Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-15
LOVING WORDS
Continued from page ~

US when We see how prosperous our
country has grown think we are con-
WINGED now that the South is fully on
its feet again. In material prosperity
we have not only reached, but sur
passed the achievements Of our faith
ers.
Il hold no view of Southern degener-
acy, but I deplore the irreparable loss
TO my country and the mourning gen.
erations when those splendid men, the
pravest and the best the world has
ever held, went down in death.
AS the close of our days draw near
and the work of upbuilding our cOun-
try passes into younger and stronger
hands. let us make it our mission to
tell the story. Do not let our children
and grandchildren forget the cause for
which We suffered. Tell it not in anger;
tell 1t not in grief; tell it not In re-
venge; tell it proudly as it's soldiers.
Ihere Is no shame in all the history.
The cause In which the blood was
shed Will never be lost to us and the
love we gave it will not die till the last
gray jacket is folded and the last gray
head is buried beneath the sod"
Hon. Thomas III. Owen of Montgom-
cry, Ala, commander of the Alabama
DIVISION for Sons of Veterans, spoke in
response to the welcome for the Sons,
and was heartily applauded.
Gen. Lee then introduced DR.. Ran
dolph III. McKim of Washington, =. c.,
as the orator for the occasion. Dr.
Kim said:
There fol,
must arrest the attention Of every OBJ
server of this scene. today. The first
is the fact that all this pagentry, all
this enthusiasm is a tribute to a lost
cause. The second is the fact we as
semble under the Stars and Stripes. (the
victorious banner) and pay our reverent
homage to the conquered one. Our new
republic sank 40 years ago, to rise no
more; our armies We're defeated; our
banner went down in blood. The love
and loyalty which we give to the lost
cause and to the defeated banner, is
demonstration of the deep hold that the
cause has upon the hearts of the South
ern people and of the absolute sincerity
and of the complete devotion with
which they supported it; but it is no
evidence of unmanly and fruitless re-
pining over defeat, nor of any lurking
disloyalty to the Union in which now,
thank God, the Southern states have
equal rights and privileges with all the
other states of our broad land.
We accepted the results of the war in
good faith. We abide the arbitrament
of the sword. We subscribe as sim
cerely as the men who fought against
us to the sentiment, 'One flag, one coun-
try, one constitution, one destiny This
is now for us an indissolubIe union of
understandable states. We are loyal to
that starry banner. We salute you
under the starry banner, the banner
of the Stars and Stripes, as the symbol
of our reunited country and at the
same moment that we do homage to the
memory of the Stars and Bars. There
is in our hearts a double loyalty, to-
day, loyalty to the present and a lay
atty to the dear, dead past. We still
love our old flag with the Southern
cross upon it's fiery folds. We have
wrapped it round our hearts; we have
enshrined it in the sacred ark of our
love; and we will honor it and cherish
it evermore-not now as n political
symbol, but as the consecrated emblem
of an heroic epoch; as the sacred me-
mento of a day that is dead-is the en-
bodiment of memories that will be ten
der and holy as long as life shall last.
At the conclusion of the address, the
convention, after making the election
OF officers the principal business for
tomorrow. adjourned.
The United Sons Of Veterans met,
this afternoon.