The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-27
TENDER SYMPATHY FOR DEAD HEROES Beautiful Exercises Held At Oak
 Hill Cemetery BIG CROWD IN ATTENDANCE Six Local Military Companies On Hand-President Montague of
 Howard College Delivers
 the Grafton.
BIG CROWD IN ATTENDANCE E

The exercises at Oak Hill cemetery yes- terday afternoon on the occasion of Me- morial Day were probably the most aus pcious. tenderest and most beautiful ever held in Birmingham on a similar occasion. The brevity of the programme, which occupied little more than 30 minutes, did not detract from its sympathy and senti- ment.
 It is conservatively estimated that 2500 people attended the exercises despite the l threatening weather The beautiful drive ways around the chapel of the cemetery were thronged with those who cherish the lost cause, and everyone was an eager and attentive auditor
 Six local military companies, numbering about 200 men, responded to the call of the occasion, under command of Maj. Charles Ledbetter, and the programme was opened l with preliminary drill The companies in attendance were Company A of Wood lawn Company G and Company K of the 1 Third regiment, Company B of the Sec ond regiment and Troop D and Battery D.
 Col. A. c. Oxford. commander of Camp Hardee, U. c. V., acted as master of ceremonies. Chaplain M. H. Wells of Camp Hardee was introduced by Colonel Oxford and he opened the ceremonies with prayer. Dr. A. P Montague, pres ident of Howard college, the selected speaker of the occasion, was then intro duced to those present.
 Dr. Montagues address in it's tender feeling was intense; in it's sentiment the most beautiful in it's delivery brilliant; 1 in its praise of the southern soldier tender and lofty, and was in its entirety touch- l ing and most beautiful. The speaker pre- faced his address with a short discuss sion of the time-honored Memorial Day l Continuing, he said:
 pr. Montague's Address.
 Soon the Illinois Central and the Mo- bile and Ohio railways will enter our city, and their advent will be received | with the blowing of whistles and the acclamations of hundreds; and rightly so, since all good citizens should rejoice in the development of commercial interests
 We celebrate with imposing ceremonies the completion of a court house, visible exponent of the majesty of the law, under whose sway civilized peoples advance to- ward larger development.
 We hail with delight the erection of a school building, knowing that education is the power that gives right direction td material forces and trains minds for read mess to solve the problems of government and society
 I've honor our higher selves today, as we assemble here to celebrate the lives and deeds of men who, losing self in love of right, fought for loved ones, home and honor.
 Even as it is a mark of greatness to perform deeds worthy of praise, so is it 8 badge of honor to extol those who wrought such deeds. To chronicle in story, song and speech the exploits of the noble dead is to receive with open mind and loyal heart the heritage of the hallowed 1 past.
 The Gem-Studded Claim.
 ''It is the custom of mankind to refer to the dead as links in the chain that binds us to other days, when our lives were gladdened and our hearts cheered by their presence; even more are they links in the chain, studded with gems of hope and faith, that binds uss sto the coming time when with them we shall be in the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
 Permit me to say that in paying today tribute to our southern dead, l am moved by no narrow partisanship. I yield to no man in my admiration for the northern
 l.1 h high and noble patriotism. The whole | south feels pride in the careers of Grant, l Mcclellan, Thomas and other illustrious captains, whose courage and force and fame are the proud possession of the 1 American republic.
 For the great President whose heart ! went out, even amid the strife and battle l shock. to the south, Abraham Lincoln, the southern soldier and the southern citi- zen feel only profound reverence. Well can we fancy his rugged face, deep | graven with lines of care, turned in wtst- l ful longing to the southern land, while his great heart breathed the prayer that God | would make one again the country battle l torn. No panegyric is too high for Me Kinley. major in a northern regiment, afterward President, then and always l Gods servant Well might his tomb bear the legend, Graven on the monument or an old preacher in another state, The 1 Slave of the Christ.
 "When Alexander the Great lay dead in an eastern city, the verdict of the world 1 was that the Greek conqueror's career 1 had been one of surpassing brilliance, 1 and that his deeds deserved to be chanted i from the western confines of Greece to the l great river of the east. But summoned | before the bar of inexorabe history, the Macedonian was adjudged guilty tof un- bridled ambition. When the sun had set upon the field of Zama, Hannibal, ac- cursed by his countrymen, fled to far-off lands, and at last in the city of the King of Bithynia drank the poison of his ring. Beautiful Tribute To Lee.
 s.In sharp contrast with such leaders come the captains who led southern sol