The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-06-09
SOLDIERS
REUNION

Birmingham, Ala, June s.-Amid
great enthusiasm and before 1000
people in the auditorium the annual
| reunion of Confederate Veterans was
called to order today by General Geo.
P, Harrison, commanding the Alaba-
ma division. The Confederate Veter-
ans surrounding General Harrison
on the stand were Gen. w. L. Cabell,
of Texas, Gen. Clement Evans of
Georgia, Gen. Tyler and other promi-
nent officers, and representatives Of
the local Sons of Veterans, Daughters
of the Confederacy and local citizens
committees. Today's program in
cludes the address of welcome by
Brig. Gen. w. Bush, on behalf of the
veterans of Alabama, an address by
Cen. Rufus M. Rhodes on behalf OF
the Sons of Veterans, one by Mrs.
Charles G. Brown on behalf of the
Alabama Daughters of the Confeder-
acy, and reading the address OF Gen.
stephen D. Lee, deceased.
This address which the late Com
mander in Chief of the U. C. " was
to have delivered, had been prepared
before his death and it's reading was
one of the most impressive features
of the days program. The address in
full was as follows:
Address OF General Lee.
1t is now fourteen years since the
Confederate Veterans enjoyed the
hospitality of this magic city. We
remember gratefully the courtesy of
our former unsurpassed welcome but
today we are ready to believe that
Birmingham can surpass itself. Then
there was with us that Incompatible
Gordon, soldier, statesman and orator.
who along with the valorous Long
street and the gallant Wheeler were
Alabama's Paladins in the armies OF
the Confederacy. 1t was from Ala
bama that Yancey's voice, like sill
Arms, with an eloquence more potent
than Clan-Alpines fiery cross. Here
was installed the provisional govern
ment of the new nation, and here her
illustrious chief took the oath of Office
which no man but himself should ever
take And from Alabama came the
great Admiral who f1oated the Stars
and Bars upon every sea, and single
handed swept the nations commerce
from the waves.
Since the war, 1 have heard many
addresses to Confederate Veterans.
Our orators have been rich in argu-
ments to demonstrate the correctness
of States Rights views, and the sound
ness of the Interpretation of the Con-
stitution held by Southern statesmen.
They have displayed the firm historic
basis of our political faith. They
have spoken in comforting words of
the unexpected beneficient results of
the war, of the preservation of the
rights of the states in the Union, of
the discipline of adversely which pre-
pared us to meet the terrible race
problem with unfiinching courage, in
defatigable patience and united
SIIt-IStu lucy uGfO CduShI uS lhdl
the Lost Cause was not wholly lost,
that the best fruits of the great con-
f1ict came to the South, when the
master was freed from the slave, and
the old ice-bergs of sectional hate
were set adrift in the warm gulf
stream of a new national patriotism.
Nevertheless IL has not seemed the
whole truth to me that the Confeder
ate soldier went into battle to vindi-
cate a constitutional argument. He
went to war because he loved his peo
pie; because his country was invaded;
because his heart was throbbing for
his hearth stone. Here was the land
which gave him birth. Here was the
church spire where he had learned it
was not all OF life to live, or all of
death to die. No hostile foot shall
ever tread this consecrated ground
except over his dead body. 1t was
the prospect of invasion that made
the border states with bleeding hearts
try to cast their lot with the Confed-
eracy He who could have expected
a Lee to do battle against Virginia.
or a Hampton to draw his sword a.
gaiast South Carolina, he never
learned the language of the human
heart Nothing but the most devoted
love of country could ever have sus-
tained the Confederate soldier in his
unequal and terrible struggle:
Neither do consider it necessary
to ind q reward for the Confederate
soldier IN unexpected good results Of
the great conflict. The reward of
noble actions lies in the capacity to
do Them. The Confederate soldier
Who fought with unfiinching courage
|had The seward Of being : brave man.
|Hs wh0 loved his country had the re-
|wnrd Of being true patriot He who
faced me cannon's mouth Eor those
|he loved deerer tllan ~ h.d ne re-
w1ed q being : hero. ~ who Ves
fl1I MI oato deefh had ~ reward ok
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