The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-05-18

young Hannibal to swear an oath
against the Union. (Renewed cheers
and a%pplause.)
When the historian, aye, when the.
American patriot, contempIates eleven
times larger than the original thirteen
France, Germany, Austria, and Spain
combined, with a territory stretching
from the Potomac TO the Gulf, from
beyond the Mississippi to the Atlantic,
with twelve millions OF population,
with the highest type of organized
Government in every county, with
schools, colleges, universities, church
es throughout its length and breadth,
with statesmen and leaders trained in
the science of war and of Government,
and a citizenship skilled in the art Of
industry and peace, deliberately and
solemnly, in convention of the people
Of each State, declaring secession and.
the people offering in it's v%indication
their lieys he will 10 permit the tongue.
OF manned passion to sweep away
the argument of that solemn and tre-
mendous step with the charge Of
treason. (Applause.)
My friends, this is the other side
that was. Would, sir, that | had voice
loud enough for all America t hear as
l bring you from the South this as
surance Every heart that beats with
in the bounds of that fair land-the
land Of my birth, my home, and my
love-rejoices with us tonight and, IL.
spite Of former differences, thanks God
that, in the higher and broader analy-
sis OF patriotic hope and duty, His Wis
dom gives us to see now, for the
North and for the South, but one side,
the American side; but one Union, the
American Union; but one flag, the
American flag! prolonged cheers and
a~ppleause.) If she be permitted, the
South with n voice would present to-
our flag this sentiment: The air breath
ed by slave or subject it is not pure,
enough to float the American flag!
cloud applause,
Some years ago English patriotism'
erected a common monument to the
memory Of the men of both armies
in the great civil war; which d~esolate1I
England in the seventeenth century
One Of it's sides bears this inscrip-I
ton from the pen and heart of her
poet laureate.
Art thou a patriot, traveller? On
this field
Did Falkland fall, the blameless and
the brave,
Beneath his rulers banner. DosII
thou boast
Of loyal ardor? Hampden perisked|
here,
The rebel Hampden, at whose gsor-I
iOus name ,
The heart Of every honest English
man I.
Beats high with conscious pride. Both
uncerrupt,
Friends to their country both, theyI
fought,
They died in adverse armies. Trav-l
efer,
If with thy neighbor thou shouldstI
not accord
In charity remember these good
men
And quell all angry and injurious'
thoughts"
(Applause)
Transferring to Jul own land tho.I
beautiful sentiment pardon the bOldnessi
to express here a conception of the subj
lime spectacle of American patriotism, |
rearing On some battlefield of the
Civil War a monument, dedicated to-
the common valor and vortues of the
Non who wore "the blue" and the men
VII wore 1.-The gray" ever invoking,
us, - moments of angry sectionalism.
to Te mber, in patriotic charity, the
splendid representations of all that
was truest and best in both, Ulysesl
S. Grant and Robert E. Lee! cloud
cheers and applause.) Thereon truth
could write: Appomattox-Lee majesticl
defeat, Grant, magnanimous in
victory, Americas Twin Immortals.
(Renewcd cheers and applause.)
Having alluded to the point of diff
ference between the North and the
South before Appomattox, I beg now,
with your permission and patience, toi
call attention for a moment to the
point Of difference between your peo-
pie and mine since Appomattox.
AS secession and slavery ended with
a race problem began
it. l shall forbear referring toi
reconstruction period, except to!
say that Milton's terrible words can
give you only an idea Of the awful con-
dition that daily confronted my people,
the years known to our history
as the dark days of reconstruction"
Which way I fly is hell.
= = > =
And in the lowest deep, a lower
deep still,
Threat'ning to devour me, opens wide
To which the hell suffer seems a
heaven"
If, sirs, the six billions of property,
ost by the South in the war could
have been handed back; il the bleed!
ng with sorrow Of every heart in the
South could have been changed into
.hrobs Of joys; If the missing face of
he loved one could have been given
Jack to every fearful freside; If unim-
,aired limbs could have been put back
the manned bodies of her heroic
If plenty could have BEEN
for the
"unfenced desolation