The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-06-16

was of and for and with the people,
in every just aspiration, and counseled
with them in all their trials. The peo-
pie who had remained at home grew to
love him as passionately as his old
soldiers. He became a resistless force
in public thought and life. Georgia
twice made him Governor and twice
bore him to the Senate of the United
States. Prolific as she has been Of
sages. orators. soldiers and statesmen.
no man eyer lived In her borders who
had in greater degree the confidence
mastery over their hearts. or welded
1t for nobler ends After the death
OF Lee, no man had as wide influence
as he in the South, and it was always
and bravely exercised. He was prom
inent in her councils In the events
which eliminated when Hays declared
that the flag should float over States.
not provinces" and IL was due to his
counsels and influence, more than those
of any one man. that great calamities
were averted, in the then excited con-
dition of the public mind 1t was
only the Chevalier Bayard of the
Army of Northern Virginia" as GEN.
eral Hill termed him. who could send
the message, and be needed, when pas
sion was about to break all bounds
in New Orleans. bear and forbear.
even unto DEATH"
Could Not Parole Principles.
No man knew better than he that
the future peace of the country and the
happiness of the millions who had
made such unparalleled sacrifices to
separate from the Government to
which events returned them, must rAst
on surer foundation than the memory
of defeat. He knew the followers of
Lee and Johnston would observe their
paroles, but his manhood taught him
that a defeated people could not pa
| role principles and future generations.
He felt that the coming days would
only repeat the past If the generation
| which fought from Manassas to 1.p-
pomattox sought to implant in the
minds and hearts of their children any
judgment of the past. which involved
the millions on the one side Or the
other In dishonor. He believed that
the men of those days. who did not
create and could not control the ap-
parently uEalterable conditions which
then wounded the happiness and unity
of the Republic. and finding no other
practical solution, marched out, as
God gave their minds and hearts tn
see and know the right, to battle and
death in defense of their convictions,
though they differed and warred were,
yet united in the higher and Inn
cipIe." He profoundly believed. and
therefore earnestly taught. that the
valor, heroism and sacrifices of the
struggle were a glorious and blessed
heritage or the WhOle American people,
and that neither fealtY to the, dead nor
fidelity to principle. nor any law of
honor or interest, called the people of
any section to any other view He
felt that the man who went into the
struggle with pure heart and came out
with clean hands, left a proud heritage.
He sought to sow these seeds evey-
where. IL was not an easy task: but
he went on unmindful of those little
souls who cannot understand loyalty
aof Aa NJ
those who oppose it, He held hu-
manity high above all hate He APP
preciated Grants delicacy of soul at
Appomattox, admired him as a soldier
reciprocated the sentiment written by
his dying hand at Mount McGregor,
and was a sincere mourner at his bier.
He venerated Davis and visited him at
| Fortress Monroe, and wren. years az
| terward, he was borne by the love of
his people from the retirement OF his
| home by the sea to his old capital.
| while the world looked on and learned
| that the people for whom he suffered
had neither forgotten nor deserted him
| in the hour of adversely, Gordon was
| there to do him honor. There was
not wanting many who sought to make
| the peoples acclaim for the man VINO
| was ironed for our sakes, a cause for
rekindling the passions of the past.
! Gordon. welcoming Davis. delivered a
memorable address, from the spot
| where the Confederacy was born. which
| went home to the hearts of the Amer
| lean people. 1t was idle and wrong,
| he said, to expect men on either side
| who followed cherished convictions to
| battle, and consecrated the best days
| of their lives to a cause. to forget their
past, their dead. their valor or their
| achievements. IL Inat time should
| come to pass, virtue would wither and
| die in the land. 1t was natural, right
and wise that the people of the sec
| tions should glory in their deeds OF
valor and the memory of their dead,
and If proper Inspiration were drawn
| from their great lesson, the country
would rise higher, purcr and grander
\ for the strife He went all over this
| land of ours as the apostle OF peace:
| Thousands heard him in the cities and
| hamlets OF the North. East and West
| and for the first time understood the
| Confederate soldier as he was and Is.
| and many at the South were taught by
| him that patriotism and courage are
| not sectional. His work was far reacn-
| ing and sublime, and ranks him among
| the purest and best of American states
men. Need any one. least OF all ms
| old comrades, be told that this man
was the knightllest of the knightly In
| his reverence for woman, model nus
band, father, brother. friend and neigh
| Dor, and Krieved none who knew MIN
| save when he died
The Joys Of last Christmas-tide had
| scarce ended. when the news came
from the Florida shores that our Com
| mander-in- Chief had some beyond the
| stars Flags at half mast on South
| ern Capitols and Governors OF States
| paid homage to his memory. Con-
| federate Veterans and Sons OF Veter-
| ans and people by thousands gathered
| around his bier. Aye. the North was
| there too From camps of his old foes
| came resolutions and messages OF con-
dolence. A regiment of Regulars sent
| ty the President of the United states,
| with national colors, draped, and arms
| presented. saluted the dead soldier.
| And there were other soldiers who did
| him homage there, who had not fol-
| lowed "the star-crossed banner which
! has long since taken Its flight to greet
| the warriors soul" Grizzled and
maimed members of the Grand Army
| of the Republic stood uncovered and
| fearful as we bore his body away. All
| that Is mortal of him sleeps near At
| lanta, in the soil he loved so well, on n
| consecratsd spot near where Walker
| and Mcpherson and thousands OF brave
men fell. There, among them, ne VIII
| rise again when the Master sounds
| the reveille, and the soldier looks IN"
| to the face which will make glorious
his own" l know not. as the vast
| throng wendell its way back TO the
| city, which of all the things that made
us love him was uppermost in the
| hearts which then paid him each It's
own tribute; but there came TO me the
| words from abe soul of Davis, on his
| memorable visit. after the love OF his
people had kissed away the scar OF the
| letters: TT is worth while to have
| suffered much to have known you and
| of Gordon In the darkest hours of his
life. III Is "a great comfort IN he with