The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1909-06-18
WattersOn and Evans
Speak at Vicksburg

pnyeiIing of the monument 10 Gen.
stephen d. Lee, at the vicksburg Ma.
t,onal PARK here today, Colonel Henry
Watterson, the noted editor OF the
Louisville, (Ky.) Courier-Journal, was
chosen to president and paid eloquent
tribute to the sout hand to the former
confederate general. Upon taking the
chair as presiding officer, Mr.. Waiter
son said:
standing by the Father of Waters
let me first give thanks to God, that,
from the Falls Of st. Anthony to the
{ Gulf OF Mexico, ii flows through an un.
broken succession OF American states
I 1T once a chain and an emblem of per.
petual union between the north and
I the south.
II was to gain this outlet to the sea
that we acquired the Louisianas of
France. II was to keep 1t open that
the yeomen OF the great northwest
took the field. The purpose TO close II
proved an error of far-reaching magni.
tude; but II it be true. as Gibbon tells
Us. that History is little more than
\ the register of the crimes. follies and
misfortunes of mankind" what must
not all of us have TO answer for when
aeason comes to the final disposition
] OF the facts OF a conflict which even
now battles philosophy because the
south, foredoomed to defeat, risked all
and had everything to lose the wonder
being, and the glory, that against such
odds the self-confdent but yanquished
and vanished Confederacy was able to
hold out so long.
Those OF MS who survive that dread
ordeal, are old men now and each an.
nual roll-call brings fewer of us to.
gether. Presently there will remain
among the living not one who fought
on either side. Happy those who
have been spared to look upon a land
never again TO be wet by fraternal
blood and people reunited forever
in hand and heart. The mystic chords
of,memory. stretching from every bat
tlefield and patriotic grave to every
living heart and hearthstone," touched
long ago by the angels Of our better
nature" swell at last the universal
chorus OF the Union; the memory of
deeds of kindness and Of valor done
of common blood and race; for, i'm
possible as the line Of fire seemed,
we were one people then and we are
one people now. the war of sections
mutual and a blessed heritage.
This is why we are assembled in a
national cemetery to rear a memorial
to a Confederate general He was Of
the best the south has to OFFER upon
the altars of American manhood. all
that the north could wish an American
- be. have ridden to battle with
him. and knelt by his side In prayer.
and can truly say that what his great
kinsman was IN Virginia he was TO
mississippi:
SO prompt and capable and yet so
calm. He nothing lacked in soldier
ship. except good fortune"
II will be for another to swell upon
his many and surpassing virtues; his
skill and prowess in the field. his serv-
ice to the arts Of peace; his simple,
kindly. sturdy manfulness in the pres
ence of death: Lee in every drop
Of his blood, in every inch Of his sta
ture. in every thought and fiber of his
splendid intellect and delightful per
sonality
Let me end. where ! began: for We
still stand by the side of the Father
OF Waters. regret that the battle
ship which but few weeks ago came
and went. did not penetrate yet a little
farther mp the mighty stream so that
the buillies from her decks might have
looked upon the fields where Grant and
remberton, eontended for the right Of
way so that the heroes sleeping here.
might have heard the thunder of her
guns, shotted with the words Of the
noble Fremont. "the navy is without
sectional prejudice and its patriotism
knows no boundaries save those of
our own great country but | am re-
joicing to feel that wherever she sails.
she will carry with her the efflgy
OF that gallant Mississippian. who In
<Ife signalized all that Is chiyalric in
American manhood and all that was
typical Of the civilization Of the south,
to the end that. when her officers en-
tertain the valiants of other lands.
from the North Sea. immortalized by
Paul Jones. 10 the Sea Of China. Inn
mortallzed by George Dewey = the
stars and Stripes above them-they
will need only to point 90 the likeness
f.ae.....t fa...f- tha .ltEaf Is A.