The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-06-11

That, reckless of the sequel,
 Fights long and well v'hether it lose
 or win
 If it might be imagined said Seneca.
 that the Almighty should take off his thought from the care of his whole work what more glorious spectacle could he re- fleet upon than a valiant man struggling with adverse fortune.
 Not long ago I read from an English review these words: When all is done that man could do and all is done in vain the human heart goes out to the weaker side-to the soldiers who fought on ragged and starving to the bitter inevitable end, to the leaders that would never admit thae hope was lost, and to the noble women of the south who gave of their bravest and their best without a murinur.
 States are not great except as men
 shall make them,
 Men are not great, except they do and
 dare'
 Enriched World In Honor.
 "These men fell bleeding and with broken swords before the altar of their country. Their reward was the imper- ishable Knighthood of their service I inn agine' that the Knights of the Holy Grail never sought other reward than just to serve. The Confederate soldier was ths flower of noble anS heroic courage. Duty laid her kiss upors his brow, and love of country folded him in her arms. He en- riched the world in honor. He added to the spiritual richness of mankind. The memory of his deeds is the treasure of his people, incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away. No noble action is ever lost, no brave deed shall ever pass away. They are written upon the ever lasting pages of the universe they are in seribed upon the heart of God The flafa f,f
 and there shall be no more sea, but noth- ing of moral worth shall perish. ITpon the coral of lives such as these. Gods islands lift
 Their fronded palms in air.
 But 1T religion were superstition and faith were folly, if death ends all and icy night 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 Confederate 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 that he knows. -s 1t not better to achieve these things. even
 at the cost of life itself. than to pur-
 chase length of days by mean and sordd living by cowardice or craft by surren-
 der of the fine ideals of manhood in base
 compliance to dishonor? In the heart of
 every man the Everlasting has made an- swer. 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 Confederate 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 commonplace into the realm of precious and immutable
 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 wounded soldier, saying, Thy necessity is greater than mine, Is one of the fine memories or the English race I would that the pen of Milton or Gibbon were mine that
 l might place beside it the story of Pat Cleburne at Franklin as he drew off his boots to place them on the bleeding feet of comrade and then rode on to lead
 the fatal charge. He fell upon the breastworks saying, I am killed, boys. but fight it out!'
 Far out on the crest of the battle. Up, up toward the death | ITO die for one's country Is sweet" he remembered
 And then, out of breath
 Met the shock and the pain and the ter l Unflinching and knew l In one instant's unbearabe brightness,
 It was true! It was truer | 'Of him also 1t might have been writ l ten:
 Right in the van on the red rampart's slippery swell,
 | With hearts that beat charge he fell Forward, as fits man. | But the high soul burns on to light mems feet
 | Where death for noble ends makes dying sweet
 Old Southern Statesmen. ''The old masterful type of southern statesmen passed away with slavery. ] Whatever may be said of that institu- | tion.s it trained men for leadership and | government. The constant presence of | the bondman wrought in the master a | love of freedom 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 dis | honor like a wound. They would have l fallen upon the sordid plunderers which in later times have infested public life, | like Elijah upon the prophets of Baal. I cherish a hope that our southern blood will produce the type again-that with renewed prosperity we will again intro duce into public life a class of men able and willing to devote themselves with
 pure and unwavering fidelity to the pub lie service, and free from the all-ab- sorbing struggle for bread, which has been the portion of southern men for so
 many years May it be the lot of our
 children to perform the duty of freeman in republic, with as willing hearts as ours, but at no such fearful cost
 "The reason why I have this hope that inc old time southerner shall i've on;e
 more is because the southern boys love
 and cherish the deeds of their ancestors They do not forget The ideals of the fathers are real to the sons. The hom- age these young men pay to us old Con- federates is sweet to our declining years, but sweeter of all because it bespeaks love for the dreams which we cherished
 and willingness to die for them if need be.
 "The story is told of Bertrand du Cues clin, the national hero of France, that just before his death he succeeded in the reduction of fortress The commander refused to surrender to any but du Cues clin 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 sol- diers, too, as none better than Alabama knows; but the keys of our southern hearts were laid long ago in the hands of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. Gave Good Advice. "These two great souls, before they
 passed from us, gave us the same coun-