The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-02
The Rob-"

HE. We clip an extract here and
there:-
lees army did what, by Napoleon $
oonfession. the grand army could not do.
II virtually dispensed with wagon trains
except for ordnance purposes. Napo-
Icon once said if he could do it, he could
with the grand army conquer the world.
In addition to gun, cartridge box and
canteen. an old blanket and a tooth
hrD,h THE last the badge of good breed
ipgl constituted the .entire outfit OF an
n,J veteran when on the war path n
IN fighting trim.
No wonder that under their great cap
tain aud his Incompatible lieutenant,
,he army of Northern Virginia was sim
pIy invincible. Aud yet this army WAS
nm illustration of the ~enervating effects
ur a South CLINE upon the physical aud
mental man. upon which the ordinary
.nrt Of Northern man delights to dilate.
Ne rather think hat the men who
wore the blue became convinced before
the mystic apple tree was reached, that
climatic influence is less real than mag
mary True, before the war, work for
the mere sake of work, was not a South
rrn pastiue. But under the impulse
IF pauio,ic enthusiasm her sons dared
more. did more and endured more than
any other body Of men of which we have
record. They did pro Grts It tocis,
what they would have scorned to do for
mere pecuniary gain. La fact it is pos
IDLE that race contempt on their part Tor
mere money making and money makers
NAV have created the false impression
ON the minds of this class abroad, who
who seem to regard accumulation as
the sole end and aim of man. They
t,il and spin for it by day. and dream
of it by night, and, and SO take much
praise to themselves for their wonderful
energy and powers of endurance, the
direct result as they would have the
world believe of the frigid zone. east
winds aud brain food. All other people
who do not break their necks after the
almighty dollar are inert and enervate.
We repeat that the deeds and endur-
ance of the Confederate army should
forever silence the ridiculous lie here
after, for they prove that under proper
stimulus no people in ancient or modern
story was ever capable Of more energy
than they displayed.
And we further maintain that since
the sword has been turned into the
plough share and the spear into the
pruning hook, end the necessity of
digging and delving has been brought
home to them in order to make a sup
polt for their wives and little ones, no
penpled unenured to work, have eve
dIsplaye ed more energy than they have
in building up their waste places and
obliterating the ravages of war. Pa
trioti>m WAS the impulse which brought
il i into play III an arena where energy
and eternity were almost synonymous
terms; and the honest pride to earn an
honest livelihood still calls it into ac-
ton. If ~avaIice were our bes, t ng sin
and self assertion the ruling folly, as
God he praised, neither is. the time
might SOON come when we could chal
lenge the self complacent toilers of
New England to match our energy IN
peace, as We defy them to have done 1t
in war. But let the field of material
rogres from this time forward be the
only strueglesbetwen them and US.
In the course Of trav.l, [ have ssen
the best drilled troops of the world on
gala days. Their appointments were
btrfcct, their %cvOlutiOnS automatic,
and under the eye of their King their
surroundings %princcly. And yet | tell
YOU friends, in all seriousness, that the
gorgeous display paled into puerility
and in significance before one Of Gen.
Lees Reviews of his decimated and
battle SCARED ligions There was
nothing gorgeous there. but everything
hetokened business. The drum and
fife supplied the music. with here and
there a cracked and ili-timed band.
But even that demands more than a
passing remark. As on the eye of In
herman. they all sang Annie Laurie,
50 divers lively airs these played, but
Dixie was the tavorite. The boys loved
the old tune and love it still. Al
though they had it for reveille, beans
upon u trencher. tattoo and battle call,
it almost ever brought the tear of man
ly enthusiasm to their bronZed cheek.
and infused new life into their weary
limbs. Let diIettanti derida the home
" words and John Gilpin refrain, it
nevertheless possessed and possesses a
magic influence over the odd Confed
which has never been surpassed, If
tquaIl,d, in any army by the most
air of the most finished masters. As
an old Butternut remarked, In my
hearing, on one occasion: Its the
best fighting music that ever was play
ed" think il is the charm of a.socl
alton that made and makes it so. 1t
was Sweet Home" to the soldier lad,
without the lack-a daisical adagio of
that mournful dirge. To one it brought
home the old family mansion in Caro-
lima stately pines to another the vine
clad verandah on Georgia's broad sa-
vannahs, or the humber cabin Of
brown-handed toll to another still.
And as they thought of these their
ardor was renewed, for they knew that
for these they were dying. So, too,
now the charm of association links the
old tune with the heroic deeds of our
immortal dead. France has her hymn,
England her anthem, Germany her
khiue song, and our reunited country
her Banner; but Dixie i. ours now
and forever. 1t was almost the only
thing saved oat OF the wreck.
Such, | repeat, was the outer man
appearance of Mr.. Lees boys, as they
passed him blithely sitting placid and
serene at his rider. But proudly they
looked, and proudly looked the old
hero upon them. For it was a sort
of mutual admiration society between
him and them, aud it were difficult to
determine which Vas proudest Of the
other, the boy of uncle Bob or uncle
Bob of his boys. Their veneration for