The daily sentinel., 1908-06-09


but fight it out
Far out on the crest of the battle
Up, toward the death
To die for ones country is sweet,
he remembered
l. And then out of breath
Met the shock and the pain and the
terror
Unflinching and knew
In one instants unbearable bright
ness
1t was true. 1t was true
''Of him it might have been writ
ten:
Right in the van on the red ram
parts slippery swell.
With hearts that beat a charge, he
fell
Forward, as fit man,
But the high soul burns on to light
mems feet
Where death for noble ends makes
dying sweet
1.-The old masterful type of the
Southern statesman passed away
with slavery Whatever may be said
of that institution. it trained men for
leadership and government. The con-
stant presence of the bondman
wrought in the master of love a free
dom and a sense of honor that will
never be surpassed. Wonderful men
those old Southerners were: great in
counsel, great in battle, but greater
than all in the integrity which felt
dishonor like wound. They would
have fallen upon the sordid plumb
erers which - later times have in
tested public life like Elijah upon
the prophets of Baal l cherish the
hope that our Southern blood viii
produce the type again-that with
renewed prosperity we will again in
troduce into public life a class of mcn
able and willing to devote themselves
with pure and unwavering fidelity to
the public service. and free from the
all-absorbing struggle for bread,
which has been the portion of South
ern men for so many years. May it
be the lot of our children to perform
the duty of freemen in republic,
with as willing hearts as ours, but at
no such fearful cost.
1.-The reason why I have this hope
that the old time Southerner shall
live orce more is because the South
ern boys love and cherish the deeds
of their ancestors. They do not for
Stt ne lutdiS VI tnt ldtutIS are
real to the sons. The homage these
young men pay to us old Confed-
crates is swept to our declining years,
but sweetest of all, because it be-
speaks love for the dreams which
we cherished and a willingness to die
for them If need be.
1.-The story is told of Bertrand du
Guesclin, the national hero of France.
that just before his death he succeed
ed in the reduction of a fortress. The
commander refused to surrender to
any but du Guesclin himself. So the
body of the great leader was laid
upon his bier, and the stern defender
gave his fortress keys into the hands
of the dead. There have been brave
soldiers and pure statesmen since the
days of the sixties; brave soldiers
too, as none better than Alabama
knows; but the keys of our Southern
hearts were laid long ago in the
! hands of Robert f. Lee and Jefferson
Davis.
"These two great souls before they
passed from us gave us the same
counsel They advised us to accept
Loyalty the results of the war. and
to devote ourselves to the upbuilding
of our wasted country. That counsel
was accepted. The Confederate SOL
dier has given to the government at
Washington the same faithful sup
port which he gave to the govern
ment at Richmond. HIS patriotism
has expanded its boundaries without
losing its quality. He yields to no
man in his love of the whole coun-
try and his devotion to her cause In
/, the war with Spain he gave proof
, that his sword was not asleep. 1t
, is all his country wherever the flag
floats, which his ancestors filled with
stars. That he has rebuilt the pros
) perity of the South; that he has re-
stored che commercial majesty of this
glorious land; this great city is wit
ness. The brain or a Confederate
J soldier conceived it. and the hands
of Confederate soldiers have been
, busy in its work. They served their
country in peace as in war. They
! point their children to the busy. hap
py prosperous land, beautiful as the
! dawn, strong in developing resources
; rich in promise of all that makes q
state, and say. Behold our greatest
/ victory
: "They loved their land
+ With love far brought
' From out the stories past, and used
f Within Present. but transferred
: Through future time by power Of
? thought
) 1--WE old soldiers are sitting in the
twilight of life waiting for the even
ing details; waiting for the shining
I angel
? with things like chevrons on hi.
5 wings"
| Eve are stragglers in the great
, march. The victory is already won
= and our comrades expect our coming
, IN share tho glory of their II tt.i,imnb