The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-15
Tho Confederate soldiers' Home.


Tho Confederate soldiers Home.
Providence Or. IL Journal, Republican,
That the proposition to form q Confede-
rate Soldiers Home in the South is aud-
able as well as a humane one none can
doubt, and few, IL any, will be found ia
oppose it.
Ii is natural, too, with the knowledge
that the IMPOVERISHED financial condition
I OF his own section will not admit Of the
contribution OF q sufficient sum to estab-
hsh home, except one OF very limited
capacity and usefulness, that the southern
ex-soldier should turn to his northern
brother eX-soldier to assist in the carrying
out of the scheme and TO raise sum OF
money sufficiently large to found home
on a broad basis. and Of capacity to pro-
tect within its ample shelter greater num-
Der even than finds a haven at either OF the
homes provided for the eX-Union soldier.
1t may appear strange, or anomalous,
| that the one who has exercised his best
abilities to annlhlate the other, in his dire
distress should turn to his former foe for
help. Yet il is natural in such case as
this. for the true soldier, on whichever
! side he may have been, had no personal
luminosity to crafty. The struggle was
for the triumph Of principles, not for the
qualification OF individual spite nor Tor
selfish ends. Not infrequently during the
war personal attachments were formed
through frequent intercourse on the picket
line between men who might be, and in
many cases undoubtedly were, shooting at
each other in the line OF duty, within a
/ few hours OF their brief previous sOcla-
bility.
None so well as the soldier understands
! this business" relation between contend
Ing forces; none so we'll know the hard
ships suffered. the deprivations expert
enced. the wearisome toll OF the march,
the terrible fatigue Of an action, the awful
results OF battle. There are none but the
veteran who can recall the horrible thirst.
and sometimes hunger, that circumstances
| force when there was nothing to quench
the one nor to satisfy the other; and there
are none other who recall, as present
reality, the floods OF sympathy that almost
overwhelmed him as he witnessed the SUI
ierings OF both foe and friend on the field
and in the hospital after the carnage OF
| battle.
| Those who were not there know nothing
Of these feelings. BY no possibility can
| they realize what they were. Their sym
pathes, perhaps, have been excited, and
| they have tried to, and thought they did,
! imagine the full measure OF the soldiers
feelings on these occasions, but they know
| ii not.
They were not part Of it, and no imagi-
nation, no powers OF reason, can instlll
| into them true soldier emotion. There was
/ the same suffering, the same endurance
required, the same bereavemeHts, the same
/ humanity, upon one side as upon the other.
/ This being the case, where should the I'M
| fortunate soldier first look for aid except
| TO the more fortunate one who can appre-
ciate bis situation and the causes OF his
distress.
lie cannot look TO the Government, moi
will he of his own accord. 1t may be ac-
cepted as fact that the southern soldier
as a class. will never ask charity from the
| Government. That they do and will con-
tinue 10 seek appointments to positions
under the Government is true, but they
offer service intended for value received.
Politicians, for popular favor, may At
tempt to secure enactments for pensioning
the cx-Coniederate soldier; in fact, the
subject already has been agitaled, but The
proposition is so absurd one that no.
! DOUl DtiltNtN IL Dds JtNu NOhsiNANiNb FNiP7
ouslv. 1t is but the empty yaporing OF
the shallow politician, appealing to the
bummers and the habitual stragglerS, who
are Of more importance rs civilians, FOL
they can vote, than they were in the
army. where they never fired shot
nor presented themselves where they
might furnish food for the powder OF the
enemy.
49,. ,1taall fol lih
and no expectation OF receiving it even II
desired, the southern soldier makes his ap-
peal to the northern soldier, relying with
/ confidence upon the iraternal feeling that
| is born only Of the camp and the field.
Nor Is the appeal made in vain, for steps
/ have been taken in many places to make a
generous response, and there il no doubt
| that the proposition TO found an eX-COn-
/ iederate Soldiers Home at Richmond, Va,
| will become a reality.
The eX-UnIon soldier enters upon thls
work, and will prosecute 1t TO successful
end with as much enthusiasm as IL assist
/ ing the men who stood beside him instead
Of before him, and will give generously OF
| his substance. The demands upon the eX-
| soldier, both OF time and OF money, are
great. He assumes the burden, however,
without complaint, and silently performs
his duty.
Seldom does the public hear or learn oil
the appeal of the deserving soldiers or
phan or soldiers widow, vet they are
among us. What takes care OF them, what
keeps them from the streets aud the aims
house. no one except he whose hand gives
it knows. Though his hand mAy have
grasped a sabre and, perchance. held q
rifle, it did not become calloused against
sweet charity. In this enterprise he Will
have to ask the assistance OF the public at
large, for it is one beyond his means. and
there is no reason why there should not be
| q generous response.