The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-20
MONTGOMERY DOES HONOR
 TO MEMORY OF GREATEST
 LEADER OF THE SOUTHLAND


 Among those who occupied seats on the stage were Mrs. J. c. Lee, Vice. President of the Confederation of Southern women's Momerial ,Assica- tion, and Chairman of the committees which arranged the entertainment; Mrs. M D. Bibb of the women's Memo rial Associations: Mrs. Bell Allen Ross. President of the First White House As- sociation: Mrs. Warren F. Dent. Presi- dent of the Dixie Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy: Mrs. Frank Stollenwerck. President of the Cradle of the Confederacy Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy; Mrs J. E. Andrews, President of the Secession Chapter of the United Daugh- ters of the Confectionery: and Mrs Blob Graves, President of the Sophie Bibb Chapter of the Daughters of the Con- federacy; Judge John B. Fuller. Com mander of Camp Lomax, United Con- federate Veterans; Dr. Thomas M. owen, Chief of the Con- federation of United Sons of Confeder- ate Veterans, and Capt Tyler Goodwin. Commander of Camp Hoitzclaw. Sons of Veterans.
 For the occasion. the orchestra of George Hoffman volunteered its ser- vice with the following members: Frank Williams, Fred Meyer, Charles Mitchell and George Hoffman. The concerted singing was led by Junius J. Pierce.
 Pays Tribute to Chieftain.
 In calling the great gathering to or der, Judge Jones spoke briefly.
 we are met" he said Ito honor that man, who stood just forty-two years ago today in the battles around Petersburg, the central figure in the eyes of the world, as he upheld the sinking fortunes of dying nation. We are to honor the hero who. at the end. said to his soldiers. Men we have fought together. and have done the best I could and who afterwards nev- er spoke of himself"
 Judge Jones paid tribute to the chieftain, and spoke of the sense of pride that should come to the south ern people, that Robert E. Lee had at this day come to be recognized as one of the great figures of all ages.
 An eloquent invocation was offered by Rev. E. E. Cobbs who was intfo- duced by Judge Jones as a representa- tive Of that distinguished family which has given so many worthy priests to the church of which General Lee was member.
 That patriotic. and beautifui poem of Father Ryans which has become a clas- sic. "The Sword of Lee,.fwas beauti- fully recited by Miss Willie Gayle of the Girls High School. Miss Gayle Is a graceful and talented recitationist, and her rendition of the fine old poem. as she stood on the stage a graceful girlish figure, was surprising fin its ex- cellence from one so young.
 The next division on the program was set apart to the deliverance of eulogies on the Southern hero by boys representing four of the schools of the, ,city The eulogies and those who delivered them yesterday were:
 From General John B. Gordon, Edgar Atkinson of the Boys High School.
 From Dr. Benjamin Andrews Thorn berry. of St. Peters School.
 From Benjamin H. Hill Henry Tomp- kins Fitzpatrick. of Starke's Univer- sity School
 From the Montreal Telegraph, Ar thur Mitchell Mead of Barnes School
 The vast audience then stood and sang Dixie" in unison. One or two attempts had to be made. before 1t was successfully accomplished, for the vet erans and others present insisted on cheering as soon as the first bars of the music floated out.
 Miss sayre Recites.
 Miss Ella Hargrove Sayre, daugh- ter of Colonel Sayre, who resigned a commission in the United States Navy to serve as private in the body guard of President Jefferson Davis, and who was the first wounded Confederate sol dier to be brought to Montgomery, was next on the program. Miss Sayre re- cited the beautiful poem, Robert E. Lee" which was written by Mrs. Juliet C. Olin, of Montgomery. Miss Sayre quite captured the large audience. She was picture of girlish grace as she uttered the eloquent and patriotic words of Mrs. olin's tribute to the great leader.
 Dr. Clarence J. Owen, the orator of the day was then presented to the audience by Judge Jones. as the son of a Confederate soldier and who, al- though a young man, has made his mark in that profession to which Gen eral Lee devoted the latter years of his life. "Dr. owen has a splendid plat form appearance. He catches the at- tention of his audience by his appear ance before he has opened his mouth to speak. Nature was generous on bestow- ing on him the gifts of a speaker The beauty of his diction was no less impressive than the clearness and the spirit of his utterances. Dr., owen came to Montgomery comparatively un- known, but he left with a reputation as an orator. He is President of the Southeast Alabama Agricultural School at Abbeville. He said in part
 Grafton of Dr. Owens.
 "It is fitting that this centennial celebration should be held in the city of Montgomery, the first capital of that little republic which rose so white and fair and fell so pure of crime Here in your historic city was inaugurated that splendid American. the erect and constant friend of truth, who conquered himself, forgave his enemies. but bent to none but God.
 "A great man of great epoch, whose name is blended with the civic glories of the cabinet and the Congress hall, a son of the South who became the head of Confederacy more populous and more extensive than that for which Jefferson wrote the Declaration of In- dependence, and the commander-in in- chief of armies many times greater than those of which Washington was the General.
 He swayed Senates and led the sol diers of the Union, and he stood &C., cused of treason in a court o1 justice. He saw victory sweep illustrious battle fields; and he was put in chains. He created a nation; he followed its bier; he wrote its epitaph. and he died a dis franchised citizen. He was true to his \ people. his conscience and his God. I refer to that unselfish patriot and mo- .ble gentleman, President Jefferson Da-