The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-04-29
ADDRESS OF Or. NuNNALLY
At the dwelling OF the Confederate
Monument, Saturday. April Is

Priest to utter these words:
"Furl that banner! for tbs weary,
Round it's staff It's dropping dreary;
f'url it. fold 1t. it is best;
For there's not man to wave 1t,
| And there's not a sword to save ii;
! And there's not one left to lave it
| IN the blood which heroes gave it,
/; And, though conquered, we still adore
it,
and love the cold. dead hands that bore
it,
And weep for those who fell before it,
| And pardon those who trailed and tore
it."
1t is faded now but spotless still, the
storms have drenched it, enemy's mis-
siles have pierced and torn it, but never
deed by him who marched beneath it
has ever dishoAored 1t.
This the theme for the hours
| thought: The battles we fought, the
LESSONS they taught the blessings they
| brought and the changes they wrought
What a theme is this for the poets
song, the painters brush, the must
clans note. the historians pen or the
orators tongue. Orators have lavished
| their eloQuence in praise of the SOL
diery; painters have thrown upon can
vas the views Of the battle and battle
| fields; poets have sung of the heroism
and the victories Of companies; histo-
rians have found 1t treasure for rec
ord; statesmen have stood over the
| movement and delved into the intriea-
| cies Of the collision and sought for the
| fundamentals Of civil government, In
deed. all minds have given the four
years struggle an intense investigation,
but the orators lips may be silenced
and the harp-strings of the musician
| may die away in the stiffness, and this
| research of the statement may be aban-
doned, but woman, true to her mission,
| those years of strife. She has en-
shrined them within her heart. She has
woven them into the web Of her life
and she has crystalized them into her
| tears. She has Sketched them in indy
| ing colOrs on the canvas. She has CHS
| eied them in monuments of bronze and
| marble. She keeps the story fresh in
| the songs which echo from lip to cradle
and Dixie" and "Bonny Blue Flag"
| become the legacy of future years.
| The scene before me is not an un-
| usual occurrence In every village,
| hamlet and city within the southland
| the children from the school, the women
| from their homes, and the men from
| tlfeir places of business and the sur
viving veterans, SCARED in battle and
eighted down with years, may be seen
L
! way to where the dead soldier is buried
there to deposit their tributes of praise
the flowers of love. Such scenes as this
come to me now, and for more than
| forty years this annual tribute / have
| helped to pay, and with the Scotch
| bard 1 can afford to say: 4
"Still Ger these scenes my memory
wakes,
And fondly broods with miser care;
Time but the impression stronger
AS streams their channels deeper
wear"
But we come to a more solid discus
| sion of this theme. and as every event
| brings It's message, and as every crea-
| ture has its mission, we ask. what mes
sage comes to US from the battles strife
OF forty years ago? What mission did
that war perform for mankind and for
God? ~ EA
The first lesson it teaches us is this:
The power and efficiency of the citi-
| zen soldiery. When the bugle call was
! sounded to1arms. men unheard Of left
their fields and stepped to the front
| with the grasp OF. the pillow handle still
| in. their grip, and Selling their sabres
led armies to the battle and to victory.
Boys threw down their text books, and
grasping their muskets showed how
|
4 the strength and courage of the soldier.
The illustrfous names on record prove
to the world the possibility of southern
| manhood-how they may rise to meet
| emergencies. It has led nations to put
| trust and confidence in the patriotism
| of men who live in the quiet walks of
life
| esteem men of little speech may hold
the love of country and the honor and
the liberty we have enjoyed to the
| W orld-what high esteem men placed
| upon right, principle. truth and liberty.
1--WE see how they hold, IL there be on
| q this earthly sphere
A boon; an offering that heaven holds
I dear;
i IT'S the last libation that liberty draws
From the heart that breaks and bleeds
lin her cause"
| Not only has that war developed the
character Of the soldier from the life
of the humble citizen, but it developed
| genius that revolutionized the navieS
of the world. 1t was our effort in pro-
viding protection along the coast lines
that gave to the world the conception OF
| the battleship whichN today is sought
and utilized by all the nations Of the
| earth. The iron-clad was born in the
genius of the southern brain; not only
this. but the inventive genius of the
southern soldier has demonstrated to
| the world how manufacturing enter
prises may be multiplied along the lines
! OF war 1t was on Confederate soil and
| under guidance of Confederate skill
that armories were constructed, NUM-
tions Of war were multiplied and all the
implements of warfare moulded. That
war shows the fertility of southern ge-
MUS. in that. being shut in from. all the
1 outside world, I'VE could provide the