The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-29
MEMORIAL SERVICES HELD AT OAK HILL Sterling Wood Selected As
 Orator for Day GRAVES ARE DECORATED Orator Takes "Honor the Confederate Cross and the Grand Army But ton" as Theme. Commander
 Hagood Presdes.
GRAVES ARE DECORATED

tended and interesting services were held.
 In the absence of Col. A c. Oxford, chairman of the committee on the Me morial Day exercises, Commander R. II. Hagood of Camp Hardee presided The Rev. E. A. Wright was called upon to open the service with prayer.
 Sterling A. Wood was introduced as orator of the day by Commander Ha- good. MT. Woods subject was, Honor the Confederate Cross and the Grand Army Button"
 MT. Woods address was one in which he eloquently reviewed the past eondi- tions of the south. and revealed present conditions He spoke in part as fol- lows.
 All nature renews it's VOWS in the spring time; the flowers and birds each set about their several cares from nstinctive ac- tion of the past, for existence in the present, and for continuance in the future. And accordingly, 1t is very proper that man, the earth-lord, should remember his father at this time, and teach his sons and daughters their doughty deeds.
 And now we of the south, joining hands with our former enemies, brothers now, of the north, meet to celebrate the vir- tues of our soldier forefathers: meet to decorate that part of Mother Earth where all that was mortal of our heroes was laid, and therefrom draw new measure of strength for ourselves. And doing so, remember that the heroes across the border made our fathers action more heroic; that undying bravery of Confed- crate and of Unionist have each mutually shed .undyng lustre on the other.
 Fifty Years After.
 Very nearly half century has passed since the greatest war of modern times was fought and lost or won, as the case may be, as the scene is viewed To those whospeculate on the actions of men, to those who are students of history, to those who are anxious that time shall bring in a true verdict it is a great pleasure to see that an equal measure of praise Is being awarded to each of the heroes of this war, to the Gray and the Blue alike. And If history awards to each equal praise. equal measure of sub stantal reward should be given to each by mankind, equal comfort should be given each by great government.
 Storm of War.
 There was never a war whose volume of bitterness reminds one so much of the action of a great storm as did the civil war, or, as it is officially called the war ol lHe IeD6lllOHt tHe ldSl, we nope, great fraternal war. The wind and storm and force exert themselves, and take from the hill tops sufficient to make level the valleys, and, in the end, reconstruct al- most new country, and nothing remains after the storm to show its former rough ness save a few stony and bleak projec- tions and craggy mountains withosS yer dure or rest or charity.
 As with war, so with man. The sand saf fap f a1as s,aft IRstr tad Ed washed by wave, have, year by year, filled up the valleys of hate and bitter ness, and we now see a united country from one end to the other, with scarcely show of bitterness ever called into ex- istence, even to fan the flames of oc- casional political ambition The calm of rest and reason has come after the storm of fury and fire, and we now see the Gray and the Blue practically united, each doing honor to the other. They say of themselves, Not a politician, just a soldier; not a hero, just regular'
 It is said that when Fitzhugh Lee and Joe Wheeler again put on the uniform of the United States army, the war ended forever, and the country became united as it never was before, for when Lee and Wheeler joined the Yankees there was no use of any one holding back And, there fore, in this memorial exercise we honor the Cross of the Veteran and the Button of the Grand Army with equal praise, be- cause we know that each did his duty as each saw his duty should be done be- cause almost fifty years have levelled any distinction between them; because his tory says that each was great and be- cause we are proud to do what is just to each and they to be equally proud of what each did
 Alabama Not Forgetful.
 It Is good to know that Alabama has not been forgetful to know that she has done something practical to aid those who yet remain and tell us day by day. at sight of them, of the four long and dreary years from 61 to 65. The Vet erans home at Mountain Creek, made possible by the kindly gift and fatherly attention of Col. Jefferson M. Faulkner has been made permanent and prosperous by the wide-minded recommendations of Governor Braxton Bragg Conner, Is a llv- ing monument and honor to the state.
 And this is in addition to the small year. ly pension, which is increasing in pro- portion to the prosperity of the state. May the time come when the general gov ernment will pass a pension bill, giving to the Confederate veteran tardy justice and the same pension which the Union veteran has received since the close of the war And we have a President who can do it II 0t SO tltctS, anu WHO IS great enough to do 1t if so inclined
 Unreconstructed Mothers.
 The south has beloved heritage. yet with it in the persons of some unrecon- structed mothers of the south While the progress of events has left them in the wake of time, yet their love for the south, their honesty of intention, and their tenacity to principle are the admira- ton of all. They lend to the younger generation glimpses of history which can be obtained from no other source. God bless theb and may their years be heightened to the greater glory of our commonwealth
 States rights was the subject and as applied to slavery, the proximate cause of the war.
 The tears and groans and lives which the New England slave stealers and sell CTS wrung from African slaves have been fully repaid by the sons and daughters of the soufh with ten thousand per cent interest added by the prlvatIons and hor- TOTS Of the war
 Law and equity at the end of the war gave the south d full acquittance for having been benefited the recipients of stolen property. although they paid full value for the same in the open market and in the current coin of the realm. The original thief as usual, escaped with the booty.
 But after this full acquittance came the Yulturous politician and carpetbagger who again exacted tribute of the south even as from the dead, to seemingly sat- isfy thelr unquenchable desire
 Surely this second payment was enough; surely the south did not merit and does not desirve that all of its homes should xf -t1 f..r ,.&