The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-02
HENRY BATTLE
ADDRE ESSES
VE TE R A n 6
ABSTRACT OF ADDRESS IN WHICH
CAUSE OF WAR BETWEEN THE
STATES AND MOTIVES OF THE
SOUTH ARE TOLD.


appeal for the end of war and 10
; peace among all nations. was mad
by Dr. Henry w. Battle of Charlottes
vile, Va, in his Reunion Address
here today at the gathering of tn,
United Confederate Veterans. DIR
Battle reviewed the causes of the wal
between the states and told of the
south's motives, eulogiZed the mer
and women who bore the hardships
of that conflict and concluded with
a tribute to the united people, pur-
suing the paths OF peace, that has
been the outcome of the strife. He
said in part:
AT sunrise on the 9th of April,
1860, little band of cavalry under
Fitz Lee and Gordons Infantry.
scarcely 1000 in all, prepared to
charge. Not a man in that atten-
uated fragment of the glorious army
of northern Virginia, but knew that
charge might witness the last gasp
of the dying Confederacy; not a man
but would have gladly given his life
if by that supreme sacrifice strength
to survive and conquer might have
been impaired to the cause for which
he fought and suffered four long years.
The command to charge is given; the
air thrills and resounds with the
rebel yell. Vain. Vain, Vain. An
avalanche of federal reinforcements
presses them back, not empty hand
ed, but with captured cannon and
prisoners.
Gordon sends General Lee word
that he has fought his troops to
frazzle.' Then said Lee. There is
nothing for me to do but go and see
General Grant, and | would rather die
a thousand deaths An officer pro.
tests: What will history say of the
surrender of the army in the feld?
Yes replied Lee, I know they will
say hard things of us; they will not
understand how we were overwhelmed
by numbers But this is not the uues-
tion; the question is, is it right to
surrender the army? If it is right. |
then will take all the responsibility |
That was Just like Robert f. Lee
But General Lee, in that anguish
fraught hour, was mistaken: History |
will not say hard things of him and
of the Confederate soldier | know |
that scribblers have dipped their pens
in vitriol and that naturally fair and
judicial minds have been beclouded
by prejudice but with each succeed
ing year the day of the southern
Contederacy's complete vindication |
draws nearer. When that time shall |
come, the student of impartial history |
VIII perceive that, when the ties that |
bound the colonies to the British |
crown were severed the sovereignty
which they mad vested in the crown |
reverted to the colonies, as independ-
ent political units. He will read how
those political units finally entered |
into solemn compact, forming a gen
eral government for the protection
and furtherance of mutual interests
without the surrender of sovereignty
essential to political integrity. He
Will mark with what Jealous care the
several communities, now called
states, sought, in entering the com
pact. to safeguard this priceless treas
ure while delegating other things to
the federal government Then he
will behold the economic interests
Of one great section as affected by
soil and climate arrayed against those
)t another, and a domestic institution.
'ateeuarded by the constitution. util-
zed and fostered in the beginning
~ one section, made the occasion of
he tiercest and most fanatcal de-
of the other.
In view of the tragedy that fol
owed, he might we'll weep bitter :
ears that when the moral sense of {
he south-never at perfect ease over
he institution of slavery--was strug-
ling with the complicated problem of
ow best to wipe the stain off her
scutcheon-best for the race that
I'd England and New England had
Disted upon her-the incendiary con-
uct of the northern section made
( every true son of the south a
of that which deep down
l his heart he longed to be rid of
utterly deny that the south seeded
'om the union and poured out her
eroic blood to maintain the institu-
on OF African slavery. 1t
as what was back and around that
sue. The south believed it was
er inalienable right TO peaceably
ithdraw from the compact