The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-01-30
Relief for the Widows Of Confed.
crates.

81 OUCDs
ADDRESSES BY GENERALS WISE AND KOssrE
THEY DECLARE THE CAUSE OF rHE
SOUTH NOT LOST.
A Richmond dispatch of the 18th, to the
New York Herald, says:
A large assemblage of citizens, at one OF
he'leading churches here, was addressed
this. evening by Generals Rosser and Henry
A. Wise, on this subject Of relief of the
widows Of Confederate soldiers. The ad.
dresses of both were warmly received and
frequently applauded: =.
General Rosser said he WIS here as the
champion of the cause of liberty aud free.
dom, to awake the echoes Of the country
from North to South In behalf of the
honored dead to lay before you the claims
of the widows and orphans of the mum.
berless dead.
Our duties to them are to do something
LOT these helpless sufferers. He would
decorate and erect monuments to our glori-
GUS dead; but we must not forget the lfy-
ing. We are entirely at the mercy of the
conquerors, in whose hands is our fate and
who, instead of being magnanimous, are
bitterly oppressive. l would have pre.
ferred to have died on the battle field. at
the post OF duty, as my worthy comrade
and stateman, General Wise has said; but
if we could ask the brave men who died
for us Whatthey would require, they would
say, GIVE our wives and our children
bread" We must buy the charity of the
world; we must go into thelottery business
and offer certain number of prizes, the
first being the mansion once occupied by
our honored president, Davis; the second
the birthplace of our chieftain, R. E. Lee
Virginias great son. Virginians, look al
your own State, destroyed and made a
slaughter pen by the very government
whose institutions you once admired.
She is now dishonored, made desolate
aud left helpless. Your soldiers have
fought for glory and renown. They left
home, wives and children. They had seer
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
unblemished. The deathknell Of liberty
was sounded at Appomattox. have not
been pardoned, have not asked for it;
would not get it if 1 did. The cause lives,
it not in the men, in the women. The
women carried on the war. The noble
women and children who have lost hus.
bands and fathers are entitled to our re
spect. We have no country, but we have
some means to devide with them. There
must be comfortable and honorable pro.
vision made for the wife and child of every
Confederate soldier. Virginia is my native
State, thank God. am proud of it.
have never seen man that was ashamed
of it,
Maryland was trammeled and could not
assist us during the war; but now she is
ready to pour out her treasure to help the
suffering widows and orphans of Virginia.
There are only six thousend widows in the
South, and our eight millions of people
must at once provide for them. The chill
dren must be educated. We know your
influence and your power, and we expect
you to do it, 1have stopped the men bear
ing the wounded soldier off the battle field
and have made them lay him down to die
and 60 back to the fight. l have realized
the bitter anguish of the wives and chill
dren for this duty. They call upon you
now tonight to give food and raiments to
their wives and children The day of
retribution is coming, and every man will
receive his reward
General Wise was then introduced. He
said this was a touching appeal made by
General Rosser, whom he seconded, who was
only yesterday the champion of the cause
that fell. No arm now can strike for it.
We can only now repair our loss. The ap-
peal for aid for our widows and orphans
comes from one Of Virginias sons Have
been spared to see the cause die out be-
fore we die9 Whatevidence have we that
that cause has died out9 But when we
see widows wall or hear an orphan cry,
feel then the cause has indeed died out.
If you let one of them wall, you may we'll
say the cause is dead. 1t shall be to yonr
cost. Should every man and woman in
the South give it up, l never will-never,
never. I care not how much more OF
misery may be piled upon me, it will only
be moment reaching to heaven to reach
heavens ear. You never were worthy the
cause if you let it die out, We are wall.
ing and in want. My God! what widow
Virginia herself is.
That is an aching agony that God knows
how l endured it. But I have endured it
look at them not as Martinez would, but
as citizens who were defending noble
commonwealth, and we care not so the
victory was won. Never has there been
such unexampled heroism. When they
followed me through. disaster and defeat,
the glory that was in my heart was that
they knew loved them. I would have
loved them for that devotion and self
sacrifice in any cause half as good. I have
wept over many of them whom saw fall
by the enemy's bullet as would over my
own son. When die, let me lie where I
fall, wrapped in my gray overcoat. Lea ye
the noble memorials you have begun which
are only vanity. The Confederate dead
all, all sleep well, thank God But the
wOmen--the wife that never knew want
who could not WORLDWIDE, above all that
suffer now, are the ones who need your
charity.
This is what the children and widow of
the confederate soldier now need. The
mother will feel proud if you educate her
noble child to emulate the heroism of his
father, to strike for the same cause. That
enemy who undertook to conquer tie south
ern people, three millions would not cover
the number who were laid hors du combat
Eight hundred Thousand will cover the
confederate loss We must provide an
asylum for both widows and orphans. We
can raise the means by the plan proposed,
and let the proceeds be invested In profta-
BILE accounts. Let no widow wall, no Or
phan want. / have never had the heart to
sec mau want when had crumb for
myself. Don't wait; look out for those
that want, and you shall be blessed by
Heaven. If you do not you are an infdel
people, and your substance will be eaten
up. Find out, give and relieve. Virginia
shall revive and be stronger than ever.
Only prove if you are not fighting, yet you
are still sublimely unconquered.
LAMAarINE ON MYsrERRY.-In the beau
by of form, or of moral character, or Of the
material creation, it is that which is most
yelled which is most beautiful. The mys-
teries Of the heart and of nature are the
delight of the intellect, the soul, and the
eyes. It seems as if the Creator had
drawn a shadow over whatever he has
made the most delicate and most divine to
haiohtar, our asniratinn after II nv its