The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-02-05
WHEN BLUE CLASPS GRAY.
Lincoln, Lee and Davis Toast
ed By North and South.
Henry Watterson Praised the Martyred
President Of the Civil War--Char<
les Francis Adams Drank to
the Memory Of Robert

New York, Jan. 27.-At the thir-
tenth annual banquet last night OF
the Confederate Veterans camp OF
this city, Charles Francis Adams, an
ex.Union soldier, responded to the
toast, Robert E. Lee" Henry Wat
terson, an ex-Coniederate soldier.
spoke on abraham Lincoln and
William Hepburn Russell, formerly
OF Missouri, now commissioner OF &C.
counts OF New York city, responded
to the toast, Jefferson Davis" Five
hundred guests were present. The
opening toast to 1.-THE President and
the Army and Navy OF the United
States-A prince among the rulers Of
the world and but the servant OF a
free people," was drunk standing.
Colonel Natterson said in part:
Jefferson Davis, than whom there
never lived, in this or in any land, a
nobler gentleman and knightlier
soldier-Jefferson Davis, who, what
ever may be thought of his opinions
and actions, said always what he
meant and meant always what he
ssid-Jefferson Davis declared that
next after the surrender at Appomat-
tox, the murder OF Abraham Lincoln
made the darkest day in the calendar
for the South and the people OF the
South. Why? Because Mr.. Davis
had come to knowledge Of the mag
nanimity OF MIR. Lincoln's heart and
the generosity OF his intentions.
IF LINCOLN HAD LIVED.
III Lincoln had lived there would
have been no era OF reconstruction,
with it's Expressive agencies and op-
pressive legislation. II Lincoln had
lived there would have been wanting
to the extremism OF the time the
bloody cue Of his taking off to mount
the steeds and spur the TANKS OF
vengeance. For Lincoln entertained,
with respect to the rehabilitation of
the Union, the single wish that the
Southern states-to use his homely
lphraseology-'should CO m back
home and behave themselves, and, il
he had lived he would have made this
WISH effectual, as he made everything
effectual to which he seriously ad-
dressed himself.
"Only a little while and there shall
not be one man living who saw SER
vice on either side OF that great
struggle OF systems and ideas. Its
passions long ago vanished from
manly bosoms. That has come to
pass within single generation in
America which in Europe required
ages to accomplish. There is no dis
putting the verdict OF events. Let US
relate them truly and interpret them
fairly. II We would have the North
do justice to our heroes, we must do
Justice to its heroes. l here render
unto Caesar the things that are
Caesars, even as | would render unto
God the things that are Gods. As
living men, standing erect in the
presence OF heaven and the world, we
have grown gray without being
ashamed; and we need not fear that
history will fail to vindicate our in
tegrity. When those are gone that
fought the battle, and posterity comes
to strike the final balance sheet, it
will be shown that the makers OF the
constitution left the relation of the
states to the Federal government
to the states open to double con-
struction- 1t will be told how the
mistaken notion that slave labor was
requisite to the profitable cultivation
OF sugar, rice and cotton, raised a
paramount property interest in the
Southern section, responding to the
trend Of modern thought and the
outer movements Of mankind, there
arose a great moral sentiment
against slavery. The conflict was
fought out to it's bitter and logical
conclusion atAppomattox. Itfound
us huddle Of petty sovereignties,
held together by a rope Of sand. It
made and it left US a nation. Este
perpetual
nN rErnrpcax- n.u,,