The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-31
lave pleasure in presenting Rev. DIR.
William Dudley Powers. of Michigan"
Defense or COufedcrutcA.

William Dudley Powers. of Michigan"
Defense OF Confedcrntcs.
Dr. Powers was received with APP
plause and he proceeded to deliver All
address which was a mastery defense
of the cause for which the Confedcr-
ates fought, and coming from man
whose environment for years past has
been Northern and Northwestern, II
was regarded az evidence Of the en-
during character of principles that can
never die as long as men love the
right. DIR. Powers said In part:
History is the record OF change.
Fashions and the lives they adjust,
conditions and the civilization they
make. move with the years in ono pro-
Cesson of revolution Always the
present finds itself in contrast with
the past: and looking back sees It's
Fundamental principles and its primal
cd past in which We live and move. In
this moving life two generations min
gle while and separate: the older
going into its sunset, hinging about
IL the rich, golden colors of Its day
and remembrance: and the new touch
Cd and inspired by glance as the
lingering twilight turns to the cold.
grey dawn Of an unrhymed day. to
labor in new methods and opening
possibilities. But when this change
comes through acute struggle. war
lending it's energies to the revolution,
then 1t is as II we heard the bugle
sounding Taps" on one hill. and over
against 1t on another hill the brighter
rotes OF the "Reveille" and in the
valley men turn and look in either
direction. An epoch then begins as an
epoch ends. History has another date.
No Realization.
Half century ago this vas a.fact.
The masses who Joined In it's issue had
no adequate realization of what 1t
meant. OF the far-reaching consequences
involved In this sudden, and acute de-
vClopment of the processes of change.
But the few. the born and trained
leaders. the product of that great few
In the formative period of this govern
ment, caught glimpse of the peril. dar-
ed make something OF a forecast, and
withstood 1t. Their children may know
now that UGH has come to pass that
they would have prevented, and re-
members them with pride because OF
their courage and patriotic wisdom.
Could the conservative element of the
South. in accord. as 1t was. with the
conservative men OF the North, have
dominated in 1861, this country might
have been saved great disorder. dis
tressing conditions. and might look to
the future to-day with less uneasiness
and conjecture.
1t is true that well known principles
and their correlated conditions fur
nished the cause of the struggle and
should easily have given basis for
forecast of radical result, but by the
body polite and the new men coming
iEto power. reactionaries and extreme.
the inevitable reality was undreamed.
Only when the drums were silent. the
dead buried. the flags restored to the
n0Yieg and thn wheat and the
grass were hiding the iron and the red
Lid 1t come to pass that men knew and
| Understood. Every institution had had
its change. the factors OF the old life
were gone. and the kindergarten of
| the new was opened Great wealth
| should take the place of competency.
| unrest OF contentment. and extrava-
gance tempting. simplicity should dis
appear. Standards. models. methods
were changing. Conversation. litera-
ture, the movements of life, We're to be-
come less cautious. less modest and
less considerate, whatever the gain
may be. and
| another name was on the door,"
The Last Days.
In that struggle were the last days
OF the cavalier; and with him went his
civilization. Whatever may be- the
benefit. and whatever profit the nation
| hay gather from the change, it Will
| remember that the refiner emotions
controlled in something of an ideal
society in that day; and out of its
romance and quiet. its constraints and
license. its impulses and ideals. there
! came a man, an American gentleman.
in part, too, the product IL an older
romance. around whom we will weave
cur idylls. and whose record will give
| prestige to our own. The systatics of
a nation were accompanied by convuI-
sion. But there must be yet tonic In
! the land.
| Those days of our long ago come
| back to us like strain Of music. We
do not distinguish the individual notes,
hut in the blending of the score in an
altogether we find our pleasure. 1t
| was a sweet life. and they We're noble
men, of which we wish to make mem
orial. A thousand Incidents crowd the
pathway of remembrance and hum
dred scenes constitute the details of
our story, but 1t is no one of these,
nor any number of them. that formu-
lates the rason d'etre of our memorial
it is the all OF them. We recall a
beautiful day; and with the Civil War
there are those os US who understand
that, the atony of lost thunder trem-
Fled In the air. and generation OF
Southern folk knew that Summer
| was ended.
Happy Life.
In 1861. where the Shenandoah sang
! the song of tho valley, where the Rap
pahannock ran beside the hills, along
the storied banks of the James, and
within the blue haze of the mountain
there was Il quiet, happy life. Further
away TOO 1t was. In the Carolinas anG
Georgia, and their cities by the sea.
where the Etowah and the Oosetanauls
met the Coosa, and along her Indian.
legended banks. Further away still