Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-05-06
Jefferson Davis EnSL Letter.

Jefferson DNflS GIfSI AitblSf.
The following is TIC fall t.xt Of the letter,
a synopsis OF which, received by telegraph, has
been heretofore published -
GENTLEMEN | sincerely regret my luablll.
ty to BE- present at the laging 81 the corner
stone Of "a monument 10 Or erected IN Macon,
Ca, 10 honor Of cur dead Confederate sol
uirrs"
The event Possesses every attraction to me
it is inspircd by the Ladies' Memorla! Assoc!a-
tor; the :nonumant il to be located II the
keystone State of he Confederate arch, aud
| to commemorate the sacrifice OF those who dl:d
| 10 the defense of our Inherited and 'ioalian-
| able" rights.
| What though We We're overborno by nun
bers, and accessories not less efficient, truth is
not 10 be measured by success in maintaining
il against force; nor IS the glory less Of him who
upholds it 10 the face Of Unequal Odds; but Is it
not rather more 10 his credit that lie COUNTED
all else as dust 10 the balance when weighed
with honor and duty On naoy a stricken
field our soldiers stood few and flint, but lear
less still, for they wore the panoply Of urquis
touable confidence 10 the recttula Of tnelr
CAUSE, and kncw how to die, but not TO surrcn
der Let not any OF their survivors lmpugo
their faith by otferiog the penitenlaI plea that
they believed they were right.
1t Is meet that this monument should have
originated with the ladies Of the land, Whose
self denial was conspicuous through all the
trials and suiferinss of war, whose gentlc min
i:.raiions 10 the cspl!als and al the wsy:lIe
reftcorics 81 largely cooribnted to relle9e tic
sick and he woudded, and whose uutaltarlDg
devotion TO their couutry's cause III the darkc5!
hours Of our struggle illustrated the fidelity OF
the 8: y which was last at the cross ard h:dt at
The sepulchre.
| en- profoundly thankful to them fer iaVt
ing nc ~ represent them as their orator on the
approaching occasion. Had it been prao;lca,
bic to accept, thel! request would have been TO
mo command, obeyed with no other reuo
tarcs than the consciousness OF liability to DO
Justice to the theme.
Thanks to the merits OF our Confederate
dead they pccd ncithcr orator nor bard to conl
mend their deeds to the present gencra'ioo Of
their couurgmeo. Many fell far from home
but all are gathered in the love OF those tc!
whom they died, aud their memories are
haIlowed 10 the hearts OF all true Confcdcr
atcs.
BY the pious efforts Of our people many hum
Bile cemeteries, such as 10 their lmpoVerish
meut, were possible, have been prepared and tht
Confederate dead have been collected 10 then
from neigbboriDg battle fields. There Annually
with revcrenial affection, the graves, alike Ol
| the known aud unknown, arc dcckcd with Yer
nal h3Wers, expressive OF gratitude renewable
; ; forever, aud typical OF the hope OF lcsuIrcc
ton and reunion where the wicked case from
iroubliog and the weary are at rest.
70 be- rsmem bered hooored, beloved by their
people is the reward bestowed 90 our ConIed
crate dead. It is the highest which good
aud purely patriotic man could desire. Should
it be asked why then build thia monument
the answer il, they do not need il, bui postcri
ty may. !! is not their reward, but ctr debt.
If the greatest gift a hero gives hia race is tG
have been hero, il order that this gilt may
be UTILIZED 10 coming generations. lis appreci'.
} lion by contemporaries Should be rerdarcd a:
visible and crduriCg az possible. Let The
monument, rising from earth toward llcav
co, lit the minds Of those who coair alter US 10
q higher standard than tue Common test ol
success. LIT it t3ach that lnaa is bro for
duty, not for cxpcaiaucy; that ween an at
tack it made on the community to which no DO.
longs 10y which heis protected ana to which
! his al egance is due, bis frat obligation is TO
| doiend that communlty and that under such
conditions il is better to have fought and lost
than never TO have fought ut ALL" Lot postorlty
learn by this mouGlent that YOU e0lnnemorAtn
| mon WHO uleu III n ueionSIFb WNf IuAt lucy ull
rot as hss b3en idly stated sub nit 10 tho arbl-
trament ofarins tho questions at issu1 Questions
which involved tho inalienable rights inherited
from their ancestors and held in trust for their
posterity but that they strovo to mai niain tho
) State sovereignty which their fathers left them,
and which il waR their duly, If possible IL trans"
nit to their children.
Away, then, with such feeble excuses for the
lib tndunment CT piiHiio las, which may be
, crushed for WHILE bat which, possessing the
n!ernal vitality Of truth must in l!a own good
:, time prevail over perishahlo error
I.ct this monument teach thst hernism do
riyes it's lustte from tina justice OF the cause in
which it is displayed and lot it ma:k the dit
ference between Il war wagod 11r the robhrr-
J like purpose of conquest and ono to r3pci in.
= vaaion, to dtf,nd a peoples hearths and altara,
and to aintain their laws and liberties. Such
was the war in which our holCe3 fell. and their
is tho crown which srarkles with the gems q
patriotism and righteousness, with glory un
dimnied BY any motive q uggrandiEement or
| intent to iIhict ruin on othUrs We present
them to posterity as examples to be followed.
aud wait securely for tho verdict C! mankind
when knowledge shall hayo dispolled misrepre-
sentstion and delusion. Is it unreasonable to
hope that mature reflection and closer study o!
tho political history of tho Union may yet re-
store the rights prostrated by the passions dove
lopod in our long and bloody WARP If. however,
it should be otherwise, then from our heroes
graves shall come in mournful tones the
'Answnr fit:
And If our children must obey,
They must, but thinking on our day.
Twill less debase them TO submit"
Yours, faithfully.
JEFFERSON DAVIS