Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-06-28
EX-PRESIDENT DAVIS.
\ LETTER FROM HIM ON HONORING TIL
CONFEDERATE DEAD.

CONFEDERATE DEAD.
Rev. Walter @. Hullihen, rector of Trim
ity Protestant Episcopal church of this
city, was Confederate soldier from the
first battle of the war to the surrender at
AppomattOX, and served as a staff officer
with Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, Gen. LomaX
and Gen. Payne of the cavalry corps. When
the Soldiers Monument at Staunton was
dedicated some months ago he offered up
the prayer on the occasion. 1t was after
wards printed. A few days ago MI. Hull
hen wrote to ex-President Davis enclosing
him a copy Of it and saying that he had
his commissions in the Confederate SER
vice which he priced highly, and should
like to have the autograph of the President
of the Confederate States to preserve with
them. MI. Davis replied in the following
letter:
BEAUvoIR, Miss, June 20, 1889.
Rec. Waiter Q. Hullahen.
Dear Sir:
Please accept my thanks for your kind re-
membrance of me, and for the beautiful and
patriotic prayer of which you enclose me a
copy l hope the words will sink deep into
the hearts of all the rising generation, and
that the time may never come when the heroic
efforts of our veterans will cease to be honOred
by the People of the South. Surely it is not
needful in common effort for the common
good, to question the virtue of our heroes OF
the justice of our cause.
Fraternally yours,
JEFFERSON DAVIS.
AS on the reading Of the subject of the
letter depends the significance OF Mr..
Davis utterances, we subjoin it here
direct us, o Lord, in all our doings with
Thy most gracious favor, and further us with
Thy continual help that in all our works be-
gun, continued, and ended in Thee, we may
glorify Thy Holy Name, and finally by Thy
mercy, obtain everlasting life, through Jesus
Christ our Lord We render thanks to Thee
for the goodly heritage which Thou hast given
us, and for the multiplied manifestations
of Thy favor. We bless Thy Holy Name that
Thou hast by Thy Divine providence removed
from our land many of the scars left upon it
by ruthless war. "May we show forth our
thankfulness for these and all Thy mercies by
giving ourselves up to Thy service, and by
walking before Thee in holiness and righte-
BUSINESS all the days of our life." Be with us
in all the services and ceremonies Of this hour
as we are assembled to do honor to the memo
ry of our dear departed comrades whose bodies
rest beneath this sod.
OGod, ''We have heard with our ears and our
fathers have told us of the noble works that
Thou didst in their days. We thank Thee
FIJI at NV fIbv Oropp tbnSa fhair pbi1drnn
mot ashamed when they spake with their en-
emies in the gate, for they despised danger,
and courted hardships and death in the path
of duty; may their self-denying heroism be an
ever abiding inspiration to us and to all who
shall come after
Although Thou hast denied to the sawUioOrs,
aohO 'jeoparde1 their liees unto the death," the
greater honor Of sealing their decOti0n to exalted
duty ao5th their blood, Thou hast not denied to
them the blessed opportunity Of being instruments
in Thy Hand OF carrying toracard this great
country to ua'dreanaed-of p0acer, and prosperity,
ao5ch aoe are constrained to 6elieoe could not be
reached SAGE By the hands Of those achoma Thou
hast aoel proceed IN the seue1. fold heated furnace
Of trials and affection.
Forbid 1t, Lord, that any Of our people shall
ecer be Of those, aolto dnstead Of doing great deeds
IN aoar, are filled acith ''hatred, malice, and all
qt1acarata6te1aess'' in times Of peace And grant
that IN all the gears to come the only contest
beeeceen the people of the North and South mag
be, aoho shall be foremost IN noble zeal md tear
less de00td0n to ON. GOd our country and our
telEOao men.
God forbid that the time shall ecer come, achen
the comrades, or the children Of those aoh0 took
no gam Of money, but offered themselves will6ng-
ly unto the Lord' shall speak sl5ght5ngly, or
think scorn Of their heroic se!t-sacrytce in that
Curse upon aohdch they belieged the smile of
HeaUen rested, but may all cherish their memory
as TAR the n06Lest and most precious Of all
Leg0cies.
Oh, forbid. that the time shall e0er come qche71
base se!t-seeting shall lead their tell0ao country
men to detamae that Cause aohach acas hallooed 6y
their prayers, their tears and their 6lood-6tt,
If such time shall eger come mag ''Me stones'
that mark their Rumble g700es be gjoen g0ice I'M
naedaately to cry 0att.'
Verify Thou art a God that hidest Thyself,
and often "what Thou doest we know not now
but shall know hereafter. We are assured,
0 Righteous Father, that Thou hast not for
litanies from silent groves, from every church
and chapel, from tent and hearthstone ascend
ed increasingly to Thy throne, but, that Thou
treasurest them in everlasting remembrance.
May Thy people cherish the reflection that 1t
aods from no lack Of heroic gartate, or human
endurance on their part, that Thou d6dst deny
their most earnest prayers nor because Thou
hast no Jdg0r unto then, but because Thou
aeGst manded to dest0lo upon them, their chill
dren, and their country ultimately greater
blessings than their short-sGghted prayers did
craze.
And when Thou art done serving Thyself
with us here on earth. and we have fought our
last fight, and have 'quitted ourselves like
men," by ever cherishing the thought that
"duty is the sublimest word in human Ian
guage, ''# may it be the portion of all Thy ser
wants, "having washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb to
''pasS over the river and rest under the trees
of Paradise, in sweet communion with all our
martyr soldiers and our warrior saints
And to Thee who art the great Captain of
our Salvation shall be ascribed all the praise
and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
*Gen. r. E. Lees memorable words
tGen. Jackson's last word