The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-12

public service tn any fait or quality reer which suggests a cause of any kind why the honors of this remark able memorial should not crown him. Moi sSss a m to es 3. he had that excellency of manhood. for the best ideas of chivalry were exem : plified by. his courage since he fought enemy. If the grace of courtesy Is the quality in his gentle mould of manner, sspr If 1t Virtue aad to Se in considering honest conflicts of opin- ion among reasonable men. he exer- cised that attribute without ever sac- csoS eepaS ns os Gssas sonor 0f His SanS tongue did not faiter in praiss when 1t sa Sas wss Rsrisa mpa S chay tHs or a and
 life was passed in faithful service of man aad God. He will be remeni. bered forever in the biography of zen; the coaraseous. skiiifal. generous leader in war; the ardent Confederate >comrade, the true gentleman, the at- aees,Snsle asaye tSs Sonsstsnf christian man thing Incredible that stephen D. Lee would cordially embrace a cause and did not know on fuli consideration that he was right. And after all. 1t must be agreed that patriotism Is grounded in noble mans knowledge hS1s and ad.asS, be, the beliefs and bravery of the true sol dier In both the army of the union and the army of the Confectionery.
 Lees perception of the line of duty psssing rSs n@ssr away 1Ha of M te confederate sov ernment under the conditions of sur render. was perfectly clear. He turn ed his attention to the non9raele nor , ,sit Ways 3 of peace. Looking around for coun- try to love and to serve, he knew that he was a citizen inside the boundaries the South restoring itself. by legal orr dinances, into the Union. When the restoration was truly made all things that the United states had Tn us pos navy, army constitution and flag, were as much his swn as they were the en- dowment for f1od citisenshiP citizens of .,ony any became the same as those of every ctt- izen. His State was restored to State hood in the Union, as any other state. His beloved S8ptasnd soaib %af sna Wa: a beautiful, potential. progressive part of the whole country. What, therefore, should he do with himself for his com . Union? I can answer that he was not forgetfui of the strong ties of soldier brotherhood. He addressed his ener- gies to his civil duties without oecom. the principles of their faith. nor of their memories They. relied on him. and he responded to their claims with Snanat1n shsS in the nas pTsssgvaton of their com radeship, their history, the graves of their dead, their emblematic battle flag. their thrilling Dixie sons' ana iI all heroic struggle. He wrote and spoke on their behalf because he loved them, and they in turn loved him. They ing on him all the honors they could confer, and crowned all these by elect ing him Commander in Chief of the United Confederate Veterans. | an less of his duties as 8 citizen, for he gave his influence with energy and wisdom to the imperilled interests Of every duty to the Union in peace and in war. His people called him to be a legislator and President of their Agrt- the United States honored him with a commissionership In this great Vicks- burg National Military Park in asso- citation with two gallant officers of the selves to securing the fame of the brave Confederate and Union soldiers who fought on the bloody fields which surround this sacred ground.
 Il of Lees life and of this monument, as well as of this occasion. by discussing concisely the means which we must use in a sincere associated citizenship to preserve the essential principles oi our government, and make secure the advantage of that most perfect Union" promised in the words of the preamble to the constitution of the United States.
 The union of the States formed by our constitution was more perfect that the alliance of the same States provtd- ed for by the articles of the former confederation. The phrase, "the more perfect Union," as used in the pream- bie confesses that the former Union was not perfect. and 1t intmates, for consideration in all times. that there must be a continuing, more perfect patriotic use of the principles and pre-, servative means of free and equal civil Suggestion of this phrase that our gov ernment is not perfeetible by the mere use of the physical force of its ma chinery. but by the power of a pro pie that in practical government, as well as in theory, they must promote the objects of the new Union which had been formed for the common good selves in efforts to draw the people in closer sympathy during the present marvellous march of our country to- ward greatness. will fall or the true
 
 tional or commercial end as the mo- tive and Inducement; but instead there- of they must adopt means to arouse, to cultivate and to employ the enduring, eievating power of sincere. popular pa triotism. Such patriotism as that will observe the pr'm. truth that all inter ests are affected injuriously where there is not a full consideration of the "General Welfare" The two phrases, the Nmore perfect Union" and the Gen eraI Welfare" are closely connected in the preamble to our Constitution as concomitant cause and effect. Due consideration for the general welfare will produec the more perfect Union The two phrases forbid the evil strife of selfish sectionalism. and both urge emulation of the sections in promoting the general prosperity. They convert antagonism into amity, partiality into equality, and the speciaities of each section into exchangeable benefits. They also proclaim the fact that our general government is made stronger