The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-01-22
tCorrcspondcncc of the Richmond Dispatch.]

Richmond.
lCorrcspondcncc Of the Richmond Dlspatch.l
LEXINGTON, Va, January IL, 1919. ,
A trip from Richmond to Goshen by the
Chesapeake and Ohio express is pleasant
enough the arrival at Goshen at 4 4. NJ. a
cold morning rather cherries; but the sud.
den announcement that there was no stage
to Lexington until =. NJ. made the pros
pect OF day at Goshen and night ride
through the mountains enough to force timid
travellers to take the return train. But we
are soon relieved to find that we could get
all open buggy, into which three could crowd
ana did not hesitate to embrace the oppor.
t,lnty. Trotting through "Goshen pass
in a snow-storm, we enjoyed the sublimity
OF the scenery and the enthusiasm Of the
distinguished artist who was our companion,
and refreshed ourselves at the Baths with a
good warm at q hot stove, Woollen socks and
gloves, and full supply of h0reh0und cdndy.
Arriving in Lexington in four hours from
the time we left Goshen (the stage makes il
i'll from seven to ten hours) we forget the
trials OF the journey in the warm greeting
and cordial hospitality which awaits us.
To-day was the anniversary of the birth OF
General Lee, which anniversary is very beau.
tifuIly observed in Lexington. The places
of business We're all closed, the regular en-
ercSes at the College and Institute suspend
ed. and at II o'clock the ladies and gentle
men of the community began to Wend their
way to the College chapel.
The orator Of the occasion had been most
illv chosen. On the first anniversary, Vir-
ginil's gifted orator Holcombe had dev-
cred here his splendid euosy-our ablest
military critic, perhaps, General Early, had
next told Of the military achievements Of his
great cOmmander-and his lifelong friend
and late pastor, Or. PendIeton, had given his
"pc,sonal recollection" of the peerless
man. 1t seemed lit, therefore, that one who
had served in the ranks until promoted for
gaantry on the field, and who preserves all
ofthc old soldiers enthusiasm of the men who
followed Lee and Jackson to victory, should
be invited to speak the feelings OF the rank
and file; and accordingly Major Robert Stiles,
OF Richmond, was selected as the orator of
the occasion.
After prayer bv Rev. J. William Jones,
Professor J. j, White, acting president OF
the College, introduced Major Stiles.
After graceful al!usion to the addresses
on the occasion which had preceded him.
and the impossibility Of his adding anything
to the lu>tre Of Lees great name, ajor Stiles
remarked that while the world regarded this
grand historic figure as an anomaly, and in
telligcnt Christians as a development of
Christian character IN spite of the obstacles
Of his sodier-!ite, he WAS there TO maintait
that Lee was the normal and natural out
gro,rh Of that life.
He did not mean to degrade the character
of this great man into mere product of the
soldiers life, or to assert that this school
would make erery man Il Lee, OF dny man q
Lee, since he was God. created. But he in
sisted that the tendency of soldiers life is
to originate and decelope the noble traits of
character which distinguished Lee in any
man Of high conceptions and purposes, and
that it is more than a mere accidental colnci-
dence that such a one as Lee should have
been developed in the profession of arms.
He was aware that loving friends Of the
great chieftain. were Jealous OF his honor,
and those who contcmn and dcspisc the SOL
dier's life would revolt at this idea, but he
entered his emphatic protest against the low
estimate of the life OF a soldier which is
thus implied. In eloquent and burning
words he eulogiZed the life Of a soldier in
the brave days OF '61-'65; compared it with
the tame, insipid life our young men now
lead, and said that he had rather be a soldier
in active service than anything else he could
think Of
He gave the following analysis of the ele-
ments which make up the life of soldier !:
/. Its general character is serUlce.
.. It's first lesson is obedience unQueStonang.
8. Its second lesson is command unQueS-
toned.
4. Its daily lesson is accountability un.
ceasing.
5. lis experience is hardships, dangers,
crises unparalleled.
6. lis compensation is fred pay.
7. Its inspiration is promotion from dsoce.
He held up these points as the moula,
and insisted that the man exactly htted IN
it. He then took up each point, ana by IN
genious argument, vivid illustration, and
touching incident showed how they tend TO
mould character, and how they dsa SHINE
forth in the character of Lee. lie insisted
that he learned in the stern school OF the SOL
dier that devotion to duty-tbat unqueStl0n-
ing obedience to superior authorlty-that
genius for unqucstioncd command-that les
son Of unceasing accountability when maze
him look after the smallest details-that
willingness to endure hardships and read-
ness to meet unrutfled the great crises of his
ile-that purity of mind which rose
above the money-loving spirit Of the
age-and that sublime faith which
made him look above the noisy ap-
plause and promotion of the tck'e multi
tude to that promotion which comelh from
above" and eliminates in the "crown of
rejoicing" which the King of kings bcstows;
all of which combined to make him the lofty
character whom we admire and love.
The speaker then applied these points to
the young men present, and eloquently ar.
sued that while they might not be soldiers
in the technical sense OF the term they were
soldiers in the great battle of life, and should
carry these grand principles into whatever
paths duty called them to walk in.
He concluded with a beautiful paraphtase
of the scene when the chariot OF lire bore
Gods prophet from the gaze of his loving
friend, and eloquently eXhorted the young
men present, and especially Lees veterans,
to catch the falling mantle, and then TO gaze
up into that heaven into which he ascended,
and hear that they my obey the paternal In.
junction, which seems to come back from
loving lips, "Ny children my children :!
BE ye also followers Of me eoen as l Jot'
ioped Christ"
The above imperfect outline-which is all
that l can find time for amid the exactiDg
hospitality OF Lexington-does very meagre
justice to Major Stiles's admirable address,
which was original in conception, fresh and
vigorous in thought, manly in utterance, full
of touching incidents, and made fine im-
preston on his auditors.
After the address many of the audience
visited the tombs beneath the chapel, which
were more beautifully decorated with ever
greens, immortelles, &c, than | have ever
seen them; but of that and of other matters