The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1912-12-21

Daughters Of the Confcderacy an,

Daughters Of the Confcderacy and
Friends:
feel that I have been assigned a
difficult position among the speakers
today. for II Is usual to reserve the
best for the last Except, probably. in
the case OF serving wines) but as our
fair friends have SO placed me, 1t
would be ungenerous In one to COM
plain. and I thank them for the priv
ilege Of publicly expressing my sin
cere thanks. rs Confederate
Veteran. for this loving testimonial to
the patriotism and heroism OF the
Confederate Soldiers in general. but
more particularly to that gallant
band that enlisted from Madison par
ish. 10 whom this beautiful shaft Of
granite and marble Is specially dedi-
Gated.
In the dark and bloody days Of
1861 to 1865 the noble women OF the
South were true as steel to the Con-
federate cause. and when. overpower-
ed by numbers. our cause had been
lost. and our loved banner had been
furled forever and the soldiers re-
turned to peaceful life, to find in
many cases not even their homes left
to them. 1t was the devotion and self
sacrifice OF these same noble women
that encouraged us to renewed efforts
to retrieve our broken fortunes; to
bear with patience the intolerable era
of reconstruction and finally when
the time was propitious. to throw off
the yoke Of the carpet-bagger and
scalawag.
1t Is not to he wondered at then
that those still living and the daugh-
tiers and granddaughter OF such
mothers should even at this late day,
after the lapse OF nearly half a GEN.
fury. be found striving to perpetuate
the memory Of their heroic soidiery;
to keep the record true and to teach
their children that the war between the
States was not rebellion. but the re-
suit Of the exercise Ct a legal right.
but Of which they were deprived by
force.
/ did not enlist from Madison par
ish. my home being In Mississippi.
but some Of my best and dearest
friends did. and I had. even as a boy.
formed an attachment for this par
ish. and determined to make 1t my
home. The first night I ever spent
in q Confederate camp was ut Mound
Station. the guest Of members Of
Capt. Bryant's company Of the 3lst
Louisiana Infantry. A few weeks
later Capt Bryant was killed in the
Battle Of Chickasaw Bayou. near
vicksburg.
To the younger citizens Of this
parish. and to these school children.
at first glance this granite and mar
BILE monument may appear to be only
handsome decoration to our Court
House Square. but to the Conteder-
ote Veteran and to the older ladies
Who gave up all that was dearest to
them on earth for the cause they
knew to be Just, 1t means so much
more; II takes them back to the ex-
citing and narrowing scenes OF near
4 the South went forth with "war in
heir breasts and freedom on their
Nrow." and this monument Is intend
d rs lasting reminder to the de-
scendants Of the Confederate Soldiers
hat their ancestors composed "a
brave An army as ever drew sword or
-houidered a gun. and that while the
wisdom OF their cause In the light Of
subsequent events NAV be criticised,
heir constitutional right tn secede
has never been refutcd in legal arsu-
ment.
In December. 1860, the President Of
the United States. citizen of Penn
sylvania. recommended to Congress
IN amendment TO the Constitution of
the United States guaranteeing fuller
protection to Southern interests. ana
even going 80 far rs to say that II
this were not done. the Southern
States would he justified in resortins
70 revolutionary measures. This. how
ever, did not meet with n favorable
reception, either from the North or
South.
At that time Mr.. Lincoln had been
elected President az the candidate of
the Free Soil or Republican Party.
and his public utterances had not
been calculated to allay Southern
fears.
william II. Seward. who was made
Secretary Of State by Mr.. Lincoln.
had already announced the doctrine
Of the "Irrepressible Conflict"
Hinton r. Harper had written
the impending Crisis.- John Brown
had made his famous raid into vir-
ginia. and although there were many
friends Of the South living in the
North. and numerous opponents OF
secession In the South. who believed
that obtaining their rights In the
Union was not yet hopeless, when
the question Of secession. or delay
for cooperation was submitted to the
people Of the different Southern
States, and a majority voted for Sc
cession. the minority acquiesced in
the verdict, and the citizens Of the