St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1910-04-02
CONFEDERATE CROSS
Of HONOR PRE-
SENFED.
Inspiring Address Of Mr.. a. b.
Anderson Delivered at Wash
inet0n on that Occasion.

At Washington Aay va 1sa4SA IS
was presented the Cross Of hpaor j
gallant Confederate soldiers aid
their widows.
Those To whom the Cross was be-
slowed we're: Mrs. L. D. Prescott,
mrs. j, A. Derbanne. Mrs. B. B. Ep-
person, Julien Claude, Hypolite Ar
doin and EIoi Vidrine.
Mr. A. B. Anderson delivered the
address of the day, as follows:
professor. Ladies and Gentlemen, Ny
Yonng Friends, Comrades:
permft me, before / enter upon the
discharge of the pleasing, yet RESPONSE
ble duty that has been assigned me by
that noble band Of devoted women, the
limited Daughters of the Confederacy,
10 represent them in the exercises that
has assembled Us together, on their
haba1f. and on behalf of my Comrades,
~ tender 10 Professor Bittle and his
able I rps Of assistants, our sincere
thanks FOR this manifestation Of their
interests in that which: not only con-
Germs us, but you, my young friends, Of
the coming generations.
Patriotism is u OF the highest attri-
butes of man. and 1t is to signalize and
commemorate patriotic deeds u de-
votion to duty, that has inspired these
noble women In the bestoWaI OF these
Crosses of Honor upon deserving Con-
federate Veterans.
For your ~edifieation, my young
friends, / propose 10 give q somewhat
concise history of this time honored
custom, a custom that has been prae-
ticed iii all ages and all countries since
the very inception of Governments.
The original forms Of the Cross, the
long upright piece with the short bar
crossing il has had many notifications,
producing the Cross of 81. Andrews and
St. George. the Cross of Malta and their
qualifications and combinations, The
cross aside from its religious signifI-
canoe has entered largely into the hiss
tory or nations. The Carthagenians
and Phonecians used it In their saeri-
nee to Baal. Persians wear 1t as d
charm against death. With the Gauis
it was an emblem OF the solar system
and endowed with fructifying and cree
alive powers; the early South Ameri-
cans W0rshipped it as the God Of rain.
The graceful lines of the cross appealed
aIikest To- artists, artisans and architects.
Some of the most celabrated pictures Of
the old masters are OF the cross eithar
as a central figure with various group
iags of the human figures or the cane
vass Of some holy group with the shad-
ing outlines of the cross in the air.
Many Of the finest cathedrais are built
upon the plan OF the cross either in the
of the simplest form or some
OF the varieties OF form arising from its
many combinations.
The earliest work Of the jewelers.
art was along the beautiful lines of the
and the resultant work largely
Hogarthfs celebrated dietnm
that athe curve is the line Of beauty
The early Greeks and Romans well
coined their returning Generals when
victorious in war with ~"triumphs,a
crowned them with Wreaths OF laurel
and the biossoming bay, and bestowed
large gifts OFT gold and silver upon
them, for in those days the war god was
most worshipped.
These badges have been given by
every nation aud for many causes, the
chief being for distinguished bravery
in deed. The crosses bestowed for val
OF are many. Austria has HNhs Maria
Theresa given to Generals who have
served thirty-three years. and THE
Iron Crown for civic II military dis
junction Baden, tChartea Frederic
given for distinction BY bravery
Ia the army; Brunswick s.The Cross Of
Henry Lionn and Bulgaria "The Cross
81 Alexandria, the former the reward
for bravery to be given either to soldier
OF civilian, the latter to soldiers alUne.
Hanover has the ciYic-militaTY cross OF
aErnesb Augustus" Italy, tire military
order OF savoy Parma, AThe Cross OF
st. Louis for military bravery, =
Prussia recognizes her heroes by 1ihe
Cross Of H~ohenzollenn for civilian and
soldier, and 'sThe Iron Cross q miii-
tary decoration Prussian soldiers think
life we'll lost to obtain. Spain offers
three orders to her brave sons: seIhe
Cross or Charles the Second for civil
ian and soldier, 1.-THE Military Order of
Meritn and the "Maria Christine Cross
which Spanish soldiers dream Of rs
their highest earthly reward. The two
crosses best known are those given by
England and France. 9ThB Gross Of
Napoleon in 1902, and is given for dis
tingnished merit. The highest perfec.
ton In any direction may be rewarded
by this cross. It is open TO civilians,
soldiers, foreigners, and ven women.
Rosa Bonheur this cross BY he
wonderful skill as an animal painter
It is estimated that nearly $4,000 Con-
federate crosses have been bestowed.
The cross par e1celianee for military
Nk&AEAGktGG Is S14E GIRk1EA &SAQIG IA
Victoria" which is given only for some
daring act OF courage by q soldier or
civilian who was serving under mlll-
tary rule. This cross is made from the
annun captured in the Crimean W&fs
principally in the battle of ~Sevastopol.
On n side is the royal Court OF arms
and the priced insct iption aFor Val
our" The blue ribbon on which ~ IS
worn shows the gallant deed that Won
II was done by one in the navy, the RED,
that = SOLDIER was the hero. This cross
is to the English soldiers the Ultima
Thule OF Ambition. Only ~galiantEy
united TO opportunity can win til alA
its winning is so difficult that only tive
hundred Victorian Crosses have ever
been given. All these crosses are given
for one brave deed OF daring, one gal
lana action. Fired by the wild enthsf-
asnt of battle, swept ON as the leader Oh
q fnrl0rn hope drunk with this wine Of
excitement, some deed is done that
rings through the country and Wins the
cross Of Honor. One daid! For except
ing when the Maria theresa is given
the General for thirty years ~sefEic8s.
there ~ uO cross given for endlfatEce.
There il one little cross that marks IN.
dnrance to the end. bravery thai plnek-
cd fame from the blazing eaInun8s
mouth not once, but ofttstl, Il setlrN 0t
the paraiyziHE fear of death shat nc
cepted hourly danger for love tf csttises
and that IL the bronze cross worn Dy
Confederate Vgtera1as. IR SauthcFn
skies there blazes q cross seen ih 40
other portion of the worlds cross
whose two bright stars nf almost the
same inclination point out the Soutn
pole u serve TO guide The Storm
tossed maTiuer across the pathlsss sens
across nnlQlet mystic, beautifMEs ~ To-