The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-12
noeo,ailou-Das IN Bai;imorc-Speeeh
~ Naio- Stiles. of Richmond.
y nj ne DiSpdtch Office
Nm ;he kal:lmoEc GAzette, llth.l

- v
49,. ,.,ory o' he ANIMAL decorations of the
q ,-,,rs Of tlc C1nirdeEare dead at Loudon
Il r..l Cemetery. The occasion was OF greater
!! r,crr., tiIn any oi previous years, and was
a ,.,rHc,! 5ya Iar,"r attendance than had per-
u T,-> ever gat;,1cd there TO do honor to the
,.,3,yic, Of tie .4llunt dead, and the cause
= wb,ch they Welded I'D their lives. The
Il ...,> we're propitlnuS. and Ill things seemed
>, unite in hs:py auspices for the success Of
a no ,clri: 'r>;'mlnlal. ..F
i Major MrNuIiy read the programme ofeX.
4 .,s,,,..: after wulch Rev. sir. Murkland Of
4 ire, IN impressive prayer. Msjor Robert
s,., who ~rycd during the late war with
.,a hanor IN the Richmond Howi,zcrs, and
i uas !, uow member of the Richmond bar,
"a. then introduced. and after the hearty ap-
,tqa,c which greeted him had subsided,
- kc ~ io!loa>:
4 rCrnds and Fellow -SodierS,--On the out
,,.rr> 0! the ely from which cane, between
, and the great battle fields, out Of the midst
j a. Thirteen thousand graves, rises q simple
.,l,;.r >hafi, with this Inscriptions:
The "piiaph oithc soldier who falls with
s,uuntry i, wli,len in the hearts of those
yho ,oyr The right and honor the brave"
Ta.,e ter-c liDes compress the whole sad
,.ory Of tilc men who til those graves and
:L.>r. This hrlci Inscription gives fi'test
! ir. 10 this memorial. These men were
,.ayr. they "cre right, they fought, they
XII, dis. their coun'ry fell with them, and
Lon there j. u1 tablet on which 10 write
! ..,.. rEitii,h save The hearts Of such as love
I Il. l.ght, though rro>.rate. and honor the
4 base. though !i"H. such, If catch Alright
4 ,our spirit and lhc spirit OF this occaSio0,
i ,lra YOU CAIN 20 hc when you come 10 this
/ m.nplia y You enter this sacred place
4 yui 'urHlu lfi"sc graves and >mi,e upon your
4 t!,2,' and say. Here. fallen brothers, your
1 G.'r.a j. written here upon this heart in
| mi,,ct'r> that Clu never die while right and
/ .11Or live. Whoever thus interprcls these
...MDrlat-iay> must regard them aS institu-
;oG, Of trau>crudcnt importance.
First. a> aoldiDg heathful reaction and
r..f from the alI-pcrvadiDy ma;erialsm Of
:..- and aud age.
We love TO cal this q ''practcal age;
o.f,eIyes a "pTac'cnl peope" "a land and
~ OF unriyaIIed material resources and de.
yr.npm"nt. No one will question our title
- IT." character thus claimed. though some
mj-tt, question whether that character, in its
excessive Development, entities us TO the
>r,i-laudation sc Indulge in. In that older
day our fathers held mans being to be com.
plrX-madc up of Il higher, Il lower, Spiri-
,.i. and material part. TO. day, in our >upe-
.0I wisdom. We question whether, indeed,
there iS anything not material. any spirit as
distinct from whether even the
eager minds ini ardent souls gathered here
..c nyihln- o.hcr than mere condti ionS and
ocganN atoms Of matter. If this theory he
;iUc. the incuse practical materialism Of the
DJy mly be natural and right enough being
lu-,rlvc> matter only, that we should be ab-
,ortei in material thlngS-ef the earth,
-,tay, iha, VT should delve and grovei ever
n par native clement. But if there is q
spiritual aud higher part of our nature, is
iargc 10 d'.@rr of subordiuating and de-
.raGiUg il: Nay. have Wc not already sut-
.rl,J >rmcW Dat OF this degradation!
EXECUTIONS III thought are delicatcly yet
Enthusiastically Indicated by changes in Ian.
-H4g-. Theoretical, practical, sentimental,
:-.'' rial-thr Very uttcrunce of these terms
!'lHuds yOu ho" the originally nObler mas
t,r words have lost their relative dignity
aad import. and by 4 sort Of dervatiye and
,ni'rinp'uou> Use have sunk bepealh the
other bl>cr, gr">>cr words, which, by an op-
,,~}r deGlyallNc uslGr, have risen to the
h l-h.r place. Contemplation, theory, Senti.
L. Mt, emotion all these are 80 branded and
iu.'>hcd from the practical world to-day
;.at il requires SORT Of heroiSm TO retain
;la >til! more 10 express any, even the least,
Ir>p'r, Tor them. All this is apparent
cnvu2h. and will he readily admitted, with
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO our busy,
b.>,Iiug Yankee kinsman over the way but
nv proposition is, that We Of the South are
peculiarly driven toward this base material.
IN Just now, and that for two reasons. We
hAc ri.kcd all for principle, asd lost all, the
principle included. so that We now doubt
whether there is any principle worth any
s.'ri'ice. AMI again, so great was our loss, so
dr. is our need, so apparent was the ad-
Vantage Of material resources in the great
Struggle, that 10 Us material development
s@cu> almos, the supreme good. Let me cite
al illustration Or TWO Of the effect of this
two-od experience of the South. will
tshe them from Virginia, grand old State,
tln5odying 10 The gores OF her history and
liz character Of her people as much to save
At! rom ihi- downward trend as any Com.
IL Gwcalth on earth.
\ year or TWO since, during the discussion
&: question OF State policy, which was Pc
ca1Iar!y 4 question of principle and honor,
oa, OF our leading journals published an ed
.tn,ia entitled, in grand capitals, I" Honor"
"a!th was from first to last studied aud
ratotate sncrr II The idea, denying tba. it
tad or Ought 10 have any existence, and
4a.,!tug Thar 50 far rs it did or might exist,
i "a> aud could be nothing else than an EN-
hEi1ssirent 10 men and peoples in practical
-1AA>. Contrast, ii you will, these bastard
>rh'mcnts with the sublime lament, yet con-
''aulou, OF The hero 10 whom sail was lost
''N" houor.H And oh , how strarHt men
w. BOT see that all, even the material, all IS
s''f ESPECIALLY 10 the State-whcn honor
dis.
Now, for an illustration Of the second in
A!rncc. The city seal Of Richmond, recently
~'op'.d, is, on one side, a tobaccO-plant and a
ip.chIne.snop, with the motto. " SIC ttur Gd
H.Ta," Which is about the most brutal and
'ho' King case Of murder in the first degree l
"i> ever called On to defend. No, l will not
1g'ehd 1t. 1t is moustrous libel at once
Upon the grand sentiment of Virgil and the
s!ahd capital Of Virginia. The noble heathcn
P''ated out the ascent 10 the skies by deeds
=" Patriotic yalor; the igooble Christian
would rise TO heaven by toilng in the smoke
-Ao crease Of the shop, or grubbipg and
"piiH'ng about tobacco plant.
could demonstration he more oyerwhelnl-
!"2: II this base material tendency is not
if",ted, and docs not prove the first Stage
~ tAe decay Of The republic, then it will only
Dt because it is nearer 10 the last. But 1t
fAal DC arrested, at least for us, and for TO.
lal. Search aud sc0ur this eartb's surface,
:ou "ll not find spot or scene so utterly
vi. OF sympathy With this sordid, material
SP!Flt a, this cemetery and this occasion, cor
,sEi&'ed :, as they are to two buried, banished
t"1hgs-tbe soul and the past. For once we
Amefcsns are contemplaliye, not active;
Ehtiinebtal, not practical. The busy hum OF
ua1e, The dust aud din Of the shop, the rush
" lue locomotive, the schemes Of The stock