Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1892-05-25

army to the superior education of the German
soldier. In t is respect, the Army uf Northern
Virginia surpassed all other aymics ancient
or modern. There were priyatcs in al
most every company cunai II any sta
ton y ucatcd at cIas ical scho Is aud
universities III Aincric:; ana i,uropo, mliny
o6cycd who were capable Of command!
ing. They had Inherited the hcrci,,
spirit Of their forcflthcrs. Upon their heart
was cngrlycn the Roman maxim ''naio mort
guam foeddri." Above all, at their mothers
knee, they had been taught toprcfer truth
atove riches and death before dishynor.
Such men arc unconqucrib.e. except BY star
walton or annihilat:on Without money.
without powder, without clothing, without
food. but with the hearts unconQucrcd and
unconQucr;lblc tired exhausted nature sank
at lust beneath the dead weight OF superior
numbers. Ssich was the victory, such the
glory, Of Appomattcx.
If this can BE- sid of the Confederate SOL
,;icr, what SHALL we say OF the Confederate wo
mcn! For they were power in the land. !
DO net refer to the materials they supplied,
or the consolation they impaired IL the sick.
the wounded and the dying The women Of
the confeder:cy assembled to another plane.
They We're thoroughly aroused, and to the
southern armies they communicated the Zeal
and enthusiasm that inilamcd them. They
ncrved the arm that bore aloft the battle flag
OF the confodeE,cy.
They deserved more than the compliment
Of Shelley, the poet, who compared womcn's
! influence upon LIES agitated scene to moon
beams on a troubled sca-gilding the storm
they cannot calm She sildcd the troubled
sea with her slvciy beams but her influence
then was that Of the deep and mighty current
OF the ocean that bore our ships upward and
onward through the storm that finally en-
quilted US Indeed. if | were young, to
paint her truly, would leave dull prose be-
hind, and fly to the realms OF poetry
would say 10 her:
''Yc are stars of the night, yc are gems of
Ye are dew drops whose lustre illumincS
the thorn;
And iayless that night is, that memory I'M
bicst
Where no beam of your eye lights up peace
liz the breast.
And the sharp thorn of sorrow sinks deep in
the heart
Til the sweet lips of women assuagcs the
smart.
'Ts hers DER the couch ofmisfortune TO bend,
In fondncss Il lover, in ilrmncSs 4 friend
And proSpcrity'S hour it must be confessed,
From woman derives both refinement and rest.
! Whether adorned by the bays or cnwrcathcd
by the willow
Her smile is our need and-h bosom our pill
low"
This monument recalls trait of southern
character Us beautiful rs it rare. TO erect
monuments to success is common, but mOnu
ments to the defeated soldier of disastrous
war is not common among men. | say disls-
trous war; / alludc not TO the expenditure OF
men OF the shedding Of blood. But when the
war ended, society was inverted by the con-
uucrcr We had Il political revolution over
head, and a yet mere serious revolution
around every iircsidc. One half OF our pro-
pcrty was coniscatcd, and this rendered the
other half Improbable. So that in 1860, the
sun in lis Journey around the earth did not
shine upon poorer country than Virginia.
If the State had then been sold for money
under the hammer of the auctonccri she would
not have brought enough to pay her share of
the national debt the State debt her NUM-
ciual, corporate and individual debts The
fruits of two centuries OF labor were consumed
III few years of war The controlling section
OF the Union began the contraction of the
currency ut tine rate Of two million dollars Il
week for ten years, causing shrinkage of
values that cost the nation more than the war
itself Then too. was seen "a dark and ominous
cloud Just above DIR political horizon, which
still casts It's gloomy shadow over the land,
and may yet burst with fury upon our de-
sccndants. | refer TO these horrors to illus
trltc the southern charactcr-thcir devotion
10 the leaders and soldiers of this disastrous
war
Nothing is more common than monuments
To success But to reserve such hOnors for
the vanquishcd soldiers of n lost cause, shows
II devotion to principle, and elevation of char
actcr that shed rs much lustrc upon the living
rs upon the dead. and can only be matched in
the immortal history of Greece.
Philip OF Macedon, when he conceived
the design ofmaking himself master Of Greece,
made very ilatiering proposals to the Athcn
ians but that sasacous people penetrated his
designs and declared war, but unfortunately
on tbs fatal field Of Chcroncu, the liberty of
Greece was Ovcrthrown and lest forever.
When the vanquishcd soldiers returned 90 the
city the people of Athens met them under the
shadow of the Acropolis, not with frowns and
ccnstire but with smiles and applause. The
soldiers were told, i'll taking up arms to rcpcl
the invasion of their country, they could not
have done wrong. Though unfortunate i'll
their efforts they had been actuatcd by the
same motives. and had pursued the same con-
duet which had ever distinguished their Illus
trious ancestors. The great Athcnian orator,
Dcmosthenes. told them that the Gods alone
couid command success; that notwithstanding
their defeat, for their valor, their fortitude.
their noble efforts they would be ranked and
remembered with those generous souls of more
ancient times who expired at Marathon,
with those who stood arraycd at Platca; with
those who encountered the Persian fleet at
Salamas, and who fought ut Artcmisum that
their remains should be deposited in the pub
lie monument ana receive the same honorable
intcrmemt: that Athcnan applause was be-
slowed not on those only who prevailed, not
OH those only who were victorious. And with
reason. What was the part of gallant men
they all performed; their success was such as
the Supreme Director of the world dispensed
t. each.
So then if southern army had marched
into any northern State TO impose our political
opinions and institutions upon its people we
would have been welcomed with bloody
hands 10 hospitable graves and our soldiers
in taking up arms to repcl the invasion of our
country could not have done wrong. Though
unfortunate in their efforts, they, too, were
actuatcd b. the same motives and pursued the
same conduct that had ever distinguished
their illustrious ancestors. Let their remains
also be deposited in the public monuments.
Notwithstanding their defeat, for their vaior-