The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-06-04
Senator Harrison s Speech at Dedication Of White House


 ] ysippi
 The south Is grateful to Alabama i lt this occasion. If the spirit of the l len who now sleep on the hallowed Ilttlegrounds, where they made the I lpreme sacrifice, could witness this ] Tent, they would know they "dld not e in vain.'
 To you noble women whose patriotic
 Puls conceived and whose loving learts nurtured and whose tender ! Lnds wrought this splendid work, a Hateful people pours forth its benedic- ! pns of sincere appreciation. And for 1 bur chief executive, the members or he first White House of the Confed- Tacy commi ission, the legislature or | labama, and every citizen in your ate who aided, encouraged and CO., Iperated in making possible this oc- lsion, southerners everywhere enter Lin today deepest feelings of apprecia-
 on.
 Fl Lack of sentiment, forgetfulness or H Traditions, unappreciativeness of heroic Eleeds, are characteristics of only de- laying peoples. A nation whose soul IS Inmoved by it's history and unstirred ly it's achievements is doomed to fall Ire. The south is a great section. lIch in natural resources. commanding III WOnQeTIul dQNd4ltdBCos ~ +pOW M llo section in the rapid progress of It's development; it yields to none in the |IIpportunities presented. Numberless Heres of untitled land. millions of feet If virgin forests, limitless energy in |IEnharnessed waters and countless Ilhiles of unearthed minerals are wait Ing to be touched by the welcome ex- Iloiter. No feeling of sectional narrow less stalks this land; no spirit of os- lracism grips our people.
 Memories of Fathers
 III As one who reveres the memories lbf our fathers, as one who shall ever lbtrive to keep fresh the events that made it's history great, as one who loves every sentiment connected with lit in every pore and fiber of his being, l. am glad to come from the bosom or Your twin sister state, from the shadow lbf historic -Beauvoir, and share With Gyou the warmth and enthusiasm with 1which our hearts are filled today Tn .lthe dedication of this historic home. Adear to every southerner, and around which cherished memories will ever Ecling.
 It is peculiarly fitting that this event should take place on this day. Beau ItifuI, historic old Montgomery! Dear tgrand old Alabamal We salute you today, and I speak as a Mississippian, Iljealous of your wonderful resources, lIyet proud of your imperishable history. lIOh! the statesmen and scientists ana lIjurists and scholars and warriors and 4 |glorious women that you have given Ito the nation.
 M Your skies have been blackened by 1.-the smoke of invading foes. Your streams have run red with the blood Nof your patriotic sons. It was along II the banks of the Tallapoosa at mem- ora.ble Horse Shoe Bend that your brave backwoodsmen, fighting side by II side with the interpid Tennesseans and M led by "Old Hickory" subdued the Red man, in his last stand, wrenched the scepter from his hands and opened ur H this fair land to civilization.
 Il In the Mexican war few states fur nished to the nation more soldiers and none braver than did Alabama. In '9s you were among the first to furnish your quota to avenge the sinking ot the Maine and succor poor, outraged persecuted Cuba. From Santiago tc Manila, Alabamians played nobly their part, and the gallantry displayed b5 Joe Wheeler in leading his men to vic tory at San Juan Hill, and Richmond P. Hobson in the sinking of the Mer- { rimac. will remain an imperishabls legacy to your state.
 The Late World War
 And in the late World war no bravei lads ever marched to the tune of mar tial airs or fought beneath the folds of any flag than those from Alabama They maintained the splendid tradi- tions of their fathers and shed un- dying glory, not alone upon Alabama but the nation as well. Great as i: the number of heroes of that mighty conflict enshrined on the pages of his tory, the name and fame of Gen. Rob ert l.. Bullard and the Alabamians ot the Rainbow division will ring dowr the corridors of time.
 It was here, in the "cradle of the Confederacy." where the new republic was nurtured. Here it was that the representatives of a proud and indom- itable people met in convention and framed and adopted its constitution Never before was a work of such i'm port accomplished in such a masterly way in such brief time as was tn, framing and adoption of that instru- ment. And today. in reading the prin- ciples then and there enunciated, the unselfish instinct of the section, tn, economic spirit of the day. the master ly intellect of the delegates is re- vealed. What a needed reform would be wrought if the Congress and the states would today amend the federal constitution and follow the principles enunciated in the Confederate constl . tuition, extending the term of the Pres
 
 and making them ineligible for re- election. What an economy it would effect and what saving to the tax payers of the country if that part of the Confederate constitution could be adopted by the federal government, re- quiring a two-thirds vote of the Con gress to make federal appropriations And oh! that some of our present day democrats who, in their selfish desire to enrich few at the expense of the many, protect one section to the detri- ment of another, who have joined the ranks of those who believe in a protec- tive tariff, would read and memorize that part of the Confederate constitu- tion that condemned in the strongest possible language protective tariff and unanimously laid down the rule that the passage of any such law was forever prohibited by the Confederate Congress.
 One Fatal Blunder.
 am sure will be pardoned if assert that subsequent events demon- strated that fatal blunder was made by those in whose grasp the future of the Confederate government was held. when the capital was moved from this city to Richmond. Left here it would have compelled the enemy to operate from distant base of supplies, upon lines of communication 800 miles long, while it would have liberated to be used as occasion demanded, magnifi- cent army which was constantly re- uuired for the defense of Richmond. Located as Richmond was, within .lit- tie more than hundred miles of the enemy's base, upon river which per- mitted the approach of formidable war crafts and within short distance of a strong fortress on fine harbor. 1t was