The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-06-06

CAME our land and ftlafIS the SOllllon
IF one OF the greatest crimes ever com
mil,cd by any political party.
We meet in the commercial mart> Of
.ht world: we knetl before the same
God at evening: and whisper the same
PRAYER to heaven We speak the same
tongue; sing the same songs, commem-
'rutivc of our country'> past and pro
phrtIc Of its future; we feel the same
.,ridc in its history and indulge in the
same hopes as our brethren of the
North. and yet. our public men know
that there is drawn around the political
!,pnur> of the United States dead line
b, vun,l which they can not pass.
But hope and trust that the day is
,lnWning for the South. That a new
lawn is breaking and 4 new light is
>uming to lead and cn)ightcn the world.
have stood in the halls of Congress
lnl heard the men of the SOuth-Our
leaders, assume their old sway. while
Nth gifted tongue they told of its past
and prOphcSi,d as to its future. | have
seen hanging side by sid, in the capitol
Of the State of Mississippi the portraits
IF Davis and Lincoln. the great leaders
IF the bloody cause. and | have read an
ru,ugv from the North of Grant and
Lee. And said truly is the past being
forgotten in the sunshine Of today. And
though, that soon our differences
would be but the unrcpeated history OF
he past. But let it be recorded fair to
he South and without prejudice to the
North, to be read by the coming gen
crations, and let the impartial historian
of the future write i'll living light the
yalor and the bravery and the patriot
| ism of both North and South, blending
| in the love of all united country.
\ little while ago | stood in the shad-
DIV of the statue of Robert +. Lee. that
| magnificent combination of BRAN and
bronze. perpetuating the matchless name
If one of the worlds greatest noblemen.
and | thought | could see him as he
stood at the head of the determined CO.
1horts of the ConfederaCy. the hope and
informing star of thousand anxious
souls. I thought | could see him bowed
in prayer. appealing to the god of battle
and asking the Light of the world to
Kindly lead him. thought could see
| him. flushed with the excitement of bat
tie and crowned with the laurel wreath
Of success. and again could see him
gazing Out on the sad. sad future, wrap1
| in the gloom of defeat. How proudly
he walked the royal path OF life. and
+t44ass- ,e+aaptdiy- he yielded that life at ma
lures call. and returned to its Maker
one of the grandest and loveliest souls
THAT ever adorned the form Of man
i Yet an admiring and loving con
Isttuency sought to perpetuate his I'M
living fame in a statue of marble anc
lbronze! And silent and grand it stands
1.-THE tired and restless multitude passe:
lit bv, the laugh of the coarse and vul'
lgar Jar it's peaceful poise, its shadow:
fall to obscure the Just and the unjust
1.-THE clean and the unclean, the great anc
1.-The small. And | thought Of the love
land devotion of the South to this great
Header of men-Of the shouts that mac
Ibecn uttered for his glory and of the
Itcars that were shed when he sheathee
Ibis sword at last. And I said: The cor.
roding hand of time may crumble the
|sculptor's dream to earth again, the
Isilent messenger may beckon away the
old guard. but his fame, safe in thu
hearts of his countrymen and written II
the history of his country in undylnG
'ustre shall endure as long as the human
heart has memories, as long as the sur
shines on the men and women of the
South.
Soon the thin ranks of the Veterans
will be only Il memory. Soon the Daugh
tiers of the Confederacy will join their
isires on the farther shore, and in the
bivouac of Eternity the Blue and the
lGray will camp side by side. You ask
me when and where and how? | reply
that | know not wi IRE the white road
lgoes, but they tell uJ beyond the pathles:
mountains that stretch their blue peaks
in the fading distance there is charm
ling valley that drinks the diamond 'dews
|of morning, is clothed in emerald greer
md dotted with flowers of every shade
and hue. That beyond the flush and
brightness of the stars there flows .
fountain with waters crysal, impartinQ
to those who drink life supernal. They
tell us we shall meet again. Beyond the
Irosy tints Of sunset, beyond the COLDER
|hues of day where the shades of even
ing grow longer and longer till they
meet eter,1ity's dawn. We shall hear q
burst of melody, we shall feel throf
|of song, we listen to a futter of wings
md the very air is vocal with praise
1t is there it is then that we shall meet
again.
| f4a. IT. the