Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-05-24

Had waited 10 eternal iame'
But what manner of rebellion this,
Rebellion bg whom, ald against whom
Rebellion of the Creator against creature?
nation living unf er written constitution,
with all the autonomy of organized governments
and an army in he field to defend it, may be de.
fested but cannot rebel. Poland was wiped II ON
the roll of nations by the mailed hand of power,
hut freedom did not die with Kosciusko. Treason,
that was Ito be made odious
| My friends, the cause cannot be made odious,
for which million christian women suffered
famine for four long yeare and gave up their dear
ones to slaughter, while their constant prayers
ascsudcd like incense to.Almigbty God for its sue
cess, the cause whose opponents and exempars
were snch men as Stuart, and Johnston aud
Jackson, and Lee, and ex-Pres;dent Jefferson
| Davis. CIdrlun Ct renerdbile nOmen
| 1t is q moral and mental contradiction to charge
that these men of unquestioned purity and abb II!
could confederate i'll q heinous crime Nor do
those who mske the charge believe it, and waat
no stronger evidence that these injurious terms
are merely employed rs shibbOleth of hatred and
vtuperation thsn tho fact that when the Southern
cause was overwhelmed by unlimited res ourccs
aud countless numbers, and these representative
men were in the absolute power OF the victor, no
did not dare to execute them rs traitors, because
it woud have shocked the moral sense of the civi
| lized world and history would have recorded the
names Cf the perpetrators of the outrage upon the
loll OF nfamy and upon the same page with Car
not, Marat and Robesperre
occasion to reiterate these sentiments, so often ex-
pressed before, in vindicston of our dead com
ra6es ard in justification of the survivors, who
have apologies or Tetractions to make for the
part they played in that bloody drama, which
had continent for ST. 30 and the world Tor All
audience But the contest can ne.cr be revived
by force of arms The civil and political ques-
tions involved were submitted to the arbitramcnt
of the sword with disasti Gus result to u.s. aud we
arc content to let the dead past bury it's de6d and
dc Ia 1i,,i, 1rtta nj fh.
| present and the future And it is matter OF
| general congIatulatiOn that as time wears on and
the passions engendered by the war subside into
cooler judgment, as ocial and commercial inter
course between sect ons of the country are cnlti-
ya;ed moro than ever before, the motives on either
side arc better understood and more generally al-
precs ted; that the asporsions and Impressions
cast upon the sOuthern people are confined to
narrowing circle of selfseeking politicians and
rabid enthusiasts, most of whom are citiZens III
time of war and warriors in time of peace. And
let me say here that it remains for the people OF
the North to mako this HON gene0u5 ana har
mOniOus nation. Let US hope then that In the
near future impertncnt intermedling OF one Sec
tion with tho domestic affairs of another will
ccase-that all vindictive legislation will be
wiped from tho statute book until not indi-
vidual will romain disranchisod not one will
stand an alien in the land of his birth-not o re
who msy not greet the emblem OF his country
with the fond acclaim
Where stands the foe hut falls before US
With freedoms soil beneath our feet
And freedoms banner waving DER us!
will not further trench upon the province of
tho gifted ora tor and soldier who is TO succeed me
and who is the high priest of these ceremonies He
will enlarge upon this theme W TIL his character
itic eloquence and enthusi- SIN. But could not
pass the shrine Of my devotion without casting my
yotive offering.
have the honor to be tho spokesman of the two
| 6ietip uicho cd wi I'd haE
produced the work OF art wo are here to dedicate.
was sele, ted by them for no aptitude that pos
sess for the pleasing task assigned me- but because
Of my ardent sympathy with the sui Ct aud our
personal friendship of many years.
Although acting as their mouthpiece shall
take the Liberty to refer to them in terms that
may shock their modc5ty, but fall far beneath
their inertia
The name of John A. Elder will fall Familiarity
upon the ears of many of this auGielce Born
and reared in the historic town Of Fredericksburg,
he early evinced that bent of genius which in ma
turer years has msdo him the great battle painter
of the Soutt When but youth ne rep Tired tn
Dusseldorf, that time ono of the most renowned
schools ofart in Europe, AID there he becsme the
favorite pupil and intimate friend of that eminent
artist Leutze. Returning to his native St t,
aft parfecting himself in his pr fcssiOn he shared
tho fortunes of his people during the civil war,
and has since cmpoycd his pencl 10 illustrate
their yaloT, and To po tray their leaders, and his
tory will sociat, him with Robert E. Lee ss
David W In NaFo { III, and Stewart with Washing
ton His Identification with his peoples cause, |
| his participation in all their hopes and disap- |
| ponUmcnt- su .gested the picture, Appomattox,"
which sGorns the library o. olrSt /, capitol. it |
presents in one typical figure the Soltn in its
| owe throw--not in tho ersons of its leaders, but
in one of that honpred fic' who i'll thousands |
returned to their ruined homes To face the future
with no ray from the pastto INSPIRE or gaide them.
The u posing figure stands acne on desolate
fc dc ST down, but not destroyed" in the |
rcsolute face in the firm poe of the foot, the tense
grasp OF the hand, which closes weapon save |
| his ohn right arm, there is vIGor yet. And i'll |
this image of defeat there is ali the life and pnr
pose which have restored the overturned civiIizs-
| ton of our country, and from the ruins of war |
| have raised structure of which VIC are Justly |
proud. This is the idea which der has embo
died in this pictnrc and by a happy accident he |
| was in the act of modelling this subject in the |
clay, when the scheme inaugurated of erect |
| ing memorial to the Confederate dead of d lex |
andria He submitted his design to your commit |
tee who adopted it without hesitation, and order |
cd its reproduction in bronze and OF heroic size. |
Being lss of SCULPTOR than painter he called to
his aid his friend Casper Buberl.
| Buberl, Bohemsn by birth, came to onr |
shores poor and unknown youth, not even un'
derstsnding tie language of the country, but con-
scious of the power within him, and imbued with |
that indomitable spirit, which commands recogni
tion and reward Modest and retiring, but pa |
tient and diiigent, he has at length forged ahead
to the front rank Of his profession Apart from
the pecuniary gain it has been his earnest desire
for many years to have an example of his work
within the limits of the Old Dominion, and he
sezed this opportunity with ayidity. With the
adapt.bility of genius, no caught the motive of
Elders conception and made it his own.
The result of this collaboration is master.
pcca of the plastic art original in design perfect
| in execution, which will be an enduring object
of pride and admiration, not only to the City of
Alexandria, but to the entire Commonwealth. As
the youth of the present and future generations
shall gaze upon this nobe efigy, their bosoms will
swell with emotion to reflect that it stands here to
commemorate the heroic deeds of their own people,
who though they sleep in nameless graves, live
still in our grateful memories.
Go, strew his ashes to the wind
| Whose heart and voice have served mankind,
| And is he dead whose glorious mind
Lifts thine on high