The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-21
EX-GOV. JOHNSTON
 ON THE CIVIL WAR
Continued from Thirteenth Pase)


 have I seen charge ordered and led by the quick perception and courageous dar- Ing of the private soldier
 "The very conviction tt.t the principles he was struggling for entitled him to stand erect and dauntless the equal of any man, made him steadfast in time of deadly peril. He fought to es- tablish his equality of privilege and op- portunity and he will be slow in admit ting that any other white man shall be counted of greater weight and conse- quence In public or private affairs.
 '"The man behind the sun was the hero of our war. The men in grey time and time again drove superior numbers from their breastworks, ut they asked no man to lead; they were the first themselves.
 But after all ~ was the woman behind the man instead of the man behind the gun who inspired victory.
 Not one of us but knew that If we went home in dishonor or disgrace that our reception by the glorious women of the South woulG drivs us into some sol- itary corner there, happily to be forgot. Few could be found willing in dishonor, to face the batteries of scorn and small arms of contempt that our women would turn upon towards. So 1t was that those who did desert or disgrace their flag usually either went over to the enemy or hid themselves in mountain cave or gloomy swamp, fit retreats for towards and deserters.
 Undying Fame. "One consolation remains to us all when we consider how unchangeable are the laws of nature and how vain the puny efforts of man to divert them from their predestined course.
 "As far back as the beginning of the Christian era, when the standards of i'm perial Rome so covered the known world that even the scrpture makes record of her wide dominion, telling us that a de- cree went out from Augustus that all the nations of the earth should be taxed; as far back as that, many of the greatest emperoros of Rome endeavored to fix the succession to the imperial throne forever to their descendants. Treasures were &C., cumulated, laws enacted, oaths eXacted. and the devotion of the legions was en- deavored to be secured by every art and device and discipline But these laws were violated and oaths broken and treas ures seized, and the Pretorian guard was corrupted. Designing demagognes, ann bilious generals and artful politicians broke down every safe guard that had been erected, violated every law enact ed, and clothed themselves with the royal purple, to be In tune ONeftnrOWn ana destroyed by more courageos or un- scrupulous adventurers.
 "So in these later days, when money seems to command the greatest worship, the men who have, fairly or unfairly. accumulated great fortunes have endeav- cred to secure its enjoyment to their descendants forever.
 How rarely do they succeed?
 ''The treasures heaped up by the econ cmy and self-denial and skill or unscru- pulousness of one man is usually squan- dered by those who succeed to the in- heritance The very getting without la bor, the training of the offspring, their likeness and love of ease and luxury ln- vites the almost inevitable and certain dissipation of these estates.
 "No form of testament can be devised that the ingenuity. the corruption or the vices. or crimes of the benefciaries can not overturn and destroy within one or two generations.
 "If man leaves bonds or stocks or houses or land. panics. cyclones and fire and flood or revolution or fraud may utterly destroy them
 "The only imperishable inheritance that a man can leave to his children is a good rame and a virtuous example. Nothing can destroy these.
 ''The slanderer may assault. and the liar attack and rejoice over temporary success. hut from e"cA assault this fn-