The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-19
MRS. CORPS
 TRIBUTE TO SOLDIERS

One of the most delightful oecas sions at
 the recent United Daughters Of Confed-
 eracy convention in Tuscaloosa was his
 torical evening under the directione Of
 the state historian, Mrs Towns Randolph
 Leigh, of Montgomery. Mrs. Eelgh com pmented Mrs. chappell Cshy py inviting
 her to pay tribute to the Confederate
 soldier
 The Times- s-Gazette gives the following compliment to our townswoman.
 Mrs, Leigh introduced Mrs. Chapel
 Cory, former president Of the Alabama LsGiyision, who began her magnificent ad-
 dress with a fitting eulogy to the greatly
 beloved Mrs. Rose Garland Lewis, which found warm response in the heart of every person in the great audience, who ] mourn with all Alabama the death of this great woman. Mrs. Cory's tribute to l the veterans was a gem--chaste, and beautiful, delivered with eloquence, ring ing with the patriotism of true Daugh- ter of the Confoderacy. The devotion of the southern people to the Confederate veterans and to the cause of Confederacy
 is most touching and seldom has a more
 fitting tribute to these gallant heroes,
 who wore the gray, been paid than that
 of Mrs. Cory. who is an orator and a most fascinating young woman, promi- nent in all work pertaining to the cause of Confederacy.
 '"rhe tribute is as follows:
 Nothing could be finer tribute to the men who fought, the great war whose last gun was fired just 49 years ago this
 Maytime than the enthusiasm which marks the ceremonies and the proceedings of this gathering. All who waged that
 war, whether on the field or at the loom and the sewing table wear locks whose
 snows will never melt. The youngest of
 those who remember even the last days of that wonderful era try in vain to hide the silver threads among their gold.
 Fields that stretched clear and fair be- fore the charging columns of Lee and Johnston have grown to waving forests. Great breastworks that sheltered contend ing armies are leveled with the ground again by the slow but annual passage of
 the blow. Villages that had not shelter for the wounded soldiers of a skirmish are grown to cities now. The men who wore the gray are but a fraction of 1 per cent of those who carry on the busy world about them Tnose who can but just remember the sights and sounds of war are scarce one hundredth of all the people living. A new generation and a half has been born and reared and taken
 charge of new civilization. Many a man and many a woman has seen the first light of day since Appomattox, lived a long life and wrought a great career, and wears tonight an aureole of gray. The old social order. the hopes and fears the loves and hates, the motives and ap-
 peals, the wants and wishes, the heart
 throbs of triumph and the heart throbs
 of despair; slavery and secession and all
 the suffering and the death, are to ninety
 and nine of every hundred folk who are
 living now but as tale that is told
 by the freight to the wondering ears of childhood. The mists of legend are gath
 -l.
 deed that were the commonplaces of that old day. and tradition has had time
 enough to cast doubt forever ipor what were then the A B Cs of truth. Il was such a long, long time ago, and the actors yet alive are such tiny, tiny few, Wonder of wonders how large part they play in the life and love of this new world into which thes nave come down. What quality of theirs so fixes them in our hearts, opens to them all homes, still
 moves the deep wat.<s of the sea oi
 politics. commands your love and my love, your gratitude and mine? For our
 tasks as daughters are not idle vanities. but sacrifices of time and labor and money that they shall have as much of justice as we women can compel, as much
 of comfort and honor as their country 1 men can bestow What is that shining
 quality in their histors which brings all this to pass? For, remember, outnum- bered, they lost the fight, and no people in all the world and all the ages ever held like we do to the soldiers of a losing | fight. to the heroes of cause that died It was not the quality of courage for that is the common heritage of mankind, and nearly all of written history is but the chronicle of men who braved death 1 in all its forms. Adown it's pages is a 1 blazing line of heroic deeds and heroic | men. from David of the Jews, through l the Roman youth. who leaped into the yawning chasm. the Swiss boy whc gathered the sheaf of spears into his great and splendid heart, to the unsur.
 passed hero from our own sunny state who in the Cuban waters dared death ir his face and so shed unfading lustre or | the name of Alabama.
 l No! They are so dear to us. not be.
 cause they came home from one war ol | blood and death and defeat to win an. other war for you and me, for this state their country and for the civilization o manlsind a war more cruel against a fos
 more deadly and designing filled witt 1 mortal hatred to trample us in the dust 1 It ie because they came home better and grander men. nobler and more unselfish braver to dare and more faithful unto death. and they triumphed gyandly. glori- ousIy. redeeming their states and their