The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-06-18
GEN. LEES LAST ADDRESS

man heart goes out TO the weaker
ragged and starving to the bitter, in
evitable end, TO the leaders who
would never admit that hope was
lost, and to the noble women of the
South who gave their bravest and
their best without a murmur.''
States are not great except as men
shall make them.
Men are not great. except they do
and dare.
These men fell bleeding and with
broken swords before the altar of
their country. Their reward was
the service they had rendered. The
Grail never sought other reward
than just to serve. The Confederate
soldier was the flower of noble and
heroic courage. DUTY laid her kiss
upon his brow, and Love of Country
folded him in her arms. He enriches
the world in honor He added to the
spiritual riches of mankind The
memory of his deeds is the treasure
of his people. incorruptible, indebted
and that fadeth not away No noble
action is ever lost. no brave deed
shall ever pass away. They are writ
ten upon the everlasting pages of the
heart of God. The mountains and
hills shall be made low, and there
shall be no more sea, but nothing of
moral worth shall perish. Upon the
coral of such lives as these, Gods ISL
ands lift
Their fronded palms in air.
But if religion were superstition, and
faith were foIly-if death ends all
and icy nights awaits the world,
these men lived the only life fit to be
lived.
To those who keep alive in loyal
hearts the memory of the Confeder-
ate dead, I would say, these men
chose the noblest part. This is the
best life offers any man, to strive for
the highest, the greatest. the bravest
he knows. Is it not better to achieve
these things, even at the cost of life
itself than to purchase length of
days by mean and sordid living. by
sowardice or craft, by surrender OF
the fine ideals of manhood in base
to dishOnr? In the hearts
of every man the everlasting has
made answer. If the cause was lost
the men were not. Looking beyond
the little span of human life, into
the white light of eternity, what
better could we have wished for the
soldier than to have
played his part as he did? He has
left heroic memories that chasten
and purify the hearts of all who
shall come after him He has lifted |
life above the low level of the COM |
into the realm of precious |
and fmmutable things, into the great |
spiritual realities which abide above |
all change, beyond the reach of
years.
The story of the dying Sidney who
gave his glass of water to a wound |
I'd soldier, saying "Thy necessity is /
greater than mine" is one of the 1
inc memories of the English race. I /
would that the pen of Milton or Glib
BON were mine that | might place
beside it the story of Pat CIeburne
1t Franklin as he drew off his boots
o place them on the bleeding feet
If comrade and then rode on to
na6 tho fafoI oh fnTT i
he breastworks, saying I'm killed,
,oys, but fight it out"
FAR out on the crest of the battle
Up, up, toward the death
To die for ones country is sweet, "
he remembered
And then, out of breath.
let the shock and the pain and the
terror
Unfinching and knew
n one instant's unbearable bright
ness !
1t was true; it was true. !
OF him also it might be written: !
tight in the van on the red ram {
parts slippery swell,
With hearts that beat a charge. he
fell III
Forward as fits man, i
tut the high soul burns on to light |
Where death for noble ends makes {
dying sweet.
The old masterful type of the
outhern statesman passed away [
18th slavery. Whatever may be said /
that institution, it trained men for
and government The 5
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