The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-20

| Carolina, Dr. Francis P Venable, who assists at the banquet. 1t was in North Carolina that the league programme was | first promulgated, and the league itself conceived for the effectuation of that pro- gramme. So Dr. Venable's presence Is most fitting.
 The men of affairs must always be the wheel horses in any great work Tor the public good. They are as active in their sympathy as the statesmen and the edu- cators, and are worthily represented among the leagues directors, contributors | and the speakers at the banquet. The | Hon. Henry Clews will represent and speak for the world of finance, giving special attention to the part that com | merce must play in working out the problem of peace, through justice at | home and an open door abroad.
 General Horace Porter, veteran of war and also of peace council, is among the directors of the league and honored guests at the banquet.
 Republicans and Democrats, Union and Confederate veterans, soldiers and CIVIL ians, men and women, will all unite In | launching at this banquet the society that | recognizes and acts upon all the elements | in our country's foreign relations, pre- pairing armed forces such as present conditions require, and peaceable agencies | as excellent and as useful as international public and official opinion will unite upon.
 l A word concerning the executive head of the league will be interesting. He is former United States Senator James | B. McCreary, soldier, statesman. peace maker. | While the conflict of civil war was still raging this idea came to a young man less than twenty years of age, who was one of the valiant soldiers on the South ern side. God has be -er things than this for me to do" That night he wrote to a woman who was glad to have him | at the post of duty and danger, though 1t left her no child at home.
 | lie said: You will see me when this war is over. God has work for me to do." His prophecy was fulfilled. When the smoke of the last battle had cleared | away, and the clouds of reconstruction still darkened the Southern horizon, this young man emerged from the leadership | he had attained in war to the perform ance of tho part that Providence de- | manded of him in the battlefield of poli- tics. He had enlisted in the army as a private at the age of 1S was major
 while still a minor and was lieutenant colonel commanding a regiment when the
 war closed. A few years later he ap- peared in the legislature of his state.
 
 was the man for speaker This proved to be the case, not only for that legis- lature, but for tffe succeeding one. AS the second decade after the close of the
 war was just beginning its record, this
 man, James B. McCreary, took his seat in the governors mansion, peing then only 35 years of age. While crimination and recrimination were still rife on both sides of the imaginary line supposed to divide our country, this Confederate sol dier was constructing state cobinet
 containing as adjutant general man who fought in the Union army. His op-
 ponent for the governorship was noble man. Their joint debate was a treat for their fellow-citizens, lifted, as it was Il high above personalities and partisan ship The defeated candidate for the gov ernorship soon took seat upon the supreme court of the United States, or the recommendation of his successful
 rival among others, and his career in
 that exalted position has reflected credit
 upon the judiciary of America.
 This man is the worthy bearer of the
 greatest name in American jurisprud-
 ence, John Marshall Harlan. The noble
 Kentuckian James Bennett McCreary
 who had defeated Harlan for the gover'
 norship, soon followed him to Washing
 ton. first as representative and then a:
 senator.
 The eminence of one of the bench ant
 the other in the halls of Legislation dur
 ing three decades Is cause for rejoicing
 to all Americans It is in itself a proc
 that character and capacity. entered fo
 the peoples welfare, still places ana keep
 true man in the places of office ant
 honor, without fear and without re-
 proach, say what you will and prove al
 vou can that some men sell themselves and the peoples interest also, for a Few
 years of political prominence
 James B. McCreary soon made hlmsel
 falr in Washington, as he had previousl, done in Kentucky. During his third tern in the house (1SSs) he introduced bil
 authorizing the president of the United
 States to invite all American nations t' conference at washington for estab
 fishing peace and arbitration and for en couraging reciprocal commercial reia , tions throughout America. There IS som' interesting secret history connected witl the saving of that bill from death 1T
 the committee on foreign affairs !, I know, but am not at liberty to tell this story. One thing I can say In'