The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-29

me OF free government. that all govern
mcnts "must derive their Just powers from
the consent OF the governed l pause
not to trace the history or define the
Grounds Of that theory OF constltuuohal
construction which maintains the nght OF
secession from the Union as an element OF
sovereign statehoOd--a theory which mas
found ablcst and nOblest advocacy IN every
section Of the country. The tribunal Is
not vet formed that would hearken 10 such
defence. nor j. this the time or place 10
inter H. And to my mind there j. lot Lee
and his comp9triOts lOftier and truer VIM
d1cation than any that may he deduced
from codes. constitutions, and cOhNeh-
fional articles OF government. \ sIc'.
revolution need never apologize IoI noi
explain itself. There it l.. the august alU
thrilling rise OF whole population Anu
the fact that it is there Is the pesl eNiucn'o
~ IL RIGHT 10 be there. None Dut great
insDirations underlic great ACTIONS NUM-
INT Great causes can ever produce great
events. 4 transient gust OF passion MA!
turn crowd into a mob. a teilpViai!
impulse may swell mob into a local III
suTrection. But when Whole peop'o
stand to their guns before their heaith-
stones. and as one man resist Wha' Tue!
deem aggression, when for long years t1e!
endure poverty and starvation, ana uaie
danger and death To maintain prlhclpies
which they deem Sacred-when they snake
n continent with their heroic endeavors
and fiji the world with the glory OF their
achieyemCnts-histor can make for mem
no higher yindicatiOn than TO point TO tilei'
deeds and say, Behold!
\ people is its own Judge. Under Goa
there can be no higher Judge for them 10
seek or court or fear. In the supreme mo-
ment, OF national life, rs in the life OF lndi-
viduals. the actor must resolve ana ACT
within himself alone. The southern States
acted for thcmSclycs-:he northern states
for thcmselves-N Virginia for herself. Ana
when the lines Of battle formed Robert Lee
fool, his place in the line beside his people,
his kindred. his children, his home. Let
his dafence rest on this fact alone. Nature
voice. II. Nothing can strengthen 1t; no.
min, can weaken Il. The historian may
connie. the casuist may dissect, the states
man may expatiate, the advocate may plead
the iurist NAV eXpound, but, after all,
there can be no stronger or tenderer t'e
than that which binds the faithful heart 10
kindred and 10 home. And on that Tie
stretching from the cradle TO the grave
spanning the heavens. aud riveted through
Eternity 10 the Throne Of God on high,
and underneath in the souls OF good men
and i'm that tie rests. stainless ana
immortal, the fame OF Robert Lee.
LEES EARLY SERVICE IL THE CONFEDERATE
WAR.
And now that war was fragrant, history
delights TO testify how grandly GeneIai
Lee bore his part. Transferred from 'ne
State service TO that OF the Coniederacy,
with the rank Of general, we behold nun
first in the field in the rugged mountains
of Northwest Virginia, restoring the nlordte
lost by the early reyerses 10 our arms III
that department; holding invading COZ
umns in check with great disparity OF ioice
10 meet them; bearing the censures OF the
inpatient without murmur, and careless IS
Of fame with duty done. Later, in the iall
ri l96l. we find him exercising his skill as
an engineer In planning defences along the
threatened coast Of South Carolina, ana III
March, 1862, he is again in Virginia