The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-10-05
Msrnlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
aTW eRLEANs. suNpAY ocToaER 1sza
Completion Of the Monument to Con-
federate Dead.
ITS DELIVERY By TEE CONTRACTOR AND
RECEPTION BY TIE LADIES.
An Eloquent Speech BY Hon. 7. J. semmss.
AN EXQUISITE POEM.

On Saturday, September Goth, goodly
nunnber OF the citizens Of Warrenton and
such citizens from the vIcinage as could be
reached by short notice, assembled at our
cemetery 20 witness the ceremonies attend
Confederate dead by the contractors to the
ladies of the FauQuier Memorial Associa-
ton, whose zeal in their pious labors, ex-
ono moment Jagged. After an impressive
prayer BY Che Rev. Mr.. Carroll, OF Che Bap-
tise Church, MI. John 3. Spilnaan intro.
81 saudss q Richmond, Va, who said:
Ead;ea Of lie Fauquier Nemor;a, Aseoo;at;on.-
Ihaye now the qualification Of announcing to
you thas the Monument which stands before
yog N srSh 81 impcsing proportions Is completed
to ms and which I 40 cheerfully assumed. It
10 not for me 10 assert that my work has been
satisfactorily executed, busI am 90 sincerely
S Soiseioss o. y aaying snaeavossd to comply
mont, I may be permitted to say that il The
result Is ut all commensurate with my efforts,
I feel assured yon win be pleased with the
structure which il has been my privilege to
rear for you. Il it shal1 be deemed worthy Of
your noble dead and Of you ladies who have
with such beautiful zeal established it in their
labor have undergone in Its preparation, and
all the solkafkude have experienced In lis
ereetion. Ladies Of the Fauquier Memorial
asnS sao Is May it
Southern soldiers and of the love of Virginia
women for their memory.
REPLY OF HON. THOMAS j. sEMAIEs OF LOUISIANA
Delegated. sir, by the ladies Of the Monu-
mental ASSOCIATION Of Eapquier to accept ct
yonr hands the beautiful structure just com
plsted, in their name, and ON their behalf,
oxpress their. admiration of the artistic taste
and skill exhibited in the performance of the
duty undertaken by you.
But what shall say OF the dead heroes to
commemorate whom this shaft has been erect.
ed And what shal, say of those whose la
bors have been crowned with such signal sue
sanemorial Of the six hundred unknown dead.
Would that possessed the genius of some
poet-laureate to sing tho praises of the ak hun
d dssd asad a., whose hose coTnipgied dust, reposing
emblem OF that unity of noble purpose and
patriotic sentiment, unity Of brave action and
un ;l courage, unity In heroic suffering
unity in devotion to the principles of govern
ments consecrated by the wisdom of their an.
cestors, which characterized the Confederate
Soldiers.
Alas, poets are 60 be found to commemorate
the battle-charge of the ak hundred living he
foes, whose names are transmitted to posterity
there in all this. wide land to gather up the
bones Of the unknown dead, and erect an altar
to the memory OF the nameless heroes who fell
in defence Of Confederate principles st. Paul
when he entered Athens, to preach the Gospel
of Christ eruel6ed, found that the most en-
lghtened and highly civilized city Of the
ancient world had already erected an altar to
the unknown God" The women of Virginia
responding to feelings which efaoresce from |
henxt1 saturated vita Christian love, when
guided BY eonsiments resuIting from Q high |
degree Of intellectual culture, have act the |
example Of erecting . monument to the IN.
known her0eg who died for the Confederate
cause. In this they have siRnalized them |
theiE State TO Attic culture and Attic civiliza-
ton. This structure will etana, not only a !
ulonument to. the dead, whose ashes repose be- |
neaSkit, but an unintonded title.deed Of Wiz. |
ginia to the speculation of "Attica of the |
EouEh."
Erected as It is by the women of Virginia to |
the memory of those who died in defence Of |
Virginia, iE e eminently At that the figure sur.
mounting the structure 6ho1ld be q woman |
increasingly holdiag in her hand q crown of
irnmortelles for those whose naNaes abe is as |
increasingly endeayoring to ,dsoypher in the
book she 90 intentIy gases upon.
By woman, It II true, sin and strife, and bat
ties, and death, came into the world but how
nob1y Bk@ has atoned for the fenltl By her
passive agency the Son of God became man,
and died on the cross for the redemption Of I
the world from tbs dOmination Of sin.
Hence IL IL that the Mother Of God is repre-
sentod by the genius Of art with her heal on
the head Of the serpent.
From that moment Christian superseded Pa
gan civilization, Christian virtue displaced /
Pagan vice; woman, in an instant, was raised J.