Saint Mary's beacon., 1874-01-08

cocntryfnen o1ier. me everything
but work" Fcllow.soldiers. there is no
better incident in the life Of this great
man, frangbt as il was with lessons fo-
lgood. than the simple fact that, whilst he
declined lands aud houses and stocks aud
bonds. and taxed the Ingenuity Of friend
chip 10 invent new channels of approach:
evea With the simplest offerings Of love.
yet accepted at triAing salary the FIRST
position offered him by which he could
make bis living by bis own hands. These
are sords and this Is an example that
should be recorded in letters Of gold, to
inspire the youth not only of this. but
succeeding generations. They elevate
their author TO an immeasurab,e height Of
moral grandeur, until. like the mountain
peaks Of his own well loved State, he seems
to rise to az altitude ofvirtue which leaves
c"mmoner spirits in the clouds beneath.
Who knows better than the men address
tonight the Macaria-like sacrifice as
sumcd BY our beloved commander-when
lie formed the high purpose to descend to
the level of his altered condition. I, VIA.
hard for the sol,'icr to be transformed at
once into tie citizen. 1t was hard for
the grca. captain Of the age who had rid
den at the head of victorious armies-a
leader at the mention Of whose name the
world Fad bowed in awe. to leap from the
saddle Of lis ever-taithfui gray Scarcely
less famous or less dear than his noble ri-
der. 10 men who followed his fortunes
AID fought uuder his bauners) into the
dreary and uncougenial duties of the ped
agogue's closet. Yet it was done, aud
done as all things else-donc well. How
well Go ask the Eve hundred students
that sat under his teachings. and gathered
wisdom in that tempt. of learning which
has grown by his ban diwork from small
beginnings to its present complete pro-
portions and increasing power. Washing.
ton College is living monument Of the
tireless energy and ceaseless toll of
mind thought to be trained only for the
business Of war. 1t was not an easy
thing for men whose hands were used to
the grasp of the musket, 10 suddenly sub |
stitutc the sickle or the scythc. nor to
find in the harvest field the exciscments
of the battlefield. 1t was no. a pleasan.
thing for those who were accustomed to |
COMMAND TO be themselves commanded I!
aud feel the tyranny which is SO often !
inflicted by tue powerful upon The power
less. But these things ari worse have |
been lS.ue in silence by the men of the !
Lost Cause, who survived the terrors Of |
tic conflict. The temptation to repinc,
ii Eo; 10 rebel. was never greater since !
men FIRST went TO war or failed in battle. |
But in the mids, Of their dishear.enings.
which bordcred on despair, the voice of
the Great Captain came 10 his disbandcd !
ba.talions. and commanded them to suf- |
fer AID be strong; TO learn to labor aud |
to wait; to seek, in the pursuits of civil
life. relief from the excitemepts of war: |
and in the fields Of its Industry. to build !
again the broken shrines Of their house
bold gods None know better than we
the power Of these inspiring counso.s s.
Nor how We turned to that m6untain re-
treat ut Lexington. and sought amid the
porticos Of an ancient college, the word
of admoui,ion from these lips which had
so'often spoken the stem command Of bat
tie
But, Mr.. Chairman. that voice is hushed
in death. Nothing remains TO US but
the echoes of its warnings and the wis
dom Of its teachings. Let US cherish
them as legacy of priceless value. Let
us keep before our minds and the minds
of our children the lesson cf that great
life. for. like the tabled Pharo. Of the
East. it will be light and guide for
ever. Let Us feel that whilst the tomb
has received all ,ha, is mortal Of this
christian soldier. that his spir,, still lives.
and that no charnel house can confue in
its gloomy chambers the glory of name
like his.