The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-02
THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER"
samuel b. Adams Pays Tribute and
Reverence to His Memory.

samuel b. Adams Pays Tribute and
Reverence to His Memory.
The response to the toast, The Con-
fedcrate Soldier" was by Samuel b.
Adams. Esq, of the Savannah bar. 1t
was one of the most eloquent and
forceful addresses of the evening and
in logic, earnestness and eloquence, the
most complete defense of the attitude
of the Southern patriot warrior heard
in Savannah for many a day. MIR.
Adams said in part:
Because the Confederate soldier was
defeated, as the world counts defeat,
scant justice has hitherto teen done
him. He has bcrne the fate Of the con-
quered, which means not only neglect
but misrepresentation. Ills enemies
have usually written he histories, and
these histories seldom DO him even
slight justice. He is pictured as
rebel against the best government the
world ever saw as the aggressor in
the great struggle, and as guilty of
this reasonable aggression solely for
the purpose of perpetuating the msu-
tuition of slavery, against which the
civilized world had pronounced its fiat.
The truth is that he was the real de-
fender of the constitution of the
fathers of the republic, and he went
with his state from the Union because
of his devotion to its principles. He
cared more for substance than for
form.
What He Fought for.
while slavery had much to do with
the differences between the sections,
the war was waged by the Confederate
soldier in defense of the right of Sc
cession. of self government, of home
and fireside against invasion. A ma
jority of the Confederate soldiers never
owned slave. and would have fought
with the same devotion and fidelity if
the first article of the constitution Of
the Confederacy had forever abolished
slavery.
Once demonstrate the right of o
state to secede, (and this right was
capable of full demonstration, and the
war on the South, begun by the other
sections because of it's exercise of a
clear right, was necessarily a war of
subjugation, as completely so as if it
had been declared against England, or
any other foreign power, and resist
ance by the Confederate soldier, was
a resistance to invaders, was the as
sertion of the plainest principles of
self-defense. His true position in his
tory is being slowly but surely recog-
nlZeu, ana the time is coming tleI us
think as we may as to the unwisdom
of secession, or as to the practical re-
suit of the struggle, and let us be-
lieve as we may that it is best that
the South be a part of the Union),
when he Will occupy in the judgment
of all intelligent students of history,
a higher place in the annals of time
than the federal soldier, sincere and
patriotic, though this federal soldier
often was"
The Philippine War.
SIN honoring the true Confederate
soldier we are none the less true Amer
leans. Such tributes do not impair our
interest in our common country or our
purpose to do what we can for its real
honor and real glory. They may not
make us enthusiastic supporters of the
present war of conquest against the
Philippines. They will not cause
us to applaud the issuance of
an order to make Samar a bowling
wilderness and kill every male in
habitant 10 years old and older. I'M
agine a Lee, or a Jackson, or an AL
bert Sidney Johnston, or a Joseph f.
Johnston, or the matches Hampton
who has just crossed over the river
to rest with Jackson, under the shade
of the trees. a John B. Gordon, a
William w. Gordon, a Lawton, a Sor-
rell or a single officer who ever wore
a Confederate uniform, giving such an
order"
Mr.. Adams paid an eloquent tribute
to Col. William Garrard in concluding
his speech. which was received with
round after round of applause.