The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-03-17
BRILLIANT BANQUET IS
 GIVEN AT COUNTRY CLUB
Other PennsyIvanians Accompanying Philadelphia Editor Share In the Honors of the Evening.
 Aged Guest Departs.

l when Birmingham will be the greatest center of iron and steel business of the
 worldl
 The benedictiop of the aged friend of
 the south on this his last visit was d
 resume of the rise of the country out of
 the reconstruction. and an appeal against 1 the solid south. '1f now" he said ''the solid south can be entirely obiterated
 from the politics of the nation it will De l the greatest day in the history of our 1 country
 The banquet given Colonel Mcclure was i one of the most unique that has been l held in Birmingham for a long time. The soup was hot, and the ice cream was not melted. However, 1t was also re- 1 markable in good speeches. All three of l the gray-haired visitors from Pennsyl- :, vania were eloquent takers. w. P. G. 1 Harding was an excellent toastmaster and Colonel Mcclure was made to feel
 that Birmingham had not forgotten him.
 The programme was carried out in full
 'In Days of Auld Lang Syne, MT. T. H.
 Aldrich; "Ollapodrida." Judge J. Hay Brown: "Dulce ct Decorum est pro Patria l Mori," Hon. ". U. Hensel; Law and the i Lawyer" Judge Thomas G. Jones' Sen
 timent. "A Friend in Need,' proposed by ! the toastmaster and drunk to the health l of the honored guest, Col. A. K. McClure
 response, Col A. K. Mcclure; "The Press
 and the People, Mr Rufus N Rhodes
 Colonel MccurS Introduced. 1 While the preceding speeches were high | ly appreciated the climax of the evening came with the introduction of Colonel l Mcclure. Here is one," the toastmaster 1 said who, when the south was helpless 1 with no representation in Congress and I the dark deeds of reconstruction were so l appalling, proved himself a friend in l deed. He threw the columns of his paper 1 into a defense of the south and fought 1 for her relief. Later on he came to Ala | bama and saw, with wonderful foresight, the future of the rich coal fields of the 1 state. Heis certainly to be regarded as as true and perfect friend of the south l He has now come to say his last fare ! well. He has seen the ful1llment of his | prophecy, and has come to give us his l benediction." After the toast had been | drunk to the guest of honor, Colonel | Mcclure began his speech.
 1 He spoke of his pleasure in the hos | pitality of the south. and especially that l of Birmingham which he considered the l most generous. He then took up tho 1 course of developments from the time of 1 the civil war, beginning with the awful bitter passions of that period, mention l ing incidents of hate to show the gen. 1 eration of today how intense were the 1 passions of the war and of the period of ! reconstruction.
 l T might have cherished resentment, l for l was bankrupted by the torch of l the Confederate soldier which destroyed
 my town and home, but he had just as l much warrant as sherman had for the destruction of Atlanta. I soon learned l what a struggle I had to make to recover from the war and I had sympathy for 1 the others who were in my fix. In 1870 l l happened to> be in the south looking I after my interests and I then saw the | horrible conditions. I returned and said 1 to the republicans at Washington that
 this robbery and spoliation must be over 1 thrown. This experience made me con l slider the condition of the entire south 1 spent a month Investigating, and l published the first dispassionate words i on the actual conditions.
 l ''The south never forgot what I at- l tempted in my feeble way, and made | me feel that life is worth living
 l q remember that when l predict l ed that Birmingham would be the cen 1 ter of the iron manufacture of the 1 south within decade and would un- l dersell Pittsburg, most of my friends l thought I was feeble minded You l have long ago undersold Pennsylvania
 and today Birmingham Is the greatest l city in the south, and will be in time l the greatest center of iron and steel | business of the world.
 There is no place where the in l gradients for the production are so in- 1 exhaustible or so easily secured. I re- 1 gard your growth one of the | achievements of the century but Bir- | mingham is today only in It's infancy. Though I will not be here to witness l 1t, the time will come when there will be no greater in the world"
 l Colonel Mcclure declared that the | south is now in a position to save l itself, standing upon its freedom, its 1 franchise and it's laws If now the
 question of the solid south could be l entirely obliterated from the politics 1 of the nation it would be the greatest l day in the history of our country"
 Discusses the Negro.
 l In discussing the negro, Colonel Me- l Cure said There can be no return of power of the ignorant in your | states. Though questionable, your dis 1 franchisement of the negro was.a ne- l cessity most imperious and the con- l gress could not dare to lay its hand l on your representation. The south has l taken its place In the nation and will now get absolute fair play and honest dealings from start to finish.
 t q am glad that I have lived to 1 see this day when my country is united | in heart, in soul, and in all that makes | it the greatest nation in the world
 q will not again be among you. I have braved the frosts of 82 winters and have made my last. visit to Bir- | mingham, whose hospitality has always been the most earnest. Now in leav- ing you in the. evening time ofelife.. | want to say to you, sThanks, sincere | thanks. and farewell3"
 | Colonel Rhodes made short talk
 in reply. "I reverently thank God" he | satd,,a that the time has now come | when men can meet, grasp haNds and | drop a tear on a soldiers grave no | matter on which side he fell. l can say for the press and the people of Birmingham; started to say the south but 1 got Into trouble taking in too l much territory once; that salute you, sir, as journalist and philosopher as l seer and prophet. who has lived to 500 realized everything that his fancy and