The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-27


Grams of the state of Alabama was the
orator of the day. He was introduced by
Mrs. Rountree. General Harrisons ora
ton was at once chaste and eloquent and
was followed with close attention by the
vast assemblage of people.
His Grafton was in part as follows:
Ladies and comrades, my heart is in
deed gladdened at the sight before me
and for the noble cause for which we
are met here today. 1t thrills my soul
with joy as l stand here today to wit
ness the unwilling of this beautiful mon
ument beautiful and so majestic.
cannot but feel proud of our ladies here
j. when | think of the great work which
| they have accomplished. Were it not for
our friends the Daughters of the Con-
federacy. we the old soldiers of the Con-
federacy, would not be here today and
this splendid monument would be erected
| to our memory.
The men to whom this monument Is
erected the Soldiers and Sailors of the
Confederacy) We're patriots. Never did
/ truer patriots answer to the stirring
bugle note than We're those boys in gray
| who sprang from the plowshare to grasp
the bayonet and follow their peerless
leaders through stress of conflict and
poverty and ragged suffering Patriots
they We're in very deed and truth fighting
with as lofty spirit and as worthy mo-
tive as ever filled the breasts of cour-
ageous men. Patriots even when you set
the highest standard Of patriotism, which
can be no other than the struggle for
human liberty. The soldiers of the south
did not fight for slavery, they fought
for freedom. The right of a church to be
free made the war of Cromwell. The
, right of a colony to be free made the
war of the Revolution. The right of
state TO be free made the war of south
ern independence. The world has never
known, nor will it ever know a loftier
patriotism than the patriotism of the
soldiers and sailors of the south.
But what Is patriotism?
Patriotism In Its last reduction is home
love. And this is why the men of the
south responded to the battle call with
srch glad misunderstanding to the en-
brace of the war god as babe into the
al ms of his father; because they believed
their homes were endangered invasion
was imminent; because the right of
state to be free meant to them the right
OF home to be free and sacred. The first
great lesson which | would have taught
the young of our land is the love of home
The Confederate soldier was willing to
wade through blood for that, and battle
with fire and sleep on the bare wet ground
or else sleep beneath it's cold surface for
ever, because if his home could not be
kept from profane alien touch then to
die were better both for him and for those
he loved.
1.-THE tattered soldier in gray-God bless
him! has thus taught us for all time the
two fundamental lessons of home-love
and manhood. When the war was over he
not only rebuilt his demolished home, but
he protected 1t from the ruthless invasion
of the carpet Dagger and the hideous
spectre of a threatened race equality. His
monitions bid his descendants ever more
u be ON guard against all nsidious In
vasions of our prescious home life, wheth-
Ell In the guise of perncious literature
that would corrupt the morals of our
youth by destroying for example, the
/ irviolate sanctity of the marriage tie
or in the guise of a perncious license,
which masquerades as liberty, but is in
| reality lawlessness, whereas law Is the
very cornerstone of home. His manhood
seems to teach us on the one hand never
to sacrifice principle for policy or moral
| health for material wealth. He is loyal
| to the Union; but God forbid the day
should ever come when he or his descend
arts will crook the pregnant hinges OF
, the knee that thrift may follow fawn-
| ing F"
! General Harrison closed his Grafton with
fine tribute to the First American
Robert e. Lee, which was cheered with
great enthusiasm by the men who wore
| the gray and their loyal sons and daugh-
ters.
At Oak Hill.
| After the ceremonies of the unwilling
| the march was continued to Oak Hill
! cemetery where the graves of the Con-
| federate dead were decorate with flowers.
| impressive ceremonies and the firing Of
| a salute by the military companies, added
| to the solemnity of the occasion.
| Capt. John G. Smith was the orator at
| Oak Hill and his address was listened
| to with rapt attention.
! Captain Smith said:
! Ladies' Comrades and Fellow Citizens:
! This being the day set apart as me-
! mortal day to the Confederate dead,
! have been selected by Camp Hardee to
| make you a short talk, and as you have
already listened with patience to several
addresses and must be tired, 1 shall try
| to be exceedingly brief.
Yes. we are here today to pay one more
| tribute of respect to our dead comrades
who. with us, once wore the gray. In
| doing this we feel and know that We are
not only honoring the dead but ourselves
as well In performing service that every
| ex-soldier of the Confederacy considers
most sacred to himself; it is a sad duty,
| but one we are always ready to perform.
| We owe it to ourselves. to our families,
and to the families of those who fell in