The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-04-30

Of a noble daughter Of loyal and Datri-
otto Confederate soldier, reared in sun
ny Florida amid the influence and enVi.
rOnments Of the remaining brave Of the
sixties. AS young SOuthener. as a
Floridian, / fee keenly the honor, aud
my heart is filled with gratitude for the
kind invitation 20 deliver an address
upon this occasion.
am dOuby proud of this honor be.
cause the Invitation comes from the
Daughters OF the COnfederscy, worthy
descendants Of the patriots who wore
the gray and those noble and heroic
women w'o suffered ano sacrificed foe
the cause which they loved and believed
was right. Lee, Jackson and other
matchless leaders Of the Southern arm
les have had their valOr and devotion
told in song and story; marble and
granite hold upon their stony pages the
records OF their great deeds nObly done,
and yet too little has been said OF the
women of the South, who, with a devO-
tion as great az that OF the Spartan
mothers who sent forth their sons TO
battle, with the admonitiOn, Ito return
with their shields, or upon them, 50
did these noble women send forth their
loved ones TO the conflicts Of the war
between the States.
We are proud Of the record made by
our fOrefathers in the DARK days of the
civil strife, and our hearts swell with
pride, love and affection when we re-
fleet upon the devotion of our mothers
IN those trying times.
As we look upon the record OF the
past, as we see the women of the South
toilIng and suffering for cause which
they believed was right. as We see them
binding up the bleeding wounds OF the
soldiers IN the hospitals and upon the
forsaken baJtlefields, as We see all OF
their love and che beauty Of their self.
sacrifice, we can bit be proud OF the
fact that they were wO nen of our ma
tive SJuthlani As we think of all
tn It they en- iured, and the great and
CON! OttlnE services Wntcn L1ey rem
dered, We are constrained 20 believe
that the words Of the poet are true
where ne says:
On, women In our hOIrs OF ease,
Uncertain, coy and hard % please,
Wuen anguish wreatns our aching
UrOw,
A mlnistering angel then art thou"
Not Ouly were the women of the South
selt-sacrincing ~ their services, but
they have been unselhsh ia their att
tude towards the preparation of the
Of those events, for Wnils they
have erected innumerable monuments
TO the soldiers, they nave not asked
that their own deeds De passed down 70
future generations.
There stands in the grounds Of our
State Capitol shaft Of granite who's |
simple inscription grips the heart and |
teiis = story of self-aOnegatlOn more !
beautiful than the tongue of the orator |
Or the pen Of the poet could portray. IL |
Dne should question what | huve said /
regarding the unselhshness Of the south. /
srn women, let him 20 and read that /
inscription. What could be more beau.
Iiful in It's simplicity and absence Of !
self. laudation than Jnese words "TO 4
rescue from oblivion aud perpetuate m /
the memory Of succeeding generations .
Jhs hsroie patriotism OF the men OF .
Leon county who peTished IA the Civil
War OF lS6l-lS65, this monument IL
raised by their country women"
The cause Of the civil strife and the
ssue upon which IL arose have been dis
;ussed repeatedly Throughout Our cOun-
Try, and they nave been recorded upon
listory's pages, not always impartially,
{ is true however. here IN our South
and these issues are more OF less known
20 our people. 90 we'll known that do
rot feel il necessary 70 discuss the cause
u that Titanic conflict.
IL will suffice for me 10 truly say that
We feel that our fathers fought and
spent their life blood In defense Of
righteous cause, In defense Of q prinei-
bic which they honestly believed should
De sustained in the interest OF home
nd native commonwealth. Their SIN
.erity cannot be questioned. Even
hose who entertHin contrary views ~
hose who followed the Stars and Bars
must admire the patriotism. loyalty and
,ravery Of the men Of the COntodsraey.
n what country, in what cline has
here ever been such denomination Of
Owe and fidelity 20 native common
wealth as that manifested by that no
,le man, that kind-hearted citizen, that
,reat general and true patriotic states
nan, Robert E. Lsei
CContinued On Oh page)