Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-11-18

SNSF'i~' - 49, NSiiCuCIaic SSHCi a''
7 have heard our war veterans who
from time to time visited Vicksburg
prior to May %, 1908, speak very
highly Of General Stephen D. Lee, a
member Of the Vicksburg national mil
itary park commission. Everyone tes-
tilted to his manly character and,
though an ex-confederate general, his
10y atty to our reunited country.
General Lee was commander-in-chief
Ut the Confederate Veteran associa-
ton, and as such prepared his adj
dress to the great reunion Of that or
ganization at Birmingham, Alabama,
in the summer of 1908. But the gener-
al died at Vicksburg May 28,- be-
fore the meeting at which he was to
speak. l think it may be Of interest
10 a great many people to read the
address General Lee left undeltVered.
His last public utterance was an ad-
dress of welcome 20 the union veter-
ans Of LAWYERS brigade, who met in
reunion on May %, six days before
his death, where they had charged
against the works at Vicksburg just
forty-fye years before. Here is Gen
eral Lees address prepared for the
Birmingham meeting:
General Lees Address.
II is now fourteen years since the
confederate veterans enjoyed the hos
pitaIity Of this magic city. We remem-
Der gratefully the courtesy of our
former unsurpassed welcome but to-
day we are ready to believe that Bir-
mingham can surpass itself. Then
there was with us the incompatible
Gordon, soldier, statesman and ora
tor, who along with the ValOrOus
Longstreet and the gallant Wheeler
were Alabama's Paladins in the
armies of the confederacy. 1t was from
Alabama that Yancey's voice, like
silver trumpet, called the south to
arms with an eloquence more potent
than Clan Alpine's fiery cross. Ala
bama was the cradle Of the cOnfeder-
aCy. Here was installed the pro-
visiOnal government of the new nation
md here her iIIustrious chief took the
oath Of office which no man but him
self was ever to take And from Ala
bama came the great admiral who
iloated the stars and bars upon every
sea and single-handed swept the ma
TONS commerce from the waves.
h. /
addresses to confederate veerans. Our
orators have been rich in arguments
to demonstrate the correctness of
state rights views and the soundness
Of the Interpretation Of the constitu-
ton held by southern statesmen.
They have displayed the firm historic
basis Of our political faith: they have
spoken in comforting words of unex-
peCted benefcent results of the war,
Of the preservation of the rights of the
states in the union, of the discipline
of adversely which prepared us to
meet the terrible race problem with
InAinching courage interchangeable pa
ttence, and united strength; they have
taught us that the confederate cause
was not wholly lost, that the best
fruits of the great conflict came to the
south when the master was freed from
the slave, and the old icebergs of
sectional hate we're set adrift in the
warm gulf stream Of a new national
patriotism.
Nevertheless it has not seemed the
whole truth to me that the cOnfeder-
ate soldier went into battle to vindi-
cate constitutional argument. He
went to war because he loved his
people because his country was in
vaded, because his heart was throb-
bling for his hearthstone. Here was
the land which gave him birth: here
was his ChildhOOd's home: here we're
the graves of his dead: here was the
church spire where he had learned it
was not all Of life to live nor all of
death to die, No hostile foot should
ever tread this consecrated ground
except over his dead body. 1t was the
prospect of invasion that made the
men of the border states with bleed
ing hearts go and cast their lot with
the COnfederaCy He who could have
expected a Lee to do battle against
Virginia or a Hampton to draw his
sword against South Carolina has
never learned the language of the
human heart Nothing but the most
devoted love of country could ever
have sustained the confederate sol
der in his unequal and terrible
struggle
1t was not necessary to find a re.
ward for the confederate soldier, So,
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 reward of
being n brave man. He who loved
his country had the reward of being
q true patriot. He who faced the
lannon's mouth for those he loved
dearer than life had the reward of be
ING hero. He who was faithful un-
TO death had the reward of a stainless
honor. What other course could a
southerner have taken?
Behind him were the great tradf-
tons of his English race. There were
Hastings and Greasy and AgincCurt.
there were Naseby. Blenheim, and
Quebec: there were Kings mountain
aud Valley Forge. In his veins flowed
the blood of thousand years Of chfv-
airy. He could face the line Of fire,
but not the shame of standing back.
"AlI merit comes