The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-07
WHAT He DID SAY
DR.. Alderman Replies to
Senator Bailey.
He Was Speaking to Five Hundred
Southern Men and Approached
the Subject Sympathe!icaIIy
as Soulherner.
as a SOusherner.

Especial to News and Observer
Charlottesville, Va, Feb 6.-Pres-
ldent Edwin a. Alderman, of the Uni
versity Of Virginia, tonight gave out
the following statement with refer
ence to his recent speech delivered
before the Southern Society of New
York:
There has been some criticism and
discussion Of a speech made by me be-
fore the Southern Society Of New
York city, on December Il last. The
criticism has been based upon q few
lines sent out by the Associated Press,
summing up a forty-minute speech.
1t has occurred to me that it might
be of some interest to the public ana
to my critics to know what was really
said in the context. Such knowledge
is usually tolerably helpful TO sound
criticism. I have abiding faith in the
fairness of the people when the facts
are known.
81 was speaking to 500 Southern
men in New York city. | am South
eTn man. Devotion to the South ana
q desire to serve it constructiVely has
been the guiding principle OF my life
for twenty years. l would not know
how 10 approach q subject touching
Southern life unsyspathetically. ] do,
however, believe in looking at things
steadily and squarely, in forming hon
est judgments and in utterlng them
whenever and wherever they may DO
good Violent over honest and sympa-
thetic criticism is an unfailing and
pathetic sign of SuDerSensitiVeneSS ana
unscientific mental attitude. My
speech in the large was a plea for the
more complete training of our youth
for directive leadership in the great
days to come. To aid in bringing
about such complete training is the
business of my life. The brief section
of my speech appended below, which
/ have transcribed from my notes,
contains deliberate and honest
opinion which / have long held and
often expressed and viii continue to
hold and express again whenever / be-
heve it worth while. II did not mean
to be personal or quehlouS. ! did not
mean to underrate many strong and
noble men or to belittle much heroic
and faithful service I was not refer
ring exclusively to political leader
ship. / have nothing to apologize for
or retract in this opinion. | can I'M
derstand how In such n large matter
there is room for honest difference
of opinion, and criticism is perfectly
legitimate and helpful. / can not I'M
derstand how serious minded. just
men can impute to Nother serious
minded men unworthy motives upon
slender knowledge Of the facts and
with no power TO search the human
heart"
What DR.. Alderman Said in New York.
"The old time had its leaders, and
they ,elc tie best trained men for
their tasks that this country has seen,
and the places that trained them
were the best PAGES for training such
men for such tasks. That old time
furnished the nation its best concept
of the sacredness of public service and
public probity. and let us thank God
that tfe succession of our public men
from Calhoun to Tillman, inclusive
a considerable distances free from
any sort of sOrdiness or personal dis
honor. 1t nourished capacity for
idealism and steadfastness that chung
TO faiths and theories though they
lead to ruin The so-called Solid
South troubles many good people. TO
me it is the steadfast South. welded
together so fercely in the fires Of con-
fiict and discussion and oppression
that it has almost lost the capacity
for political fiuidity or social magma
ton. Forehanded, shrewd men did
not rule that old life nor do they
rule our life of today. Around the
tiresides of those days the task fell
on another type. Has he borne nim-
self bravely in battle? Has he SUI
fered somewhere with courage and
dignity? Has he kept himself free
from strain? Has he kept faith with
ideas? These were the tests OF the
old time and the spirit in them is nor
yet dead 1t is doubtful if any man
in that old air could have written
Emerson's essay on the American
Scholar but certainly nowhere else
did such q type as Robert T.. Lee
flower into the rose of his exquisite
and tolerant manhood.
THAT time, in civil life. demanded
fire and strength, the stout heart and
the iron will, the fixed purpose and
the eloquent tongue. And it got what
it wanted and to spare.
There is deep meaning in the fact
that the leader ridden South of the
past is almost leaderless now. There
are of course honorable names in let
tiers, in economic life, in Journalism,
in State government in legislative
halls, and the white-haired veteran Of
the South who is at work. With
sweet temper and unwearylnG spirit.
at all sorts of noble tasks, Is 10 ne
the real hero of our time.
II do not wish to be merely D@ssi-
mistic. 1t is more difficult to BE- 4
leader now. Life is wider and derloc-
racy sees farther and wants n0HG.
One cannot simply incarnate I5i the
dumb people their desires and asp'r2.
tons as Clay or Jackson did Hen
north and south will not gather al the
call of great voices as men gathered
about Calhoun or TOmbs or Davis -
Webster or Adams or Benton. |, is
not an age of personal loyalty bu5 Of
social awakening, OF social ima&'na-
ton and of social and political Initial
tive in the things that can strengthen
and really enrich our common lie.
1t is in these qualities that our leader
shin is weak.
"Our leaders frequently suggest in
adequately the antique type. Not ;se-
cause they are weak men or bad men.
They are emphatically neither En@y
have brains character, courage And
genius for politics. They are inde2l;-
bly, honest. They are idealistic, differ
ing therein somewhat from the leader
ship Of commercial centeTs whose
peril is the peril of materialism ana
a conception of government somewhat
selfish and not wholly for the public
good. Our leaders, indeed, have many
Of the virtues of those who have gone
before, but they are trying 10 apply
the virtues and equipment OF an ag@
md e.