Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-05-31

the emonQWonM 70 W. VouDLtSOe4 Y
c s;, s ne h sss Grated sS les
Leaders above the leaders Of the Unions
10 thsss charges that the Bouth has ~
"heroes and Is anniver3AYtee"; that II
"sxeits ,tS lsadsss above the leaders Of the
Union cause 1--WE PLEAD s.;tIy / aAS We
arc proud OF our guilt Yea, the South has
its heroes and its anniyerbayios. Tho state
Of Virginia haa. By solemn enacsmsnta OF
Of her Illustrious son. Robert 4. Lee,
legal holiday. equal In IT, obssrvance TO
the birthday OF her other great son. George
Washington, the father OF his country.
II that BE- treason, let them make tho
most Of It.
oux Krsoss AND our AxsrvyssISus.
And Why shall not the South have ~
hsross and its anniversaries? The Soutn
has its history; It's traditions; tts wrongs;
SIS ruins; IS Victories It's de.eass; i.s
record OF suffering and humihatlon;i 40
destruction, and worse stil its reconstruS-
ton She has many cemeteries hlled with
her own ratriotio dead. slain hghting her
haitian. and she has on her SOIL, oeneetn
her briaht skies, larger. moro numer0us,
and more popuious cemeteries. nlied Win
bravo men, slain IN battle by the hands OF
her warriors. IL A..
IL there nothing worthy the song Oh 'no
heroic Ipuse In all this?
For four years the Confederate Govern
ment Hoated its Gag over every State be-
nss,h the southern cross. and the Con-
tsdsrste armies carried their battle-fag In
triumph from the Rio Grande almost 70
the capital Of the keystone state, ana
spread terror to the Great Lakes ,, AZ
The newborn nation from the Northern
sss 10 the equator. driving the American
merchans r,arino from the high seas, untii
scarcely a ship engcged in commerce
dared sbow the Stars and stripes on lne
Atlantic Ocean. cesr
For four bloody years the ConfedeIacy
stood tho shock Of all the, power aiia re-
s"rrces NJ the.createst republic on the face
ri tho globe. and fought for independence
IN more than 100 battle-fcids. and at last
vhen her armies were worn away pv attrl,
ton and her means OF resistance exnausteo
succumbed to overwhelming NUMBERS
and resources"
yepouishcJ, yet victorious;
Overcome, but not humhateo'
Defeated, but not dismayco.
Was there no heroism in all this' He
.oos ara not made 10 order. Deeds make
L.,oos --imperishable deeds. born or
virtue. courage, and patriotism. Genius
may mako men great; power ana piace
NAV make men famous. but the crown
which decks the brow OF tru" nero y
more than genius can gi'o OF power III"
,,lace can bestow. a.,
IL Robert L. Lee IL not nero IN the
highest ana best sense Of the word, can
ycn point TO name on the pages of his
iorv more deserving tho title? For four
wears he successfully led the armies OF the
Coufederacy. proudly grand. supremacy
great. In the sublime language OF the
cited Senator Hill, of Georgia lie pos
seesed every virtue Of all TIE other great
commanders without their vices.
"Ile Was a foe without bate,
A friend without trsEhefy,
A soldier Without cruelty
And n victim without murmuring'
.He was public officer without vices,
apriyate citizen without wrong, neigh
Dor without repToach, CHRISTIAN WITHOUT
Ivnocr,sv and man without guilt. He was
g Crsar without his ambition, Frederic
without his tyranny. Napoleon without
his seifshpess, and Washington without
his reward He was as obedieEt TO authori-
~ ms n true king. He was as gentle as a
woman in life, pure aud modest as virgin
in Thought. watchful a. Roman vestal III
duty, submissive to law as socrates anu
as grand in battle as Achilles"
And Stonewall Jackson, Is he not nero
every inch from spur to plume! lbs fame
ia as bright ga sun q: the MONDAY rs
liked aud imperishable "a the everlasting
mountain peaks OF his native State. when
his spirit passed over the river and rested
under the shade OF the trees. the unspottcd
tonl of Christian hero went TO us rewaros
Who denies that he was Il military genius
Who sags he was not an unselhsh patriot!
Vino does not admit that he was as pure, as
simple, aud as free from guile "a little
child? Amid the lurid hghtnings, fierce
passions, and dead thundels OF the great
eat civil war of modern times. when mems
minds were full OF evil Vaccinations, and
their hearts filed with hatred. malice. and
ali Observation-Disclosures. he LAID down his life.
mud vet, strange to tell, not one word OF
unkindness or reproach assaiied his men,
ory. The most implacaole of our foes
breathed no word OF criticism or charged
h,m with a single act or speech unbe-
coming q true Christian hero. II stone
wall jackson was not hero, then the his
tory of the world, its wars and reyolu-
tions, its struggles for country and Tree
dom. never knew man worthy 10 wear
that title.
THE PRIVATE SOLDIERS vALoR.
might prolong the list, but Will speak
here of but one other. His name 90 not
know. but his deeds of valor | have seen.
while his courage. his fortit1de, and his
unexampled achievements all the world
admires. This greatest hero OF modern
times is the private soldier of the Coincide
rate army, who courageousiy and nobly
did his duty. enduring the herdsnips and
privations of his station without q muir
inur. He was the equal OF the most famous
soldiers of ancient or modern tunes. Inc Inc
Grccian phaanx was not more soid. The
three hundred a, Thsrmcpyle were
not more devoted. The Roman legion
was not more steadfast and courageous.
The Old Guard was not more reliable and
certain in the hour of danger. The Light
Brigade was not more daring, Half-clad,
half-starved, he endured the greatest
fatleues and hardships without repinine.
and faced the heaviest odds without
blanchiug or faltering.
And Is IL counted strange that tho south
ern people cherish the memories OF these
men9 Ia il matter of reproach that they
have their heroes and their anniversaries
is IT matter OF surprise tibet thcy exali
their leaders above the leaders or the
Union causey Does any reasonable ;Gar
expect less. Does he expect us TO exal'
Genoral Grant above General Lee; Gene
raj sherman above Stonewall JACKSON. OF
General Sheridan above A. Z. Hill
IGreat and continued applause.
Blood is thicker than water. The anec'
tons OF brave people cannot be trans
ferred from their own leaders TO the lend
ers of the opposing SIDE any more than
water can run up hill by the force Of
gravity. II Is contrary TO the law OF No.
ture. The southern people respect anc
admire the brave men who fought agains
them, and they feel q patriotic pride II
their greatness, but they love their owl
heroes with q love which SURPRISES the
love of woman. They are "bone OF theil
bone and flesh of their flesh" and eaci
atom OF the dust of their dead who wor'
the gray is dearer to them than a. the dus
of ali the brave men who wore the blue.
"For In all the colors that deck tho world,
Your gray blends not with blue.
"The coiors are far apart,
Graves sever them IN twain,
Tho northern heart and the southern heart
May beat In peace again.
But still, till time's last day,
Whatever iips may plight,
The blue 10 blue, but gray Is gray,
Wrong never accords with right
LOYALTY to the government of the UDite'
States does not require disloyaity TO on
own people or our own traditions. 10y
ATTY TO tho Union does not require that W
should love Mr.. ingalls,, of Kansas, o
canonize Benjamin 4. Butler, Of Massachu
setts. In thus honoring and cherishin
the nemories of their dead, the southern