the
"hoary corwn" of years-was a sight
that should live long in the memories
Of those who saw them. rerhaps no
one Of all those present will ever look
upon the like again. At the close of
the war there were twenty-one Con-
federate generals living. Today there
are five, and two of these-Gen. Stew
art and Gen. Lee-stood together last
Wednesday to plead with men Of this
glorious today to hold in veneration
the heroes Of a glorious yesterday.
Shall we not do it? And shall we not,
while the Great Commander spares
them to us, love and honor these gen.
erals who are left to us and who are
OUR OwN!-prove to them our love by
honoring the men who followed them
through storm and stress and stood
with them on the fierce-fought field
with the sword of the great enemy
Death-struck them low and left them
afar from kindred, home and friends,
until the resurrection morning?
Their State should now prove her
self both "friend and kindred" and
carve in enduring marble the names
of all these heroes and set apart as
sacred the spot on which they fell.
ALI Mlssissippians who are interest
ed in the preservation of our valuable
and interesting State history will re-
joice to know that Gov. Longino has
assured Gen. Stephen D. Lee, presi-
dent of the Historical Society, that he
will recommend the establishment of
State Department of Archivese and
History. Members Of the society, in
conference, have drafted a bill which
win interest majority of our read
ers:
The preamble to the bill states that
this department is to be located in the
State Capitol, in apartments to be set
aside for its use by the Governor. The
objects and purposes are the care ana
custody of official archives, the collect
ing of material bearing upon the his
tory of the State and the territory in
cluded therein from the earliest times;
the editing Of official records and other
historical materials, the diffusing of
knowledge in reference to the history
and resources of the State, and the
encouragement Of historical research.
The bill further states that the depart.
ment shall be under the control of
nine trustees, chosen from the mem
bership Of the Mississippi Historical
Society, in addition to the Governor,
who shall be ex-officio q member and
president. The present executive com.
mittee Of the society shall constitute
the first board Of trustees. Imme-
diately after assembling, in response
to a call of the president, the trustees
shall be equally divided by lot into
three classes, the term of service of
the first class to expire at the end Of
two years, of the second at the end OF
four years, Of the third at the end oi
six years. The board shall have powez
to fill all vacancies occurring therein
This board shall hold, at Lne State cap
ital, at least one regular meeting dur
ing the year, and as many special meet
ings as may be necessary, and five
members shall constitute a quorum.
The board shall adopt rules for its own
government and for the government
of the department; shall elect direct
or and provide for the appointment Of
other officials authorized. The depart
ment shall be under the immediate
and control of a director,
to be elected by the board of trustees,
whose term Of office shall be six years.
He shall take an oath Of Office, AS do
other public officials, and shall be COM
missioned in like manner. He shall
devote his time to the work Of the
using his best effort to de-
veIop and build It IN. and shall receiva