Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1870-11-15

! the galiant gentleman WhtlSe ueatn we ueplOre.
/ liut when Virsina withdrew-thc State to
whom lie owed his first aud last allegiance
the sahiesniee sense OF honor led lfim to draw
! his sword and tltr6w it in the scale for good
or for evil Pardon Ue for this brief deience
(! of my iHustriOus friend
| When Virginia joined the COnfederacy,
| Robert Lee, the highest nfficer in the little
army of Yireinia, came ;O Richmond. aud not
pausing to inquire what would he his rd;k in
the service of thc Gunfederacy. wcnttn West.
ern Virginia unier the belief that lie wils still
All officer of the State. fIe came buck carry
ing the heavy WGi4ht of defeat and Gnuppre>
ciared by the people whom he served. ior1hey
could not know as knew that if his plans
aud orders had .lenn carried out the result
would have heen victery rather than retreat.
You u.lit lr.t l.isorr Ear lyaulJ NOT have knawn-
ii had he not hreurhea it in my only at my
earnest request. and hpggin" that nothing he
said about H. The clamnr which then arose
fullowed him when he went t" South Carohna,
so that ii became necessary on his going TO
South Cardua to write a letter IN the Gov
ernur Of that State. telling him what manner
of man lie was Yet through llthiS, with
maguanmity rarely cGuated. he stnnd in
silence, without defending himself or allowing
others to deieud him. for he was unwilling to
/
strikin. blows for the C"nIederacy
Mr. Davis then spoke of rhe straits to which
the Coniederpcy was reduced. and of the
danger to which her capital was exposed just
after the batle Of Seven Pines and told how
General Lee had conceived aud executed the
desperate plan to turn their a INK and rear.
which. after seven days Of bloody hnttIe. was
crowned with the protection nf Richmond,
while the enemy was driven far frnm the city.
The sneaker referred also to the circum-
! stances attending General Lees crossing the
Potomac aud tho march in;n Prnnsylvn'Tr -
He (Mr. Davrs) assumed the responsibility for
/ thar movement. The enemy had long been
concentrating his force. aud it was evident
tlrat il they continued their Stcady progress
the Cunfcdcracv would he ovcwhrlmrd Oar
only hohc was to drive them /" the defence Of
his own capifnl. We being cuahed in the mean.
time tn reinforce our shattered army. How
we'll General Lee cnrred ont that dangerous
experiment necl not he told. Richmond was
relieved. the CnmIcdarncv was relieved. and
time was obtained i'other things had favored,
/ to reinforce the army.
But said MIR Davis shall not attempt to
review the military caGccr of our fallen chief,
! tim. OF the man. now shall ! s. eak lie
wis rny FREUD aud in that word is inciuded
all iinl I could say nf any man. His moral
qualities rose to the hc%lrt OF his genius Self
dcnying-mlways ntcnI upon the one idea "t
+ durv-scit. cnmtrulcd to an extent that many
thnught him cold. His feelings were really
( walIir and his heart melted freely at the sight
/ of IL wounded soldier, or the story OF the snf-
2 irrin"s of the widow aud orphan. During
the war he was ever cnnsci"u% of the inCquaiIIy
of the means At his courrol; bur it was never
/ his t. Goa plain "r tn utter d"ubt-it was al
-. /.
lie was hccamucrcd a; Petersburg. aud pain
fully aware "i the s'rnifs TO which we were re
cluced. iln said Wi NY army in the nloun.
taius of Vlrgimia ! could carry this war
foriwrmiv years longer" His men exhausted
and his supplies iarlin@ lie was unable to
carry ont his plans. An unt"wnri event
caused him +" anticipate Ihc movement. aud
tie Army Of Nurihrrn Nirnjuir was over
whclmrd But in the surrender he anticipated
conditions that have not been fn.ii Ied-he
expected his army to he respected and his
rarnled soldiers TO he allowed the c"iryments
/ I,r hlo and properly Whether these cundi
J tious have been fulfilled, let "tl erS say.
Here he now sleeps in the nd he loved 50
well. and that land is not Virginia only. ijrr
they Il" Injustice 10 Lrc who believe he fought
, only Tor Virginia. lie ready Ia =" any
where on any service Tor rhr good ot las com
try and his heart was rs broad rs tho fifteen
States Strr.win" for the PRINCIPLES that our
t"rrf,tI.rrs tonight for in the Revolution "t
l776. He is sleeping in he same soil with
thousands whn fourht under the sam flng.
l.ur first fFrrrI up tIei: lives. Here the lv
us are assembled to honor lis memnrv. and
there the skeleton scu'inclS keep watch over
his grave. This citizen this soldier. this
great general . this true patriot left behind
. him the crowning 9lury of true Christian.
His Christianity ennohled him in life. aud
affords us grounds for the belief that he Is
harpy beyond the grave.
J Bur. willie we mourn the loss of the great
! and. the true. drop we also tears of sympathy
with her who was his help noble
womun who. while her husband was in the
field leading the army of the C"nfederacy,
though an INVALID herself passed rhc time in
knitting socks for the marchin" soldiers y
woman fit to be the mother of heroes and
heroes are descended from her. Mourning
with her. we can only offer the consolation of
a Christian. Oar loss is not his, but he now
cujrys the rewards of life well spcn: and a
never watering trust in 4 risen Savior. This
day we unite our words of sorrow with those
of the good and .rca, ihrnunnnut Chri<rcndum
for his fame i gone over the wntcr-hls deeds
will be remembered and when the mnuu-
mcnt We huiId shall have crnmhlcd into dust,
his vir'ucs will still live. hi"h model for
the limitations Of generations vet unborn.
We have given hut Faint idea of The cln-
puont rhou.hfS and chasre orn'nry of tho
Speukcr His words were heard with pro-
iunmd attention, and received with frequent
applause.
MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS
Colonel c. s. VennbIe then presented the
tiuus:
Ihcreos Il is a high and holy duty ns well
as n noble privilege. to perpcrua'e the honor: