The Opelousas courier., 1870-12-10
Governor Of that State, telling him what

ttlli kim, for lie was unwilling to offend
any one who WAS wearing n sword and
striking hl.tws for the ConftIrracv
Mr.. Davis then spoke ot the straits to
which the Contcdrlary WAS reduced, and
Of the danger to which her capital was
exposed ju7,t after the battle Of Seven
Pines. and told how Gen. Lee had con-
c+lvtd and executed the desperate plan
to turn the tnerny's flank and rear,
which, ;tftrE seven days of bloody battle,
WAS crowltl with the protection Of
Richmond, while the euenly was driven
far from tile city.
The speaker referred also to the cir
cnm>;tncts attending Gen. Lees cross
'l5 the Potomac and the march int"
Pennsylvania He (Mr: DAvis) assumed
the responsibility for that movement.
The enemy had long been concentrating
his foicc, ;.lid it WAS evident that il they
c"n;ii'ucd thc:r steady prosEe>s the Com
ic,!rltry Woujl Ge oytl WElslncd. Oar
only hope WAS to drive him to the de
ti-'ire Of lily ow!, capital, we heins tna-
hItd in the meantime to ltlrtnTcc ear
shattered a;luy. How we'll Cen. Lie ear
rl,I n,!t t'iat i ,i,~,,st,"u> rxislinrI:t n"vd
urt 1t. told, Hicil..lnn0 WAS relieved, the
>u.cfitr:ayy MAS relieved, and tiNc VAS
obtained, It other things had tAvoIcd, to
rHin;ul>r tilc niny.
Bat, s,.i4 Nr. Davis. l shall not at
tempt 10 l,fvjrW The military calerr "l
nui iui.tn Cni' I,..ln. uI the man, how
sh.li I SPEAK Ilr was ny tllrn1, and
III that Tnli is inr.tl,!vd all that | crl.;d
SAY Of ANY luHu. Ills mu;li q1h':tie> r">e
t. tii< ll,l ut "i l.. 1rni''s. >tiI-drH,t l:.g
al way, l:!trnt upon the on" is''-;s Of
dutv-s-l controlled to al extent tt,st
many th"ugLt him cold. His feelings
were Really warm. and ills heart melted
freely ut the 81 tht ut "A woundrd soldier
or the story OF the suifHIinSs IT the wild
ow aud ORPHAN. Daring the wnr be was
ever conscious Of the Inequality OF The
means at his control; but 1t Was never
his to complain or To utter u uOuht--lt
was always his to do. When in the last
campaign he was beleaguered at Peters,
Durg. and painfully awale "t the straits
+" "i!cn We were red uced, he said:
w .lh my aAr.ny in the mountains OF Nlr-
2:nil, cnltld carry on this war Tor tweu
ty years longer" His men exhaust ed
and his supplies failing, he Was unable
to carry out his plans. An untuwaru
event caused him to anticipate the move
mcnt, ard4hc Army of Northern ElrGi-
ma Was ovelw!t imrd. But in the >nr-
render he anticip pateI conditions that
have not been tultilrd-l.e expected bis
army to be respected and his paroied
soldiers to be allowed the tnjnyuIrnts of
life and ptppcrty. Whether these CON
ditiuus have ortn fulfilled, let others say.
Here he now sleeps in the land he
loved 50 we'll and that land is not Nir
ginia only, for they do injustice to Lee
ho believe lie fought only fer Virginia.
He was ready to 90 anywhere, on any
service for the good Of his country, and
hi, heart was as broad as the fifteen
States struggling for the principles tl'at
our fnretatherS fought for in the Rcvo.u
tinn Of l77t lie is sleeping in the s.,lle
soil with the thousands VIII" tt't!-hi un-
der the same flag, hat first offered Mp
,nrir lives Here the living a,r a~>r:u-
H., Il to honor his lllrluory, aud there th'.
skeleton st.utlnris keep watch over his
grave. Til, citizen this snl'iier! this
greet 4rn,;I ii bis trnc ,a'rI"t! left ""-
bind hin, The cls'"iitg glory Of trvsa
Christian. His Chil>;iaElty cnn"h,cd
him in i..c. and atIol,.s lis grounds iol
, he belief that he is happy beyond the
grave.
But, while We mourn the loss of the
great and the true. drop We also tears Of
! sympathy with her who was his help
meet in life-the noble woman who,
while her husband was in the field lead
ing the ARMY Of the Confcdtracy, though
an invalid herself passed the time in
Knitting socks for the marching soldiers !
! A woman tit to le the mother Of heroes
! and heroes ale descended from her.
Mourning with her, we can only offer
! the consolation of Il Christian. Our loss
is not his, hut he how enjoys the rewards
; of II life we'll spent and a never wavering
! trust in Il risen Saviour. This day we
unite our words Of sorrow with those Of
the good aud great throughout Chris
tendon, for his fame is gone over the
water-his deeds will be remembered ::
and when the monument we build shall
! have crulnbled into dust, his virtues will
! still live. a high model for the imitation
of generations yet unborn.
!