The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-22
rFor The Dispa;ch.)
,,o,s s,onfctscratc Cemetery.

S,od in Richmond. and who claims to have
,ivrn his bcs. efforts and his earnest
oravei,s to the southern cause. can only
saw tnat rs there are feelings which arc to-"
deep for uttcrancc, SO there are S'ghts
which, by some, had perhaps best DC seen
nv the minds eye" But, however t"!S
may be. I was called by q matter OF ouSi.
ness into the immediate ncish3orhooa "'
HOLLYWOOD. and. before was aware el ~
found myself in full view OF the Ion.euer
ra;c uyramid: and instead OF retreatlh% !!
concluded TO 60 within tue clc'os"'o ".' =.
make some observations.
4, first sight the structure before me APP
,,e.rcd "a he I, somewhat insignificant analr,
INT ike the Pyramids OF the ancient world,
= hecor,e more majestic and imposing upon
nr,rcr approach. y still further inspection
led me 10 suppose that II was very proper
;nstrumentality to represent the MEN WI"
law around, who, but little imposing ut the
1r>t glance. in the camp or on the march,
had upon the battlefield performed feats OF
hrroism which Will render them and the
cause they advocated objects OF undying
and noble memories.
On looking around me discovered that it
was left for this homely monument to tell
the story OF thousands OF our Confederate
heroes: for, saving here and there slab OF
marble or granite reared i'll honorable men
ton OF some particular name, all were rep
resented by numbers, and these were fast
becoming obliterated. \ brief reflection,
however, led me to sec that this really sig
mites but very little, since the most cndu-
ring monuments we can erect in memory OF
(cpartcd worth can only delay for q short
space Of time the inevitable period when an
;ndiScrirlinate oblivion shall cover all. 1t
i ONLY now and then that some name which
becomes its own monument can bid de-
tance to Il general law and make footprint
oil the sands OF time not TO be easily cf-
faced. Events, no less than men. are con-
tInccnt heirs to this noble destiny; and as
the name Of Washington has found its way
into the temple OF fame along with that Of
-AriStidcS, so. by and by, the southern
struggle will in the same temple he ASSOC
ciated with that oil the Greek resistance Of
the Persian invasion. It is conSoling, too,
to know that neither coaXing nor bribery
can long corrupt the Judgment Of history.
Time, whose decisions arc often tardy, SCI
dom fails TO perform the functions of an
honest Judge. - Truth crushed to earth eriU
rise again." For 4 time the North may find
il convenient 10 say that we were rebels and
lovers Of slavery; but the sober Judgment
OF her own poSterity. 10 less than the set
tied conviction OF the outside world, will
be that they are not rebels who defend
principles avowed from the first hour OF
our national life, and that love OF slavery
never could have inspired such heroic con-
Stancv as that which displayed itself under
the Confederate banner.
am not one Of those who would come
with weeping to the grave OF the Coniedc-
racv. Death, which is the common lot OF
al earthly creatures, is marked out for
nations rs well as men. We do not measure
the lives Of men by the number of years they
live, but rather by the deeds which render
them worthy or unworth" OF our esteem.
And il the same rule, which seems eminently
Just, be applied to nations we shall have
little cause to blush for the Southern Con-
federacy. Called into being by causes be-
vond her control. she only accepted what
She could not have avoided; and right man
fully did she move forward to meet the re-
SponSibilitieS upon ner path. Her reward
is before the world; and long after the great
mass OF those who have helped to make it
are forgotten, the career OF the Confederacy
will be remembered rs one Of the most spot
less and one OF the most brilliant in the
history OF nations.
Some blunders may, perhaps justly, be
disagreeable TO our civil administration
ines OF the case than from want OF either
patriotism or capacity in the ruling power.
All revolutions are games OF hazard, and all
leaders OF revolutions may safely bargain
for the curses as we'll us the applauses of
mankind. WASHINGTON! William III. y
the heart-aches they had to endure it is sad
70 think of: yet who more unselfSh and
earnest in their efforts for the good OF man.
kind: II the one had been killed at York
town and the other at the Boyne it would
have delayed the favorable Judgment Of his
tory somewhat, but could not have over
thrown their legitimate claim upon the re-
gard of their fellow-men. So, unless
a,n much deceived, at no very distant day
sne name Of Jefferson Davis will be Chased
with the illuStiiouS ones OF past genera
tons; and the liberal and generous OF all
nations will cheerfully forget the faults OF
one who was forced by stress OF circunl-
stances into the position OF leader, and
who had so many substantial virtues and
capabilities to recommend him.
The military career Of the Confcdcracy
may be safely put against that OF any peo-
pie OF any age of the world, and Chancel-
louisville and Gettysburg will alone sufi.
GENTLY make known that never We're hero
ism and fortitude-those twin virtues OF all
true soldiers-more grandly displayed than
by those who fought in the name OF the
Confederacy. And when the facts and cir
cumstances OF the contest are well under.
stood, 1t will be universally supposed that
never did general accomplish morc-the
means at his disposal considercd-than that
noble soldier who justly deserves to be
known to future generations as the great
Vrginian.
IL ilas been said that dead Lee at Apo.
nattox would have been more glorious than
4 living one; but for my own part
think the character Of Lee would be less
glorious, wanting its last chapter. And as
In portraying the character OF the mos,
faultless OF the English kings historians
seem to dwell with less satisfaction upon
the manliness and consistency with which he
confronted the Danes and aided in laying
the foundations OF constitutional liberty for
his country than upon the calmness with
which he bore the frowns Of fortune, so
when in the future inen shall estimate the
character OF Lee they will recur with
a peculiar pleasure TO the compoSure
with which, when oyerpowcred IN the
darling effort Of his life, lie retired
to the halls OF education to aid in instilling
into the young men OF the South those SEN
timcnts and principles so essential to a pro-
per discharge OF the grave duties Of citi-
Zenship. Nor do | doubt that when the
bloody shirt shall have waved itself into the
meri,ed disgust OF all reasonable people,
the gray jacket and the chief who assisted
in moulding its character will be uniyer-
sally recognized as objects worthy OF the
heartiest regard and the highest admiration