The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-03
fFor the Dispatch.
a Striking Parallel in History ana
Literary Coincidence.

In taking Il retrospect oi thc Two l.i>t ue-
cados Of Virginia, nOtafcw OF u can vivid
" recall two scenes i'm Richmond which
AFFORD TO the reader and 20 an observer OF
tbe logic OF events literary coincidence, if
not a striking parallel, in history. The one
was at the African church in February
1868. on the night Of the second day Of the
return of Hon. 4. II. stephens. Hon.
r. NJ. T. Hunter. and Judge John A.
Campbell, the Peace Commissioners. from
their conference with President Lincoln
and Secretary Seward in Hampton Roads.
The other at the Richmond Theatre during
the Conservative Convention on the night
of August 4, 1881. The first was the occa-
sion when the Peace Commissioners had
failed. and there could be no peace short Of
unconditional submission TO the North on
the part OF the people OF the Confederate
States, with IN entire change OF the social
fabric at the South; and the people were
assembled by President Davis to crystalline
his policy and TO arouse them to firm and
steady resistance. 1t was during the period
when, in the language OF our own Virginia
poet, James Barron Hope, in "The Charge
at Balaklava." our men "werc hcwinS red
graves with their Sabres,' and
..Noblc stced, and noble master,
Rushing on tO red Disaster
It was not long before the tragic fnQle
on the 9th Of April at AppomaitoN Court
house. when the sword OF Lee was sur
rendered. jefferson Davis was then the
soul of the Coniederacy. Let Us read the
beautiful tribute of Nice-Prcsident Ste
phcns, who never agreed with him i'm his
policy. in speaking OF President Davis's
speech on the occasion:
lx rnIuTTnf 81
confident in it, tone, hut had that holiness
of sentiment and rare form Of expression,
rs well as magnetic influence in its de-
| livery, by which the passions OF the masses
OF the people are moved TO their profound
est depths and reused TO the highest pitch
OF excitement. Many who had heard this
master of oratOry i'm his most brilliant dis
plavs in the Senate and on the hustings
! said they never before saw Mr.. Davis so
really majestic. The occasion and the
/ effects OF the speech, aS well as all the cir
cumstanccs under which it was made,
caused the minds Of not a few to
revert to like appeals 10y RienZi
and Dcmosthcnes. While It was well
calculated TO awaken associations
and suggest comparisons Of that
sort, it nevertheless, by the character OF it,
policy, equally reminded me Of the famous
charge OF the six Hundred at Balaklava,
OF which some Onc-l forget whom wit
Messing il said in substance: 1t Is bril-
liant; it i grand; but il is not war!f
! However much l admired the heroism OF
/ the sentiments expressed, yet in his general
views Of policy to be pursued in the then
situation ] could not concur. The Var
Bet,cee1 the States, Vol. H., PIP. 623-G24, by
Aierano'er II. Stephens.
The second was the occasion Of the great
Democratic-C Conservative Convention on
the 4th OF August, 1881, and the nomination
of Major John W. Daniel. Major Daniel
was the finest type OF chivalry, and the
pride of Virginia, rs President Davis was
the soul OF the COnfederacy. Virginia had
sent her best, truest. and brayeSt men to
this Convention OF her sovereign people,
and the speech Of this manned hero to his
enthusiastic audience was one OF the most
eloquent bursts OF oratory ever heard, and
was not even surpassed in electric effect
and magnetic influence by Roger A. Pryor
in his brilliant and memorable speech at
Petersburg when nominated for Con-
gress. Amidst the inspiration of the
occasion, the enthusiasm OF the hour,
and the herOism Of sentiment, il was but
a triumph which, single-handed against the
Coalition party in Virginia and the old foe,
the united Republican party at the North,
mocking all opposition and threatened de-
feat, was, like the Dead-Sea apple, to turn
into ashes i'm the following November.
Read the prophetic words OF the Richmond
Dispatch in its leader August ., 1881 ::
eve were not, we repeat, for John w.
Daniel; but other and better men were.
Their preference OF him is good sign for
the Conservative party. We were afraid
to nominate him because we thought his
record was one the people might refuse to
endorse. His endorsement by the people
means that they are ready to work for him,
to light for him, to fare his fate, whatever
this may be. Ii means, i'm word, deter
mination to make bitter fight and 10 win
n glorious victory. The charge at Bala-
klaya called forth from a distinguished
military chieftain the declaration, This is
magnificent, but il i not war That de-
claratiOn expresses the feelings we expert
enced when we learned that John W.
Daniel had been nominated. But the en-
thusiasm OF the people soon convinced us
that they were wiser than we. We bow TO
their decision, and take our place In the
ranks as one Of the humblest, but one OF
the sincerest, Of those who next November
will make John w. Daniel Governor Of
Virginia. Dispatch, august 8, 1891.
Like scenes OF herosm have been wit
messed on the soil Of Virginia in our day
and generation similar TO the charge OF the
"Six Hundred" at Balaklava, though in
SEPARATION has fired no poets ike Hope and
Tennyson TO make them famous; yet the
words OF the distinguished military chief
tan, "This is magnificent, but 1t Is not
war" embalmed In poetry and song by our
own James Barren Hope, seem TO have