The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-01
OY. MARSHALL ADDRESSES
SOCIETY OF THE ALUMNI
CONTINUED FROM PAGE -

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who watched Socrates calmly quaff his
cup of hemlock, or the Roman who en-
tered, reverently. the Pantheon, the Jew
who marched to Solomon's temple, the
wretched ma who stood by the NaZar-
enes cross. the Florentine who watched
Savonarola's spirit go up to God in flames.
the men about Latimer and Ridley the
- E.en who rode with Cromwell, or the men
of the SIMULTANEOUSLY age and every
cline and every civilization have proven
that the highest type OF man is the one
which takes hold upon the unseen and
the eternal. The old south was a reli-
gious south. 1t had its faith, and that
faith was immovable and eternal. 1t saw
its duty to the land In which we 1--we. 1t
might have made much in the way of gain
and greed had 1t forgotten that this was
a. democracy. But it did not forget, and
Il knew and kept faith with its ideals of
Home and hospitality and womankind. 1t
vas to my mind, a generous and devoted
neople of a gracious and glorious age
A'Itis not my purpose upon this occar
sion TO speak of any differences sof opirfsI
ION with reference to any problem of
civil government which may exist now Or
may have existed between us in the past.
II is sufficient to assert that the south
was a land of men with principles, of men
With convictions, of men who were Will
ling to lose all in the defense of their
u
not look upon such an age as a bad age,
nor upon such a people as an evil people.
Upon the contrary 1t seems to me to be
golden age. a beautiful civilization and
a generous people Do you wonder that
son of the northland with some of the
blood of the southland in his veins does
not wish to be awakened from a dream,
II 1t be dream, such as this, however
imperfectly it has been described?
Cause of society's State
lit has pleased me. to give consideration
% what caused such'a state of society
Il am not unmindful of scientific teach.
ing 1t is not to be disputed that blood
Will tell, for the blood of the southerner
M told 1t has seemed to me, however,
hat there was another element not often
onsidered and now being lightly cast
&@lde, which entered into the making of
kls people Environment and heredity
he said to be the only elements which
10 to the making of a life. If environ
11sent' is to include the process of educa-
don. then it is a correct statement, but
q must never be forgotten that the
methods l&1rsued in the education of
people bear by far the greater portion of
~ weight in the making of a people.
0<nnding here in this most august as
4JI1dbly of the sons of Alabama, here, In
.tl1l1 most sacred retreat for Alabama's
sknouRht and Alabama's action, may I be
D1tmitted to express the opinion that the
6u1ning Of the men of the southland re-
&I3ed in/ths university and in like in
oEt(utions of learning is more responsible
III the attitude of the old south than all
Xkher Influences combined? Here men
.vEsre taught to reason; here the rules of
loGtc were used here the young men
came full of life and vigor and ambition.
ana here they were given to understand
that there were but three great duties
~ HE.
ssWithal, the judgment, conscience and
will Of the individual southerner were put
ID the test. Good and evil were held
,ip before him. 1t was not denied that
evil might give him individual success
and individual prosperity and individual
renown But he was taught that he was
4 part of a great whole and that he was
unworthy of the way and generation
which he lived, unworthy of his priceless
heritage OF civil and religious liberty, un-
worthy of leadership among%men unless
he used all his natural and acquired adj
vantages for the elevation and the guild
snce Alright of the larger destiny OF that
part of the human race which had FALLEN
10 the sway of the American republic.
He not only learned but he believed that
a far-off destiny which was. divine had
to do with the laying of the foundations
Of this republic. He believed In the inner
most recesses of his most secret nature
tI1at God had here established this re-
public. He felt that upon his individual
shoulders rested the veal or woe OF the
commonwealth He was taught that those
/. could best lead should be given the op-