The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-23
fRichmond (va.) Correspondence January IA
Of the New York Herald |


FRichmond (val Correspondence January IA
Of the New York Herald.
A large assemblage of citizens At one Of
the leading churches here was addressed this
evening BY Generals Rosser and Henry A.,
Wise, ON The subject of reliefof the Hidows
of Confederate eoldierA The addre@es of
both wefe warmly received and frequently
spplauded. -& A,-4s s.2 500
General Rosser said he was here rs the
champion of the cause of liberty and free.
dom, to awake the echoes of the country
from North TO Soath in behalf Of, the honor
ed.dead; TO lay before you the claims OF the
widows and orphans 81 tho nuniberless dead.
Our duties to them are to do something f0r
these holpless sufferers. He would decorate
and erect monuments to our glorions dead |;
but Ne must mot forget the living. We
entirely ut the mercy Of the conquercfs, IN
whose hands is our fate, and who, instead OF
being magnanimous. are bitterly oppressive
| would have preferred to have died on the
battle field, AT the post of duty, as my worthy
comrade and statesman, General Vase has
said but If we could ask the brave men Who
died for us what they would require, they
would say, +" Give our wivea and our children
bread" We must buy the charity of the
world; No must go into the lottery business
and offer certain number Of prizes, the first
being the mansion once occupied by our
honored President, Davis; the second the
birth place of our chieftain, X. +. Lee, Vir-
ginia great son. VirginIans look II your
own State, destroyed and made slaughter
pen by the very Government whose institu-
lions Won once admired. She is now dis
honored, made desolate and LEFT helpless.
Your soldiers have fought for glory and re-
nown They left home, wives and children.
They have seen the black horrors of war ; but
they went inspired by God truth and liberty, to
fight for their country. What are our duties
to them? Have they not right to expect
that we would cherish their memories? We
should die as they have died before us, I'M
blemished. The death knell Of liberty was
sounded at Appomattox. ] have not been
pardoned: have not asked for 1t: would not
get it if did. The cause lives, II not IN the
men, in the women. The women carried
ON the war The noble women and children
who have lost husbands and fathers are emit
tied to our respect. We have no country
but We have some means to divide with them.
There must be comfortable and honorable
prJvision made for the wife aud child OF ev-
cry Confederate soldier. Virginia il my ma
tive State, thank God. | am proud Of it.
have never seen any mar that WAS ashamed
! Of it. Maryland was trsmmeled and could
! not assist us during the Wal hut now she Is
| ready To pour out her treasure 10 help the sui.
| fering widows and orphans OF Virginia.
| There are only six thousand widows in the
! South. and our eight millions Of people must
| at once provide for them. The children mus
! be educated. We know your influence and
your power, and We expect you to do il.
have stopped the men bearing the wounded
soldier oil the battlefield and have made them
| lay him down to die, and go back TO the fight
| have realized the bitter anguish Of the
wives aud children for this duty. They cal
I upon you now, 10 night, to give food and raj
/ uent to their wives and children. The do,
OF retribution is coming, and every man vii
receive his reward.
| Gen Wise was then introduced. he said
this was q touching appeal made by Generx
| Rosser, whom he seconded, who was onl,
yesterday the champion Of the canse that
| fell. No arm can nov strike for It. We car
| only now repair our losss The appeal TO,
aid for our widows and orphans comes from
one Of Virginia sons. Have been spared
| to see the cause die out before We die? VIVA
| evidence hare we that the cause has died
| out? But when We zee widows vail or heAl
an orphan cry, feel that the cause has 10
deed died out, If you, let one Of them vail
you may we'll cay the cause is dead |
shall be at your cost. Should every
| man and woman in the South giys
it up. never will-never, never.
| care not how much more of misery may BE-
| be piled upon me, il will only be a momen
reaching to heaven to reach heavens ear
| You never we're worthy the cause if you le
| il die out We are xailing aud in want. NJ,
God' what widow Virginia herself ia
| This is an aching agony that God knows how
| | endured it. But have endured it. Th.
men whom | commanded were all my child
! rsa,. looked at them not as q MARITIME
would, but as citizens who were defending
| 3 noble com mon wealth, and we cared rot 81
| the victory was won. Never has there beer
| such unexsmpIed heroi.m. When they fol
lowed me through disaster and defeat, thu
glory that was 10 my heart was that the.
knew / loved them. ! would have love-
them for that devotion and self sacrifice II
any cause half rs good. ! have wept owe
many OF them whom | saw fall by the enc
my bullet as would over my son. When
| die let me lie where | fall. wrapped in m,
! gray oyereoat Leave the noble memorial
| you have begun, which are only vanity. Tn
| Confederate dead all, all sleep we'll, than
| God But the women--the wife that neve
! knew wsnt-who could DOT work-who
ABOVE all that suffer now, are the ones VIII
need your charity. This is what the child
| rem and widow Of the Confederate soldie
nov need. The mother will feel proud
you educate her noble child 10 emulate th
heroism of his father, to strike for the sam
cause That enemy who undertook to con
quer the Southern people, three million
would not cover the number who were lai
hors du combat. Eight hundred thousan'
will cover the Confederate loss. We mus
provide al asylum for both widows and or
phans. We can raise the means by the pla
proposed, and let the proceeds be inves.e
lu profitable account. Let no widow vail
4 no orphan want. | have never had the hear
to see man want when have had crum
for myself Don't wait look out for thos
that want, and you shall be blessed by heav
en-. II you do not You are an infdel people
and your substance viii be eaten up. Fin
out, give and relieve. Virginia shall reviv
! and be stronger than ever. Only prove,
You are not lighting, yet you are still sut
timely uneonouered.