Spirit of the Sons of Confederate Veterans 1899 Speech

                        SPIRIT OF THE SONS 

Mr. Leland flume, of Nashville, Tenn., in a recent address to the
members of Joe Johnston Bivouac, Sons of Confederate Veterans, after
expressing his appreciation of the honors paid him in his selection
as President, said:
This bivouac carries on its roll some of the most prominent and useful
of the young business and pro- fessional men of the city, and it
should take and hold first place in the ranks of the bivouacs of the
Asso- ciation. As members, and as a bivouac, we should always have in
mind the objects and purposes of the organization, numbered among
which are these:
"To see that the Confederate soldiers are cared for; that a helping
hand is extended to the needy, and that the Confederate widows and
orphans are protected and assisted; to urge and aid the erection of
enduring monuments to our great leaders and heroic soldiers and
sailors; and to mark with suit- able headstones the graves of the
Confederate dead, wherever found."
You have no doubt applauded and been thankful for the speech which our
noble President delivered on his recent Southern tour, and in which he
suggested the care by the government of the graves of the Confederate
dead; and other patriots have advocated government aid to all the
Confederate soldiers that are now left and need assistance; but, my
comrades, I am thoroughly persuaded that this government of ours should
not be urged or permitted to do any such thing. This work is our work;
this burden, if you can term it such, is one that we should gladly and
cheerfully bear. The Confederate soldier, for independence of spirit
and for grandeur and nobleness of character, has never had an equal.
Those who died on the bloody field of battle did it facing the enemy;
those who were mercifully spared have bravely battled with the adverse
conditions that confronted them; and out of the number that are left to
us now, only a small percentage need our active assistance. They should
receive it promptly, cheerfully and in such degree as needed.
To be the son of a Confederate soldier is to be the son of a hero. The
Confederate soldier will occupy a unique position in history: fighting
for what he believed to be right, accepting the final issue with a
nobleness of character that proves his nobleness of birth, and proving
his love for his country and her flag by promptly responding to her call
when the recent war with Spain was declared. If the spirits that go to
the better land are permitted to know anything about what goes on here
below, the hearts of R. E. Lee and U. S. Grant have been gladdened beyond
expression at what they have seen. Wheeler and Roosevelt have marched side
by side to victory; Southern Generals have commanded Northern troops, and
Northern Generals have commanded Southern troops; sectionalism has been
swept away, and the flag that floats with its Stars and Stripes has been
victorious and is sacred to all of our people.
Confederate officers and Confederate soldiers and sons of Confederate
soldiers are cordially wearing the blue; and, at the same time, the
survivors of the Civil War who were on the other side have been compelled
to don the gray, and are now wearing it day and night as their permanent
head gear.
While these happy conditions should make us lift our hearts in thanksgiving
and praise to the Almighty, we should not cease to remember that the
Confederate soldier is distinctively our heritage and as such we are bound
to honor, protect, and help him. Let this bivouac take its rightful place,
and at the approaching annual meeting of the Sons of Confederate Veterans
let it urge the Association to avail itself of its right to care for these
noble heroes. Let us prove to the world that we are worthy sons of worthy
sires, and will prove faithful until the last Confederate and his faithful
widow have been laid away.