Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-03

SIN faithful remembrance of the President
of the Confederacy, who for months and
months after surrender lay sick and in
prison, and who seemed to be singled out
to undergo vicarious punishment for the
deeds of the people. Mr. Davis truly
said General Lee, did nothing more than
all the citizens of the Southern States, ard
should not be held accountable for acts per-
formed by them in the exercise OF what
had been considered by them unquestiona-
BILE right None are more conscious of this
fact than those against whom Jefferson Da-
Wis directed the Confederate arms and
that he yet, nearly twenty years after
strife has ceased, should be disfranchised
i'll land that vaunts its freedom, for so
doing, is grievance and grief to every
honorable Southern man. He himself is
honored by this significant mark of hostile
memory. He cannot suffer by the ignoble
act. Only they who did it are deeply
shamed. And that it is done only shows
the weakness of representatives who have
not read the very title page in the book of
human nature, and who, vainly conceiving
that an insult to one man can be fruitful of
any public good, only illustrate the saying
of Madame de Stal, that the strongest of
all antipathies is that of second-rate minds
for first-rate one, and that other maxim
of Edmund Burke, that great empires and
little minds go i'll together When Marc
Antony, the great Triumvir of Rome, who
conquered Egypt, was himself overthrown
by Octavius Caesar, he gloried dying that
he had conquered as Roman, and was by
Roman nobly conquered If the spirit of
those brave soldiers of the Union, who,
while the fields of battle we're yet moist
with blood, saluted Lee, had guided the
conduct of the civilians to whom their valor
gave the reins of State, it would have been
for us Confederates who achieved great
victories and were in turn cast down, to
have glorified likewise, that we in our time
had conquered as Americans, and were by
Americans nobly conquered. But when
we recall that our hOnored and faithful
President is DISTINGUISHED simply because
he was our chief, and bravely, ably served
our cause, the iron enters our souls and re-
presses the generous emotions that well up
IN them. And we can only lament that
shallow politicians have proven unworthy of
the American name, and are not imbued
with the great, free spirit of a great, free
people. We have not thought or fancy
or desire to undo the perpetuity of the I'm
ion. For any man to pretend to think 9th
wise is proclamation of his falsehood, or
his folly. But we intend to befree citizens
of the Union, accepting no badge of inferi-
GRITTY or dishonor. And by the tomb of
our dead hero, who was true to his Chief
as to every trust, we protest to mankind
against this unjust thing; an offense to our
liberties and to our manhood, which are
not less sacred than the grave. And we
watt to him, our late Chief Magistrate, in
his Southern home, our greetings and our
blessings ; and as the years grow thick up
N r11.o hot ha ind in, tl,aI
undated confidence and affection of his
people some solace for all that he has borne
for them. and in the strength that cometh
from on High a staff that man cannot take
from him."
In approaching the subject of Gen. Lees
presidency of Washington College, Major
Daniel give very interesting sketch of the
lllustrious institution, to whose endowment
President Washington and the Cincinnati
Society contributed, and among whose
alumni were seven Governors of States,
eleven United States Senators, more than
score of congressman, two score and more
of judges, and twelve or more college pres
idents~ Gettysburg College was left I'M
scathed save by the accidents of war, al
though battle ragged around it, but when
David Hunter invaded Virginia. Washing
ton College was pillaged and dismantled.
1t was desolated and ruinous relic when
Lee took its presidency, at time when two
propositions to become the head of large
corporations had been made to him, one
offering $40, 900 year and the other $780,
OOO In reply he said: 81 have a self. i'm
posed task which 1 must accomplish. II
have led the young men of the South in
battle; have seen many of them fall under
my standard. | shall devote my life now to
training young men to do their duty in life
For five years, until death called him, he
labored in the cause ofeducation, and under
him it nobly hourished.
The address closed with Just eulogy of
Gen. Lees noble qualities of character.
There is, - said the orator, ga rare exotic
that blooms but once in a century, and then
it fills the light with beauty and the air
with fragrance. In each of the two centu-
ries of Virginia's statehood there has sprung
from the loins other heroic race son whose
name and deeds will bloom throughout the
ages. Both fought for liberty and indepen-
dence. George Washington won against
kingdom whose seat was three thousand
miles away, whose sailors had to sail III
ships across the deep, and he found in the
boundless area of his own land its strongest
Notifications August, beyond the reach
OF detraction, is the glory of his name.
Ter fight against greater odds, and at greater
sacrifice, and lost-against the greatest ma
ton of modern history, armed with steam and
electricity, and all the appliances of modern
science a nation which mustered It's hosts
at the very threshold of his door. But his
life teaches the grandest lesson, how mau-
hood can rise transcendent oyer adversely"
The orator turned towards the statue rs
he delivered his last sentences. sHis sword
beside him is sheathed forever. but honor's
seal is on his brow, and valor's star is on
his breast, and the peace that passeth all
understanding descends on him. AS we
seem to gaze once more on him we loved
and hailed as chief, in his sweet, dreamless
sleep, the tranquil face is clothed with
Heavens light, and the mute lips seem to
voice again the message that in life he
spoke:
"sThere is true glory, and true honor;
the glory of duty done-the honor of the
integrity of principle
After Major Daniel had finished speaking
Father Ryan, the poet-priest of the South,
sross, and. with few preliminary remarks,
rscited bis POEM, "The Sword of Lee"
Gen. Wade Hampton then dismissed the
orderly and quiet in pas sing through the
mausoleum, which was then thrown OPEN \
The Rockbridge Artillery fired several sa-
lutes from Confederate guns used in the
first battle of Manassas
The procession passed through the chapel
and around the statue of Lee, which was
unveiled by Miss Julia Jackson. At least
g. 900 persons viewed the recumbent figure. |
The exercises were ever by 8 o'clock, after
which time the Marylanders wele entertain- |
ed by Col. VIM. A. Anderson,
There was a wreath and flag in immor-
telles sent to the grave of Gen. Stonewall |
Jackson by Miss Minnie Davis, daughter of |
Jefferson Davis, and several large floral |
pieces were sent for the grave Of Lee by
Mrs. Gen. Edwin Lee, Mrs. Mercer vii
hanson and others. Col. E. P. c. Lewis,
of Hoboken, N. Y, has given to the Uni
versity medallion likeness of Lee, which
was executed by Reinehart, the Baltimore
sculptor.
The Maryland delegation enjoyed itself
in the afternoon by carving the band