The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-04
n 81 UE AND THE GRAY
|1noo DELIVERED YESTERDAY BY HON JOHN n WAL
xAcx AT JOINT REUNION OF THE BLUE AND
TIE GRAY.

-
Of human slavery was abolished, even
| though In the accomplishment OF this
object the hearts dearest blood of the
flower OF the gallantry and chivairy
OF the South was sacrificed.
mo perversion of truth. no calumny,
no distortion OF history. can deprive
the representatives of the Confederate
States of the magnificent renown they
lessness which will. until the end OF
time. challenge the admiration of the
world. The warriors of the golden
past, wearing the victor's wreath or
Greece, the Cavaliers Of England, the
desert warriors OF proud Saladin. won
no fame comparable to that which was
written by the sword OF the Confeder-
ate soldier on glory's deathiess muster
roll.
EFT wound have been impossible for
that high degree OF valor which was
displayed by the Southern soldiers to
have been evidenced on the battle
| field had they not been confronted by
brave and splendid warriors. As world
wonders for superior military genius
and strategy, history will write the
names OF Lee and Grant, of Forrest and
Sherman. and a legion Of other brilliant
and intrepid military leaders OF the
North and South, side by side.
The Union Resources.
while 1t is known to the world that
| back of II the Golfers Of the world the
munitions of the earth and recruits
| from all creation to draw from, with
which TO override and vanduish the
South, yet even though embarrassed
by an empty treasury, the Southern
| soldiers. half clad, almost starving. and
poorly armed. prolonged the war be-
A1xA stat Al
| limit and conception Of human endur-
ance and fortitude. So
"while tho Southern soldiers were at
| the vortex Of battle, imagine the hard
ships that were visited upon the peo-
| pie OF the South; their country was over
run the torch was freely applied to the
cities and towns. to the mansions. to
and granaries; and desolation and de.
spair followed in the pathway Of
the determined conouerors. The South
was In q complete state of demorafisa-
ton and desperation.
mot SO with the North. Back at
home no sound of roaring cannon was
ever heard; there the people engaged in
| their accustomed vocatfons; that Sec
ton was not subjected to the ravages
of an invading and devastating foe.
when Lee recognized that II would
\ be but futile folly to continue the con-
quest longer and surrendered his
sword to Grant ct Appomattox. the
most cherished hopes. the loftiest as
pirations of the people Of the South.
persisted.
Upon the knobs where the csnnons
hurled
| Their deadly grape between,
The stately locusts have unfurled
Their fiags of white and green.
And Ger the ridge and on the crest
| erI. % ha Gas IoA
The serted rows of corn abreast
| stand out on dress parade:
And down the vale where marched the
| blue,
| with band and banner fine,
The frisky lambs In ranks of two
l. Depioy their skirmish line"
1.-The South gave to the confecssacy
many brilliant military leaders, but the
valor and patriotism OF the private
| Confederate soldiers IL the marvel of
the world. These valiant clansmen.
| In the main, had no property interest
at stake. but when their country was
threatened with the invasion OF a de-
vastating foe. they left their log cab
ines on the mountains and their hum
BILE huts in the piney woods. they
crimsoned the battle field with their
blood and established for history a
|
| will never be obliterated.
Overwhelmed but unconquered, the
defeated Confederate soldiers returned
to their homes that once abandoded
| with plenty. to find all that combined
to make up the pride and glory of
| q superb empire, q tractless waste
| wrought by the relentless hand of a
devastating and remorsaess foe
But ten thousand times more horrible
- Al Al
| onslaughts committed by the desperate
carpet -baggers that swooped down like
rapacious vultures upon the South
| and organised the negroes against the
| best element of the Caucasian race, and
overran our county and State govern
ments. assuming supreme control over
our stricken country. The calling yoke
OF this baneful and pernicious distor-
tion OF Government was thrown off in
| 1874 by a herculean effort of the true
and unterrifed representatives of the
Aryan race, and again we came into
| supreme control of Lur own country.
/ The Old Soldiers.
1.-The soldiers that fought in the
Civil War have grown grizzled and
gray: each day the ranks OF both the
Blue and the Gray are being rapidly
depleted; there is a touch of sadness as
well as of gladness in the fact that
!
each other on the cattle field in the
morning of their lives. should come
together in the vespers of their ca
reers and shake hands across the bloody
chasm. and in a spirit of brotherhood
unite in saying: I'VE are foes no lon
get but are citizens Of a common coun-
try"
Time has served the excellent pur-
pose OF ameliorating the animosities
OF the past. and of obliterating the
warlike hostilitles that erstwhile held
sway between the North and South
Homogenity between the two Sec
lions has been largely induced by in
termarriage; we are annually send
ing thousands Of boys and girls to
Northern colleges. and our constant
commercial and business associat Ions
have a strong tendency to annihilate
past sectional differences.
while remaining true to the ira
ditions and sentiments of the past
that formerly excited each section to
arms yet when 1t comes to the main
tenance OF national honor and defense
the North and the South both pride
themselves upon the display of this
largest loving loyalty to the Union.
The South is replete with undevelop.
ed mines; IT abounds in magnificent