Tampa, Florida Monument, 1911
Title
Tampa, Florida Monument, 1911
Spatial Coverage
Tampa, Florida
Florida
Date of Dedication Event
1911-02-08
Creator
The Tampa Morning Tribune
Date Created
1911-02-09
Abstract
5,000 Attend the Unveiling of Handsome Confederate Monument
Well-Arranged Prefatory Program is Given
H.S. Phillips, Orator of the Day – Brorein Speaks for the North – Many Notables Present
Five thousand people witnessed the unveiling of the Confederate monument yesterday afternoon. On and around the Court House Square gathered men, women and children in such a mass that it was with difficulty that exercises there could be carried out properly. Franklin street was filled with people and the windows and balconies of every public building in the vicinity were used as vantage points by many individuals.
The awning of the Henry Giddens clothing store was reserved by a squad of photographers, who snapped many excellent views of the parade and the crowd gathered on the square.
On the completion of the marble shaft to the memory of the deeds of the patriots of the South several days ago, the obelisk with its two figures of Confederate soldiers was draped in white. The white veiling was removed at 5:05 yesterday by Annie Carter Lee Chapter, Children of the Confederacy, under the direction of Maude Kennedy, as they sang “Dixie.” Standing on the base of the monument the commander of Camp Loring Veterans, Capt. James M. Cathcart, assisted in the unveiling.
The marble memorial to the soldiers of the South was made possible through the zealous efforts of the local Chapter Daughters of the Confederacy, of which Mrs. Samuel S. Moore is the president, ably assisted by the loyalty and enterprise of the citizens of Tampa. It was a representative gathering that witnessed the unveiling.
Sister Esther Carlotta, State president of the Florida Daughters of the Confederacy, and who composed the inscription on the north side of the monument, was present, and Gen. Hamp Johnson, of Bartow, commanding the Third Brigade Florida Confederate Veterans, was also present with a number of the visiting veterans of the brigade. Commander Charles Spencer, of the Sons of Veterans, Camp Dickinson, was also present with a representative attendance of the Sons.
At the conclusion of the exercises at the Court House Square, Mrs. George Flisch, presented a handsome floral wreath for the monument. This was placed by Sister Esther Carlotta at the base of the die. This consisted of a beautiful selection of white roses and carnations.
At The Greeson Theater
The main exercises of the day were held at the Greeson Theater. The auditorium, boxes, balcony, and gallery of this building was filled to overflow with men, women and children. Many stood throughout the exercises, which continued almost two hours. State Senator Don C. McMullen ably presided and the program was ushered in with prayer by Dr. W.W. DeHart, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
The stage gave room to eighty people, the front row being given over to those having leading parts in the program and the back of these being seated the Children of the Confederacy and the Daughters. Among the Children the girls predominated. All those were dressed in white and wore red ribbons and sashes. The picture presented by those on the stage was both pleasing and impressive.
Briefly Senator McMullen spoke of the occasion as one of congratulation and gratification, one where the Confederate soldier would receive all the praise that an admiring people could bestow upon him. He then introduced Mayor McKay.
Mayor Accepts Monument
Mayor D.B. McKay, in behalf of the City of Tampa, accepted the monument and thanked the Daughters of the Confederacy. He said:
“With great pride and sincere gratitude, in the name of the City of Tampa, I, as the city’s chief executive, accept this splendid memorial to the heroes of the Southern army erected through the efforts of the Daughters of the Confederacy. It is a beautiful and appropriate tribute, and will stand forever as a testimonial of our undying love for the cause that we of the South believe was right, and of our pride in the splendid achievements of the hosts who through those terrible years made records on land and sea unparalleled in the history of the world.
It is true that the actual erection of this shaft of gratitude is somewhat tardy, as nearly half a century has elapsed since the close of the conflict between the legions of the South and the North, but this monument, massive and imposing as it is, is insignificant by comparison with the love and reverence of our people for our cause and the men who espoused and defended it – and no less for the noble women who had such an important part in the great conflict. If I had any criticism to offer regarding this monument, it would be that it does not directly pay tribute to the women of the South, who suffered as great hardships and possibly faced as great dangers as did the soldiers on battlefields and the sailors in our fleet, and whose courage and devotion never faltered. It is a proud and priceless heritage left us – the history of the part played by women and men of the South in a war between the states – and every true daughter and son must be thrilled with emotions of the loftiest character as the mind dwells on those trying days and months and years.
Yesterday and Today
The defeat of our arms carried with it no disgrace. The overwhelming of our forces by superior numbers and inexhaustible resources, despite the brilliancy and resourcefulness of our splendid leaders and the unmatched bravery and devotion of their followers, was inevitable.
But enough of this – while we will ever cherish these memories and feel great pride in the fact that we are of the same blood as the women and men who made glorious history under the Stars and Bars, today the Stars and Stripes wave over no more loyal citizens than we of the Southland. Our people have bravely faced conditions as they are and are working out their destiny with energy and intelligence that excited the wonder and admiration of the civilized world. Less than half a century ago the South was devastated in all sections by the ravages of war, its people staggering under a burden and griefs that would have discouraged and disheartened any other people on earth. But they took up their burdens with the splendid courage which is characteristic of them, and today we see and enjoy the happy results. The South is developing more rapidly and more substantially than any other section of this great country. Southward the Star of Empire has set its way, and there are very encouraging indications that it is headed straight for Tampa.
“I heartily congratulate the Daughters of the Confederacy for their noble achievements, and in the name of the city of Tampa I assure them our sincere gratitude.”
Mrs. Will Robles, Mrs. Satterfield, Mrs. Davis, and Miss Hester, as a quartet, sand “Way Down On the Sewanee River,” and this was followed by Mrs. Brash’s address of welcome in behalf of the local Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Brash Welcomes
Mrs. Henry Brash delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the local chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy, in the following eloquent tribute:
“It is both a pleasure and an honor to welcome you today on this momentous occasion; a pleasure, because it is the culmination of fond hopes; an honor, because I am before you as a representative of that noble band of women known as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and in behalf of our president and the entire organization, I extend to each and every one of you, the heartiest of welcomes, a welcome to our fair city, a welcome to our homes and a welcome to our hearts.
“It is, indeed, a joyous event, this being the first public monument ever erected in our city and we should be doubly proud and honor the day as well as the deed that marks an epoch in the history of our city; and this shaft of marble though it be but cold, white stone – the sculpted work of a chisel and hammer – yet it has a purpose to serve. Each stroke of the chisel, each beat of the hammer, has its inspiration, and the finished work of the artist breathes with almost a living breath.
Memories of Battles
“To the Confederate Veteran it brings back memories of the hard-fought battles; it speaks to him of fifty years ago, and that while it tells him all too plainly, that he is nearing the sunset of life, yet it also makes the blood move faster in his veins as he lives again in the memory of those by-gone days, and youth comes back, if only for a little while.
“To the Sons of Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy, this monument recounts the deeds of Fathers and Mothers and though, we of this generation can never know their trials and hardships, yet we revere their memories for what they suffered. To the Children of the Confederacy it teaches that respect for the dead, which is ever to be praised, whether they fell victorious of conquered. And so I reiterate the statement, that monuments serve a purpose and this shaft pointing heavenward is no exception.
“’In the statue that breathes, The soul of the sculptor is hidden; crowning the glory revealed, is the glory that crowns the revealing; great are the symbols of being, but that which is symbolized is greater.’”
Work of Local Daughters
“The Daughters of the Confederacy Tampa Chapter No. 113, have worked and are still working with all their zeal, to make this chapter the banner chapter for this glorious state, and though it has existed years, it never was more prosperous or more replete with energy than now, and today which marks the consummation of faithful work and untiring effort is only the beginning of what the chapter will do, and while our own efforts have been full of struggles, yet without the aid of our citizens, we could never have achieved this success, but we feel repaid when we gaze on the monument to be unveiled today.
“May the spirit of Lee and Jackson, Johnston and Beauregard ever hover about it as Angels of Peace, and while we remember with love ‘the bonnie blue flag,’ let us live in the present, and all hail to the Stars and Stripes which float over these glorious United States and in whose folds are wrapped with equal tenderness, the North and the South, the East and the West. May this ever be symbolic of a country’s debt to its fallen heroes, fallen but not forgotten.”
Commander B.F. Taylor, of Camp Loring Confederate Veterans, then briefly but feelingly expressed the appreciation of the veterans themselves for the monument and praised the Daughters for their work in procuring the necessary money for its erection.
Mrs. W.A. Carter, then rendered “Florida, My Florida,” with piano accompaniment by Miss Minnie Wall Knight, after which Sister Esther Carlotta, as the head of all the Daughters in this State, expressed her pride in the enterprise of the Tampa Chapter, paid tribute to the deeds and valor of the men and women of the Old South and declared its people had shown an example never to be forgotten in their heroism and fortitude.
Mr. Brorein’s Address
“The Voice of the North” was next heard in the person of W.G. Brorein. Mr. Brorein is on the the most forceful speakers in South Florida. Born in the North, reared there and educated there, in an impromptu address he praised the people of the Southland with whom he has identified in this city for several years past.
He expressed pleasure at what he termed the honor bestowed upon him as a Son of the North in the opportunity to speak on such an occasion.
He declared the South had never been excelled in the quality of the soldier it has presented to the world. He spoke of Southern achievement as one having its influence in the history of the world and he declared he had come to understand better the fortitude of the Southern soldier in the days of war after having become better acquainted with the noble women of the Southland.
Mr. Brorein expressed appreciation of the many honors accorded him since his residence in Tampa but placed all these as less in importance to the opportunity extended him for the praise of the South.
He declared that “coming into this country of the Stars and Bars had made a greater union of States.” He declared that the “figure of Gen. Robert E. Lee in the National Hall of Fame is a recognition of the South and its accomplishments since the figure of Lee represents the embodiment of all that the Confederacy stood for.”
The speaker was visibly affected as he spoke. He declared his assurance that the New South and the future of the South will maintain the traditions of honor, courtesy and chivalry that possessed the men and women of the “’60s” and he was warmly applauded and warmly congratulated as he proceeded. His speech was one of the most earnest and helpful ever delivered in this city or in this State.
In conclusion he declared the boys and girls of today in the South of the future will always be able to work out the problems affecting their country and that the United States has never known and will never know a more glorious section than Dixie, always sending forth men and women who exert influence for good.
Mrs. Robles then rendered “The Bonnie Blue Flag.”
Following, the Senator McMullen introduced Hon. H.S. Phillips, the orator of the day.
Address of H.S. Phillips
Hon. H.S. Phillips, chosen as the orator for the occasion, delivered the following eloquent tribute to the South, its position and the lessons it has taught and teaches and, the strong, forceful address was punctuated by applause from the big audience, the speaker, always entertaining, being at his best. He said:
“When we carefully study history we find that no people have so much of which to be proud, nor more that is worthy of memorializing than the people of the South. In all the annals of history there are recorded no deeds of patriotic self-sacrifice and physical courage on the battlefield that will compare with the deathless pages written in blood by the chivalry and manhood of the South in that four year’s terrific struggle with arms for maintenance of local self-government – for the maintenance of State sovereignty and for the preservation of the Constitution as written by their fathers. In every war in which this government has been engaged, from the Revolution of Independence to the Spanish-American War, the Southern soldier has risen, a majestic figure and example of what is noblest in patriotic ideals and best in democratic citizenship.
“The man who can speak lightly and flippantly of the heroes who fell under Northern or Southern banners upon the battlefields of the Civil War, is unworthy the name and heritage of freeman. He does not understand the spirit of history or comprehend the process of a nation’s growth.
Meaning of Monuments
“It is a good thing to honor the heroes of the Confederacy by erecting monuments to their memory. If it meant the revival of the passions of war, if it meant to foster and perpetuate a narrow sectionalism, it would be our duty to regard it as unwise and ill-times. But it means just the reverse. It means not only that personal characters of the great leaders of the Confederacy and the heroism and courage of those who bore the gray, must be held up the for the admiration of their countrymen, but that their fortitude under defeat, their manly acceptance of the result, their entire post bellum record as patriotic and upright citizens shall be set forth for the inspiration and guidance of the youth of the South. No American boy can be harmed by studying the lives of the great leaders of the Confederacy and becoming familiar with the wonderful courage and fortitude of those who followed them. If a higher type of manhood and womanhood than that of the Old Suth [sic] can be fund [sic], let the world point it out to use and we will give it recognition.
“While the majority of the men and women that composed the Confederacy have long since passed over the river, and while their survivors are one by one being mustered out by the Angel of Death, there were lofty principles that characterized their lives which I trust will never die. The superiority of the moral to the material, the lofty sense of honor, the chivalrous courage, the nightly nearing toward woman, the refinement of the ancestral Southern life – the abundant hospitality – the readiness to die for principle – and the splendid self-respect that upheld the Southern people during their terrible sufferings will, let us hope, characterize our lives as long as the world shall last.
Position of the South
“The South recognizes the greatness and kindliness of Lincoln – the magnanimity of Grant on the day of victory and the chivalry of McPherson, who fell upon the battlefield near Atlanta – but the South can never hold up to her sons and daughters Sherman’s march to the sea as the act of a brave and great commander. The South admires the courage and military genius of many of the leaders of Northern armies, and doffs her hats to the courage of the brave soldiers who followed them, but the South can never admit that the contest was equal or that the victory was fairly won.
“The South stands ready to welcome all good citizens who seek to make their homes within her borders – but the South detests and despises all, it matters not from whence they come, who, in any manner, encourages social equality with an ignorant and inferior race.”
“The South does not object to white Republicans holding the Federal offices under a Republican administration, but the South declares that a President who appoints a negro to an office within her borders, engenders sectional bitterness – encourages lynchings – injures the negro --- is an enemy of good government and a traitor to the Anglo-Saxon race.
“The South rejoices that slavery is abolished, and that we are a United Country and she ever stands ready to defend Stars and Stripes and maintain the glory and honor of the Republic with the same courage and fortitude that she defended the Stars and Bars – but the South will never teach her sons and daughters that, that prolonged and terrific struggle on her part was a mere riot or a mob, and that every man engaged in it was a conscious traitor, unworthy of trust and devoid of honor. To do so would be to trifle with truth and insult the common understanding of mankind. Reason rejects each a view of the subject as an absurdity, justice brands it as a falsehood; and the impartial historian scorns to transfer it to his immortal page.
“Questions that rallied millions of intelligent men to the battlefield for their solution must have had – did have two sides to them. And I dare assert that in purity of motives – in stainless honor – in dauntless courage and in lofty devoation [sic] to principle the men who followed the Stars and Bars are the peers of the proudest that ever marched under any banner or illustrated the annals of any law. Some narrow-minded politicians, who sought to malign and slander the oSuthern [sic] soldiers were challenged upon the floor of the United States Senate to point to a since instance where a Confederate soldier had violated his parole since the surrender. The challenge was not accepted and will never be. The history of the world might safely be defied to produce from its mouldering records an instance parallel to the high-toned and chivalrous manner in which the Confederate soldier, in the midst of provoking irritations kept his plighted honor inviolate. It is true, no national government pours out its wealth to gather the dust of those who wore the gray into magnificent cemeteries, adorned with all that taste and art can contribute to beautify those cities of the dead, but they have monuments in the hearts that are warmed than marble and homes in memories that will never cast them out. No amount of detraction can shake my faith in their integrity, and no temptation of power can make me false to the traditions of their history.
Virtues of the Old South
"Since the present is largely the result of the past it is right and proper for us on an occasion like this to consider the excellencies of these whom we would honor today, and when we do, we find, that is the object of civilization is to produce men and women rather than hordes of gold; if the test of civilization is the character of the people it moulds rather than the amount of stuff it produces; if the noblest fruit of civilization is where father and mothers, and brother and sister dwell together in sweet peace and virtuous repose; if, in short, civilization is the art of dwelling together in society in the highest state of human happiness -- then we match the civilization of the old South against any the world has ever known.
"I would not revive the thoughts, the motives, or the actions of a past generation, but with a warm and honest heart I declare that though the Confederacy be buried forever we should ever love and revere the truth and integrity -- the constancy and fortitude -- the honor and virtue -- the genius and patriotism of those who led and filled the Southern armies. For four years, without commerce or national recognition -- with a government new and imperfectly organized -- with an army and navy to be raised and equipped -- with scarcely one half the number of its foes and less than half the resources -- the Confederacy upheld a conflict which was the miracle of the age in which it occurred and is the romance of the historian and novelist of today.
Tribute to Women of South
"The hero in gray who went forth with cheerful alertness to fight for the right as he saw the right -- whose honor was as true and pure as the temper of Damascene blade -- whose integrity was a wall against which the blandishments of social influence and political power were harmless and ineffectual, was a noble and God-liking being. But there is one more gloriously great than he. I bow to the heroism, constancy and devotion of woman; to her whose sympathy responded to the slightest wail of distress as though it were the voice of a trumpet; to her whose devotion did not shudder before the approach of the gaunt and ghostly specter of poverty and want, not waiver when war stalked through our fair Southland leaving the dead and the dying to show which way he had gone -- to her who cut up her dresses to make clothing for the Confederate soldiers. Again, I bow to her splendid heroism, her devotion to home, and her undying constancy.
Lessons from Civil War
"The Civil War was the most remarkable conflict recorded in the annals of history. Remarkable, for the similarity and elevation of sentiment which inspired the impulse which guided it -- remarkable, for the character of the people who fought on both sides -- more remarkable for the patriotic fervor which it evoked among all the people of every section -- most remarkable of all for the legacy of a broader fraternity and more complete unity which it left to America.
"No wonder that the civilized world was amazed that at the end of the struggle the soldiers of both sides and the people of all sections were found standing faithfully for the decrees of the war and for the Constitution.
"The Civil War taught the world that liberty and law can live in this Republic even through internecine war, and that Americans, though divided today, are united tomorrow in stronger and more enduring bonds. It was a conflict, not between the friends of freedom on one side and its foes on the other, but between its friends on both sides. And they fought, not for conquest or change in the form of government, but fought for an inherited interpretation and construction of the Constitution as given them by their fathers. Within the womb of this Republic's future are mighty problems instinct with life and danger, to solve, which will call into requisition all the statemanship -- all the patriotism -- all the manhood and loyalty to law of all the sections. Perish them, forever perish, from American minds and hearts all distrust, all class and party, and all sectional bigotry and alienation, but live forever live, as the last hope of the Republic, mutual trust, confidence, brotherhood and unity between the surviving soldiers who fought and between their children who are the heirs of their immortal honors.
Contribution to American Manhood
"Every drop of blood, which was shed in the Civil War was the priceless tribute paid by liberty-loving men to inherited and profoundly cherished convictions. Every uniform worn by the brave whether its color was blue or gray -- every sheet of flame from the ranks and rifles of both; every cannon that shook Chickamauga's hills or thundered around the heights of Gettysburg; every whizzing shell that tore through the wilderness at Chancellorsville or Shiloh; every bullet rent flag that floated in victory, or went down in defeat on any field; every patriotic sigh and prayer wafted to heaven from the North or South; every loving and tendere ministration at the dying soldier's side; every agonizing throb in woman's heart, or burning tear on devoted woman's cheek; all -- all, were contributions to the upbuilding of a loftier American manhood for the future defense of American freedom.
What Monuments Stands For
"My countrymen, the Daughters of the Confederacy did much for the present and future generations of this city when they erected yonder monument in honor of the Southern soldiers. Let it forever stand, not as a record of civil strife, but as a perpetual protest against whatever is low and sordid in our private and public life. Let it stand as a memorial of personal honor that never brooked a stain, of knightly genius unsoiled by ambition, and of heroic constancy from which no cloud of misfortune could ever hide the path of duty. Let it stand as a reproof and censure if we shall ever sink below the standards of our fathers.
"Let it stand to perpetuate the memory and extol the virtues of the resolute -- clear-headed -- broad-minded men of the South -- the men whose genius made glorious every page of the first seventy years of American history -- whose courage and fortitude the armies of the North tested in four years of the fiercest conflict that was ever waged, and whose energy made brick without straw and spread splendor amid the ashes of their war-wasted homes. Let is stand in honor of the men and women who gave us the Old South and out of the ashes of war have given us the New South, which is the best part of the Union, as the Union is the best part of the world.
"Let it stand in honor of the hero in gray,
"Who for four ensanguined years
Did'st face the battle's shattering shot and shell;
And though ten thousand at his right hand fell
Not once did waver with ignoble fear;
Not once at memory of his home, and tears
Of loved ones, when grief crushed in mute farewell
They yielded him unto that awful hell.
"Whose hot breath only now, no longer sears;
And then, when all had perished, scarred and maimed,
With his one hand his ruins did'st repair
And fed, the while his foreman from his store --
To tell his valor speech hath not been framed
A more unfading chaplet he should'st wear
Than e'er the bravest Gaul or Spartan wore."
Mr. Phillips' speech concluded exercises at the theater, Senator McMullen announcing that the unveiling would follow immediately. Led by a squad of mounted police, under the direction of Capt. J.S. Jones, and the Tampa Municipal Band, a procession of Veterans, Daughters, Sons and Children of the Confederacy, formed on Jackson street south of the theater and thence marched to the monument by way of Jackson street, Florida avenue and Lafayette street.
A complete description of the monument, its design and cost, has appeared in previous issues of the Tribune.
Well-Arranged Prefatory Program is Given
H.S. Phillips, Orator of the Day – Brorein Speaks for the North – Many Notables Present
Five thousand people witnessed the unveiling of the Confederate monument yesterday afternoon. On and around the Court House Square gathered men, women and children in such a mass that it was with difficulty that exercises there could be carried out properly. Franklin street was filled with people and the windows and balconies of every public building in the vicinity were used as vantage points by many individuals.
The awning of the Henry Giddens clothing store was reserved by a squad of photographers, who snapped many excellent views of the parade and the crowd gathered on the square.
On the completion of the marble shaft to the memory of the deeds of the patriots of the South several days ago, the obelisk with its two figures of Confederate soldiers was draped in white. The white veiling was removed at 5:05 yesterday by Annie Carter Lee Chapter, Children of the Confederacy, under the direction of Maude Kennedy, as they sang “Dixie.” Standing on the base of the monument the commander of Camp Loring Veterans, Capt. James M. Cathcart, assisted in the unveiling.
The marble memorial to the soldiers of the South was made possible through the zealous efforts of the local Chapter Daughters of the Confederacy, of which Mrs. Samuel S. Moore is the president, ably assisted by the loyalty and enterprise of the citizens of Tampa. It was a representative gathering that witnessed the unveiling.
Sister Esther Carlotta, State president of the Florida Daughters of the Confederacy, and who composed the inscription on the north side of the monument, was present, and Gen. Hamp Johnson, of Bartow, commanding the Third Brigade Florida Confederate Veterans, was also present with a number of the visiting veterans of the brigade. Commander Charles Spencer, of the Sons of Veterans, Camp Dickinson, was also present with a representative attendance of the Sons.
At the conclusion of the exercises at the Court House Square, Mrs. George Flisch, presented a handsome floral wreath for the monument. This was placed by Sister Esther Carlotta at the base of the die. This consisted of a beautiful selection of white roses and carnations.
At The Greeson Theater
The main exercises of the day were held at the Greeson Theater. The auditorium, boxes, balcony, and gallery of this building was filled to overflow with men, women and children. Many stood throughout the exercises, which continued almost two hours. State Senator Don C. McMullen ably presided and the program was ushered in with prayer by Dr. W.W. DeHart, of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.
The stage gave room to eighty people, the front row being given over to those having leading parts in the program and the back of these being seated the Children of the Confederacy and the Daughters. Among the Children the girls predominated. All those were dressed in white and wore red ribbons and sashes. The picture presented by those on the stage was both pleasing and impressive.
Briefly Senator McMullen spoke of the occasion as one of congratulation and gratification, one where the Confederate soldier would receive all the praise that an admiring people could bestow upon him. He then introduced Mayor McKay.
Mayor Accepts Monument
Mayor D.B. McKay, in behalf of the City of Tampa, accepted the monument and thanked the Daughters of the Confederacy. He said:
“With great pride and sincere gratitude, in the name of the City of Tampa, I, as the city’s chief executive, accept this splendid memorial to the heroes of the Southern army erected through the efforts of the Daughters of the Confederacy. It is a beautiful and appropriate tribute, and will stand forever as a testimonial of our undying love for the cause that we of the South believe was right, and of our pride in the splendid achievements of the hosts who through those terrible years made records on land and sea unparalleled in the history of the world.
It is true that the actual erection of this shaft of gratitude is somewhat tardy, as nearly half a century has elapsed since the close of the conflict between the legions of the South and the North, but this monument, massive and imposing as it is, is insignificant by comparison with the love and reverence of our people for our cause and the men who espoused and defended it – and no less for the noble women who had such an important part in the great conflict. If I had any criticism to offer regarding this monument, it would be that it does not directly pay tribute to the women of the South, who suffered as great hardships and possibly faced as great dangers as did the soldiers on battlefields and the sailors in our fleet, and whose courage and devotion never faltered. It is a proud and priceless heritage left us – the history of the part played by women and men of the South in a war between the states – and every true daughter and son must be thrilled with emotions of the loftiest character as the mind dwells on those trying days and months and years.
Yesterday and Today
The defeat of our arms carried with it no disgrace. The overwhelming of our forces by superior numbers and inexhaustible resources, despite the brilliancy and resourcefulness of our splendid leaders and the unmatched bravery and devotion of their followers, was inevitable.
But enough of this – while we will ever cherish these memories and feel great pride in the fact that we are of the same blood as the women and men who made glorious history under the Stars and Bars, today the Stars and Stripes wave over no more loyal citizens than we of the Southland. Our people have bravely faced conditions as they are and are working out their destiny with energy and intelligence that excited the wonder and admiration of the civilized world. Less than half a century ago the South was devastated in all sections by the ravages of war, its people staggering under a burden and griefs that would have discouraged and disheartened any other people on earth. But they took up their burdens with the splendid courage which is characteristic of them, and today we see and enjoy the happy results. The South is developing more rapidly and more substantially than any other section of this great country. Southward the Star of Empire has set its way, and there are very encouraging indications that it is headed straight for Tampa.
“I heartily congratulate the Daughters of the Confederacy for their noble achievements, and in the name of the city of Tampa I assure them our sincere gratitude.”
Mrs. Will Robles, Mrs. Satterfield, Mrs. Davis, and Miss Hester, as a quartet, sand “Way Down On the Sewanee River,” and this was followed by Mrs. Brash’s address of welcome in behalf of the local Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.
Mrs. Brash Welcomes
Mrs. Henry Brash delivered the address of welcome in behalf of the local chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy, in the following eloquent tribute:
“It is both a pleasure and an honor to welcome you today on this momentous occasion; a pleasure, because it is the culmination of fond hopes; an honor, because I am before you as a representative of that noble band of women known as the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and in behalf of our president and the entire organization, I extend to each and every one of you, the heartiest of welcomes, a welcome to our fair city, a welcome to our homes and a welcome to our hearts.
“It is, indeed, a joyous event, this being the first public monument ever erected in our city and we should be doubly proud and honor the day as well as the deed that marks an epoch in the history of our city; and this shaft of marble though it be but cold, white stone – the sculpted work of a chisel and hammer – yet it has a purpose to serve. Each stroke of the chisel, each beat of the hammer, has its inspiration, and the finished work of the artist breathes with almost a living breath.
Memories of Battles
“To the Confederate Veteran it brings back memories of the hard-fought battles; it speaks to him of fifty years ago, and that while it tells him all too plainly, that he is nearing the sunset of life, yet it also makes the blood move faster in his veins as he lives again in the memory of those by-gone days, and youth comes back, if only for a little while.
“To the Sons of Veterans and Daughters of the Confederacy, this monument recounts the deeds of Fathers and Mothers and though, we of this generation can never know their trials and hardships, yet we revere their memories for what they suffered. To the Children of the Confederacy it teaches that respect for the dead, which is ever to be praised, whether they fell victorious of conquered. And so I reiterate the statement, that monuments serve a purpose and this shaft pointing heavenward is no exception.
“’In the statue that breathes, The soul of the sculptor is hidden; crowning the glory revealed, is the glory that crowns the revealing; great are the symbols of being, but that which is symbolized is greater.’”
Work of Local Daughters
“The Daughters of the Confederacy Tampa Chapter No. 113, have worked and are still working with all their zeal, to make this chapter the banner chapter for this glorious state, and though it has existed years, it never was more prosperous or more replete with energy than now, and today which marks the consummation of faithful work and untiring effort is only the beginning of what the chapter will do, and while our own efforts have been full of struggles, yet without the aid of our citizens, we could never have achieved this success, but we feel repaid when we gaze on the monument to be unveiled today.
“May the spirit of Lee and Jackson, Johnston and Beauregard ever hover about it as Angels of Peace, and while we remember with love ‘the bonnie blue flag,’ let us live in the present, and all hail to the Stars and Stripes which float over these glorious United States and in whose folds are wrapped with equal tenderness, the North and the South, the East and the West. May this ever be symbolic of a country’s debt to its fallen heroes, fallen but not forgotten.”
Commander B.F. Taylor, of Camp Loring Confederate Veterans, then briefly but feelingly expressed the appreciation of the veterans themselves for the monument and praised the Daughters for their work in procuring the necessary money for its erection.
Mrs. W.A. Carter, then rendered “Florida, My Florida,” with piano accompaniment by Miss Minnie Wall Knight, after which Sister Esther Carlotta, as the head of all the Daughters in this State, expressed her pride in the enterprise of the Tampa Chapter, paid tribute to the deeds and valor of the men and women of the Old South and declared its people had shown an example never to be forgotten in their heroism and fortitude.
Mr. Brorein’s Address
“The Voice of the North” was next heard in the person of W.G. Brorein. Mr. Brorein is on the the most forceful speakers in South Florida. Born in the North, reared there and educated there, in an impromptu address he praised the people of the Southland with whom he has identified in this city for several years past.
He expressed pleasure at what he termed the honor bestowed upon him as a Son of the North in the opportunity to speak on such an occasion.
He declared the South had never been excelled in the quality of the soldier it has presented to the world. He spoke of Southern achievement as one having its influence in the history of the world and he declared he had come to understand better the fortitude of the Southern soldier in the days of war after having become better acquainted with the noble women of the Southland.
Mr. Brorein expressed appreciation of the many honors accorded him since his residence in Tampa but placed all these as less in importance to the opportunity extended him for the praise of the South.
He declared that “coming into this country of the Stars and Bars had made a greater union of States.” He declared that the “figure of Gen. Robert E. Lee in the National Hall of Fame is a recognition of the South and its accomplishments since the figure of Lee represents the embodiment of all that the Confederacy stood for.”
The speaker was visibly affected as he spoke. He declared his assurance that the New South and the future of the South will maintain the traditions of honor, courtesy and chivalry that possessed the men and women of the “’60s” and he was warmly applauded and warmly congratulated as he proceeded. His speech was one of the most earnest and helpful ever delivered in this city or in this State.
In conclusion he declared the boys and girls of today in the South of the future will always be able to work out the problems affecting their country and that the United States has never known and will never know a more glorious section than Dixie, always sending forth men and women who exert influence for good.
Mrs. Robles then rendered “The Bonnie Blue Flag.”
Following, the Senator McMullen introduced Hon. H.S. Phillips, the orator of the day.
Address of H.S. Phillips
Hon. H.S. Phillips, chosen as the orator for the occasion, delivered the following eloquent tribute to the South, its position and the lessons it has taught and teaches and, the strong, forceful address was punctuated by applause from the big audience, the speaker, always entertaining, being at his best. He said:
“When we carefully study history we find that no people have so much of which to be proud, nor more that is worthy of memorializing than the people of the South. In all the annals of history there are recorded no deeds of patriotic self-sacrifice and physical courage on the battlefield that will compare with the deathless pages written in blood by the chivalry and manhood of the South in that four year’s terrific struggle with arms for maintenance of local self-government – for the maintenance of State sovereignty and for the preservation of the Constitution as written by their fathers. In every war in which this government has been engaged, from the Revolution of Independence to the Spanish-American War, the Southern soldier has risen, a majestic figure and example of what is noblest in patriotic ideals and best in democratic citizenship.
“The man who can speak lightly and flippantly of the heroes who fell under Northern or Southern banners upon the battlefields of the Civil War, is unworthy the name and heritage of freeman. He does not understand the spirit of history or comprehend the process of a nation’s growth.
Meaning of Monuments
“It is a good thing to honor the heroes of the Confederacy by erecting monuments to their memory. If it meant the revival of the passions of war, if it meant to foster and perpetuate a narrow sectionalism, it would be our duty to regard it as unwise and ill-times. But it means just the reverse. It means not only that personal characters of the great leaders of the Confederacy and the heroism and courage of those who bore the gray, must be held up the for the admiration of their countrymen, but that their fortitude under defeat, their manly acceptance of the result, their entire post bellum record as patriotic and upright citizens shall be set forth for the inspiration and guidance of the youth of the South. No American boy can be harmed by studying the lives of the great leaders of the Confederacy and becoming familiar with the wonderful courage and fortitude of those who followed them. If a higher type of manhood and womanhood than that of the Old Suth [sic] can be fund [sic], let the world point it out to use and we will give it recognition.
“While the majority of the men and women that composed the Confederacy have long since passed over the river, and while their survivors are one by one being mustered out by the Angel of Death, there were lofty principles that characterized their lives which I trust will never die. The superiority of the moral to the material, the lofty sense of honor, the chivalrous courage, the nightly nearing toward woman, the refinement of the ancestral Southern life – the abundant hospitality – the readiness to die for principle – and the splendid self-respect that upheld the Southern people during their terrible sufferings will, let us hope, characterize our lives as long as the world shall last.
Position of the South
“The South recognizes the greatness and kindliness of Lincoln – the magnanimity of Grant on the day of victory and the chivalry of McPherson, who fell upon the battlefield near Atlanta – but the South can never hold up to her sons and daughters Sherman’s march to the sea as the act of a brave and great commander. The South admires the courage and military genius of many of the leaders of Northern armies, and doffs her hats to the courage of the brave soldiers who followed them, but the South can never admit that the contest was equal or that the victory was fairly won.
“The South stands ready to welcome all good citizens who seek to make their homes within her borders – but the South detests and despises all, it matters not from whence they come, who, in any manner, encourages social equality with an ignorant and inferior race.”
“The South does not object to white Republicans holding the Federal offices under a Republican administration, but the South declares that a President who appoints a negro to an office within her borders, engenders sectional bitterness – encourages lynchings – injures the negro --- is an enemy of good government and a traitor to the Anglo-Saxon race.
“The South rejoices that slavery is abolished, and that we are a United Country and she ever stands ready to defend Stars and Stripes and maintain the glory and honor of the Republic with the same courage and fortitude that she defended the Stars and Bars – but the South will never teach her sons and daughters that, that prolonged and terrific struggle on her part was a mere riot or a mob, and that every man engaged in it was a conscious traitor, unworthy of trust and devoid of honor. To do so would be to trifle with truth and insult the common understanding of mankind. Reason rejects each a view of the subject as an absurdity, justice brands it as a falsehood; and the impartial historian scorns to transfer it to his immortal page.
“Questions that rallied millions of intelligent men to the battlefield for their solution must have had – did have two sides to them. And I dare assert that in purity of motives – in stainless honor – in dauntless courage and in lofty devoation [sic] to principle the men who followed the Stars and Bars are the peers of the proudest that ever marched under any banner or illustrated the annals of any law. Some narrow-minded politicians, who sought to malign and slander the oSuthern [sic] soldiers were challenged upon the floor of the United States Senate to point to a since instance where a Confederate soldier had violated his parole since the surrender. The challenge was not accepted and will never be. The history of the world might safely be defied to produce from its mouldering records an instance parallel to the high-toned and chivalrous manner in which the Confederate soldier, in the midst of provoking irritations kept his plighted honor inviolate. It is true, no national government pours out its wealth to gather the dust of those who wore the gray into magnificent cemeteries, adorned with all that taste and art can contribute to beautify those cities of the dead, but they have monuments in the hearts that are warmed than marble and homes in memories that will never cast them out. No amount of detraction can shake my faith in their integrity, and no temptation of power can make me false to the traditions of their history.
Virtues of the Old South
"Since the present is largely the result of the past it is right and proper for us on an occasion like this to consider the excellencies of these whom we would honor today, and when we do, we find, that is the object of civilization is to produce men and women rather than hordes of gold; if the test of civilization is the character of the people it moulds rather than the amount of stuff it produces; if the noblest fruit of civilization is where father and mothers, and brother and sister dwell together in sweet peace and virtuous repose; if, in short, civilization is the art of dwelling together in society in the highest state of human happiness -- then we match the civilization of the old South against any the world has ever known.
"I would not revive the thoughts, the motives, or the actions of a past generation, but with a warm and honest heart I declare that though the Confederacy be buried forever we should ever love and revere the truth and integrity -- the constancy and fortitude -- the honor and virtue -- the genius and patriotism of those who led and filled the Southern armies. For four years, without commerce or national recognition -- with a government new and imperfectly organized -- with an army and navy to be raised and equipped -- with scarcely one half the number of its foes and less than half the resources -- the Confederacy upheld a conflict which was the miracle of the age in which it occurred and is the romance of the historian and novelist of today.
Tribute to Women of South
"The hero in gray who went forth with cheerful alertness to fight for the right as he saw the right -- whose honor was as true and pure as the temper of Damascene blade -- whose integrity was a wall against which the blandishments of social influence and political power were harmless and ineffectual, was a noble and God-liking being. But there is one more gloriously great than he. I bow to the heroism, constancy and devotion of woman; to her whose sympathy responded to the slightest wail of distress as though it were the voice of a trumpet; to her whose devotion did not shudder before the approach of the gaunt and ghostly specter of poverty and want, not waiver when war stalked through our fair Southland leaving the dead and the dying to show which way he had gone -- to her who cut up her dresses to make clothing for the Confederate soldiers. Again, I bow to her splendid heroism, her devotion to home, and her undying constancy.
Lessons from Civil War
"The Civil War was the most remarkable conflict recorded in the annals of history. Remarkable, for the similarity and elevation of sentiment which inspired the impulse which guided it -- remarkable, for the character of the people who fought on both sides -- more remarkable for the patriotic fervor which it evoked among all the people of every section -- most remarkable of all for the legacy of a broader fraternity and more complete unity which it left to America.
"No wonder that the civilized world was amazed that at the end of the struggle the soldiers of both sides and the people of all sections were found standing faithfully for the decrees of the war and for the Constitution.
"The Civil War taught the world that liberty and law can live in this Republic even through internecine war, and that Americans, though divided today, are united tomorrow in stronger and more enduring bonds. It was a conflict, not between the friends of freedom on one side and its foes on the other, but between its friends on both sides. And they fought, not for conquest or change in the form of government, but fought for an inherited interpretation and construction of the Constitution as given them by their fathers. Within the womb of this Republic's future are mighty problems instinct with life and danger, to solve, which will call into requisition all the statemanship -- all the patriotism -- all the manhood and loyalty to law of all the sections. Perish them, forever perish, from American minds and hearts all distrust, all class and party, and all sectional bigotry and alienation, but live forever live, as the last hope of the Republic, mutual trust, confidence, brotherhood and unity between the surviving soldiers who fought and between their children who are the heirs of their immortal honors.
Contribution to American Manhood
"Every drop of blood, which was shed in the Civil War was the priceless tribute paid by liberty-loving men to inherited and profoundly cherished convictions. Every uniform worn by the brave whether its color was blue or gray -- every sheet of flame from the ranks and rifles of both; every cannon that shook Chickamauga's hills or thundered around the heights of Gettysburg; every whizzing shell that tore through the wilderness at Chancellorsville or Shiloh; every bullet rent flag that floated in victory, or went down in defeat on any field; every patriotic sigh and prayer wafted to heaven from the North or South; every loving and tendere ministration at the dying soldier's side; every agonizing throb in woman's heart, or burning tear on devoted woman's cheek; all -- all, were contributions to the upbuilding of a loftier American manhood for the future defense of American freedom.
What Monuments Stands For
"My countrymen, the Daughters of the Confederacy did much for the present and future generations of this city when they erected yonder monument in honor of the Southern soldiers. Let it forever stand, not as a record of civil strife, but as a perpetual protest against whatever is low and sordid in our private and public life. Let it stand as a memorial of personal honor that never brooked a stain, of knightly genius unsoiled by ambition, and of heroic constancy from which no cloud of misfortune could ever hide the path of duty. Let it stand as a reproof and censure if we shall ever sink below the standards of our fathers.
"Let it stand to perpetuate the memory and extol the virtues of the resolute -- clear-headed -- broad-minded men of the South -- the men whose genius made glorious every page of the first seventy years of American history -- whose courage and fortitude the armies of the North tested in four years of the fiercest conflict that was ever waged, and whose energy made brick without straw and spread splendor amid the ashes of their war-wasted homes. Let is stand in honor of the men and women who gave us the Old South and out of the ashes of war have given us the New South, which is the best part of the Union, as the Union is the best part of the world.
"Let it stand in honor of the hero in gray,
"Who for four ensanguined years
Did'st face the battle's shattering shot and shell;
And though ten thousand at his right hand fell
Not once did waver with ignoble fear;
Not once at memory of his home, and tears
Of loved ones, when grief crushed in mute farewell
They yielded him unto that awful hell.
"Whose hot breath only now, no longer sears;
And then, when all had perished, scarred and maimed,
With his one hand his ruins did'st repair
And fed, the while his foreman from his store --
To tell his valor speech hath not been framed
A more unfading chaplet he should'st wear
Than e'er the bravest Gaul or Spartan wore."
Mr. Phillips' speech concluded exercises at the theater, Senator McMullen announcing that the unveiling would follow immediately. Led by a squad of mounted police, under the direction of Capt. J.S. Jones, and the Tampa Municipal Band, a procession of Veterans, Daughters, Sons and Children of the Confederacy, formed on Jackson street south of the theater and thence marched to the monument by way of Jackson street, Florida avenue and Lafayette street.
A complete description of the monument, its design and cost, has appeared in previous issues of the Tribune.
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