The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-12-14

crate States Of America. and. standing on
its portico. jefferson Davis took the oath
OF office, which made him the civic leader
OF the lost cause. The president OF the
first State constitutional convention. and
one OF Alabama's first United States Sen
ators, was John W. Walker His son Le-
roy Pope Walker was the first Secretary
Of War of~the Confederate States. and II
was he who sent from Montgomery the
orders to Gen. BeauregaFd 10 fire on Fort
Sumter-the fatal telegram which plunged
the country into four years of horrible
war.
William L. Yancey was the Alabama
orator who stirred the South 20 the point
of revolution. More than once defeated
in his own State on the issue, he finally
won control of the situation. He was
sent to the Charleston convention OF 1l6O
with instructions 10 obtain the adoption
of the Alabama platform" or leave the
convention. That platform was the ex-'
IRENE doctrine Of the Southern States
rights party. 1t was defeated in the con-
vention by few votes, and Yancey and
his Alabamians led the bolt which re-
suited in the two Democratic Presidential
tickets in 1860 and the election of Abra-
ham Lincoln TO be President. Alabama
was the fourth State to secede.
In the war Alabama was represented
by three lieutenant generals, John b.
Gordon, James LOngstreet, and Joseph
Wheeler. Two of these are associated
with Georgia history. but they went into
the army from Alabama. Wheeler was
the youngest Confederate general Of his
rank, and he lived TO command a portion
OF the army OF the United States In the
war with Spain. Two of Alabama's briga-
der generals became eminent as states
men in after life, John Tyler Morgan
and Edmund Winston Pettus The death
Of these two octogenarian Senators was
officially announced to the United States
Senate only a few days ago Their MEM
DRY will live long. When the Panama
Canal is completed the name Of Morgan
will be remembered as the father of the
canal, although he bitterly opposed the
site which was selected and combatted
| the methods by which the project was
begun.
AS other Southern States, Alabama suf-
fered greatly during the period Of recon
struction and domestic peace was not re-
stored after the war until 1874 Since
that time the State has steadily increased
in wealth and prosperity. The great
mineral wealth Of the State was guessed
at many years ago. and as early as 1S49
it was proposed TO begin developments.
| But slavery operated 10 discourage any
! industry other than agriculture. and after
the war all industry was paralyzed for
many years. In the late seventies work
was actually begun and the city Of Birm-
ingham. the ''Pittsburg OF the South. -
was founded In 1850 Birmingham had a
| population OF 3.0S6. In ten years It had
grown to 26.OOO an advance which has
been exceeded by but one American city
Chicago.
The first great boom collapsed. and
! Birmingham suffered greatly, but the
next decade showed a further growth OF
! fifty per cent Industrial Birmingham is
not a city but a district, and the nopu-
lation of the district now approaches 800.
600. 1t is the greatest industrial district
of the South. and takes high rank among
the iron and steel producing sections of
the world. IL is rapidly gaining on ats
competitors In this respect. as its re-
sources are well-nigh inexhaustr5le.
! and as labor conditions are becoming
more and more favorable.
| Northern Alabama shares with the
4 Piedmont section OF other Southern
States the great progress made in textile
manufacturing. Huntsville being one OF
its large cotton mill towns The develop
| ment Of water power on the Coosa and
Tennessee rivers is adding 10 the growth
of the manufacturing interests. The in.
suficieney Of the supply of labor Is the
one serious problem which industrial Ala
{ bama now has TO solve
/ The State is intensely Democratic in
party politics. although a few 81 the
mountain counties return Republican
majorities. Alabama sentiment is in
clined 10 be responsive to Southern opin-
ions generally. Thus IL has been a leader
in the recent effort 10 impose more strin-
gent regulations upon the railroads Thus
I its legislature recently enacted a law
! absolutely prohibiting the sale of intoxi-
eating liquor by a practically unanimous
vote. Few States have manifested sucf
reverence for the older traditions of the
| section and for the older leaders. despite
the prevailing progressive sentiment
When the present governor. Braxton q
Conner, was nominated on an anti-railroac
issue, the Democrats of the State at the
same time unanimously renominated Sen.
atOf Morgan and Senator Pettus. despite
the fact that they were the only Demo
! Gratis in the Senate who voted against
the railroad rate bill passed by the Fifty.
ninth Congress.
Alabama was the first Of the Gull
States to experience the healthfui admix
ture Of agriculture and manufacturers
which will in time work cure for many
OF the evils which have hindered tn.
progress Of the far South. No other Stat,
has brighter future, and no other State
is so confident that all past reverses viii
be overcome, and all new problems salts
factorily solved.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS for Christ.
mas.
HIS FRIENDS nISAPPnINTEn