The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-06-15

leaders and the heroic men who followed them be understood and honored as they ought to be honored by the generation that comes after us. And my friends, the fulillment of this duty will make for unity and fraternity among Ameri- cans. not for sectionalism IL Will strengthen, not weaken the bonds of the union in the years to come if the gener- ations yet unborn are taught to recognize that the principles and the aims of the men of the south were as high ana as pure as those which animated thelr roe men of the north Had the men of '6l. north and south, known each other ana respected each other and each others motives. that terrible civil war would never have been. Let the union Of the future be founded on mutual respect, and 10 this end let the truth concerning the principles and acts of the old south De told-the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Nothing extenuated, nor aught set down in malice-'
 Is Reunited Country.
 Fellow citizens. we thank God that to- day the sun shines upon truly reunited country, Sectionalism is dead and bu- ried In the providence of God the Span ish war has drawn north and south to- gether in bonds of genuine brotherhood Their blood has watered the same sol. Their common patriotism has glorifed again the land of Washington. Men who faced one another in deadly conflict at Shiloh and Gettysburg rushed side oy side under the stars and stripes up the heights of San Juan and El Caney. There was no north or south on those fields of battle, or in Santiago harbor. or in front of Manila. Yes, and as was well f1 Harhprt at the peace jubilee, Out of the grave of sec fionalism arose the triumphant spirit Of Americanism Men of the south, we have a part in that spirit of Americansm. It Is our heritage as well as theirs.
 For one moment, my friends, let us turn from the sacred past-from the memories of this day and hour, and take a glance at the future. And what is it taht we behold? Surely Pisgah pros pect of beauty and hope. great des- tiny opens before America. Great are her privileges, her opportunities. her re- responsibilities The God of nations has given her possibilities of power and use fulness among the peoples of the globe that are almost boundless. He has great things for this nation to do. He has siven her a great part to play in the spreading of civilization and liberty and religion throughout the world. Blind in deed will the people be if they do not see 1t so; faithless if they do not grasp it. But l want to say that We of the south claim our part in this great destiny of America Eagerly and joyfully we ac- cept our share in the responsibilities in the opportunities in the strenuous con tlicts. in the conquests. in the glory of the future of our country. To that fu- t,re we turn our faces-to it's duties. to it's labor to it's battles. we consecrate ourselves our strength and our man. hood. We are Americans and nothing that pertains to the honor, to the well fare, to the glory of America. is or shall be foreign to us. What the south did in the Spanish-American war is an earnest of what she will do in the future toward working out the destiny of the great re- public She gave Fitzhugh Lee and Wheeler and Bagley and Hobson and Schley to that conflict. and so we may confidently predict that in future con- tests. civil and military, in peace and in war the land of Lee and Jackson, of Stewart and Forrest and Buchanan and Semmes, will surely bear a noble part.
 But this occasion belongs not to the future, but to the past. Let our closing thoughts be dedicated especially to our dead-that mighty host of brave soldiers and sailors who fell under the banner of the Lost Cause forty years ago.
 Meeting of Sons of Veterans.
 At the conclusion of the address the