The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-06-16
4 DECORATION
DAY ADDRESS
h. lanes T. Alexander Voices
sentiments of New South
4 REUNITED COUNTRY
..,,or Representative Of the People and
If q Confederate Soldier Paid
Tribute to the Union Soldiers

Han lanes f. Alexander, former
Thar noh of the state Legislature, and a
I 1s of Confederate veteran, delivered
SUI oddress to Kirk Post, &. A. H., at
GS y, ad cemetery, DeLand, on Decora-
ION nav which has been commended
t'oI hi D MANY friends for its timelness
and broad spirit. We give 1t IN ful'
e %r Chairman. Members of Kirk Post,
W. Grand and Army of the Republic, Ladies
and Gentlemen:
VIII When small school boy, my teacher
wonld occasionally compliment me, and
y the Sunday school my heart was Of
tsn filed with JOY when my teacher
se present me with Bible or some
little remembrance, and as a country
school teacher on the plains of Texas,
wbsn received the endorsement and
onnrovaI of the patrons and the esteem
opd respect of the students; and since
staining nv majority | have sometimes
receiyed recognition from my fellow
c;tizens. but when received through
NV GOOD friend, Capt. Charles Wood, an
;nyitation to address the old Union
soldiers and the good people of Del.and
on this occasion, | don't hesitate to say
that no compliment or honor was ever
bald me which appreciated more
highly. ,n .,
father followed Forrest for four long
wears who knows nothing of the great
ICiyil War between the State except
what he hears and what he has learned
from books, selected to speak OF the
Union 81 dier, of his heroism and his
remarkable valor during the four long
wears. seems a little peculiar, but upon
reflection it is not strange. Some time
ago in addressing the United Daughters
of the Confederacy, | used these words:
"Thank God there are flowers enough
| in our beautiful land of the South to
strew upon the graves of those VINO
wore alike the gray and the blue, and
there are hearts pure and generous
enough and hands kind and gentle
enough to perform the holy duty.
Entertaining such sentiments and
owing to our long acquaintance ana
personal friendship no doubt prompted
my good friend Capt. Wood. represent
Ing Capt Kirk Post No. l3, G. A. H.,
to extend me this invitation.
ID my humble opinion history records
no greater war than the one from 1861
| to 1865 The valor, courage and hard
ships of the soldiers on both sides, and
| the skill and greatness display by the
officers are unsurpassed by any war OF
ancient or modern times. Why such
war was ever fought is mystery to
me, and the more read about 1t the
more thoroughly convinced ! become
that there should not have been any
war at all. Had the South followed
her two great and able sons, Alexander
H. Stephens and General Sam Houston,
instead of her fercy and eloquent sons,
Bob Toombs and William |. Yancey,
there would have been no war.
My father was follower of AleXan-
der H. Stephens and took the same
position in Tennessee as Mr.. Stephens
did in Georgia. wish to read you a
short address Mr.. Stephens delivered
before the Georgia Legislature against
secession, January l6, 1861;
Now want to read you the flrst
inaugural address of President Lincoln,
delivered in March, 1861:
The people of the South refused to
follow Stephens and Houston, but went
with Toombs and Yancey. TOombs is
said to have told the people in his eo-
qaent an fiery speeches that I'VE can
whip the Yankees with cOrn-stalks.
After the war was over an old soldier
and follower of General TOOmbs remind
60 him of his saying and prediction
about whipping the Yankee. with corn
stalks. General Toombs, who was
known for his wit as we'll as his elo-
9uence. promptly replied, "The d
Tools wouldn't fight Us that way
Had General Toombs been prohl-
6ltlonist or total abstainer, he and not
Jefferson Davis would have been presi-
cent %e Of the Southern Confedercy. Hon.
Ihomas +. Watson of Georgia. the
greatest living historian of modern
LINES, who is great admirer of General
ioombs, and who knew him well, tells
u his magazine "The Jeffersonian,
mat Davis only beat Toombs one vote
Il the presidency, and that was due to
ioombS imbiding too freely on that
occasion.
l doubt If there will ever be another
war wa except among the Latin races, as
ine Hague Tribunal will no doubt settle
a. az complications that may arise among
the nations of the earth.
one OF the great men who is, in a
sreat measure, responsible for the
establishment and maintenance of The
hague Tribunal is Andrew Carnegie:
sxhose name and fame is world wide. |
w not altogether indorse the way and
,ns!nod by which Andy's millions were
kGQVlren hut mo a o oil vlad RI know