The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-24


Its workings. and who. by their lives, have
best exemplfed and interpreted It, There are
Moses for law. Dayijs for sacred song. solo
mons for Wis ION, lemOsthenes for oratorY.
slexanders and NapOleOns tor ambition Je us
for meckncss. Socrates for philosophy.
Neros FOR cruelty. Coperni,us Tor as
trOnomy. Homer. Milton and Dantes Tor
poetry. Shakespeare for drama. Luther
Tor religion and the host of Others who have
excelled in some art. and by that excellence
become typical OF that art.
America has been exceptionally fortunate
in tins respect. Though al country 1t has
"A national existence OF scarce one hundred
wears vet It's history is a great one. full and
varied because OF the heroes It has had. he
roes az war and heroes OF peace. from earliest
C,i,niaf DAYS. even unto late years. when but
- rgesdaf was celebrated the natal day Of
one of our foremost figures Of the late great
sTGEg.e.
the hero. one Of Nirginias own sons. ever
fandly cherished in the hearts OF the AmerI-
can people George Washington is honored
with the Affect nate gratitude of his country
mon not alone or only because he WAS the
cnmmander-iu-chief of the heroic army that
wrested our Independence from the mother
country but moe so because, being one of
the fathers OF our national life. lie has stamped
his 0wn characteristics upon it, and Mt his
death be ueathcd unto II forevermOre the
noble heritage of his cOnsummate character
lie was the hrst typical American, and the in
hueuce Of bis lie will weld its force upon
American lite as long as American life shall
last
At the time Of his birth his country was the
little and latest fragment OF mighty whole
AZ the time OF his deathlt was a nation wit all
the attributes of nationality. with its army.
It's navy and It's position among the nations OF
tie rid-a positi Il well earned and every
where respected. This position IT owes chiefly
10 him: and that position thus and by him
first obtained. has risen and spread TIL 1t IS
now not only respected but 10 is chief and
foremost throughout the countries OF the
g.OI e. How dld such tremendous trans
formation take place, Surely II hardly seems
credible that 10 shall be the result 81 one
single individual human life yet such "a
practically tie case and While we glory
lu the greatness OF DIR country while Wa
speak IN glowing Tribute OF Is power that has
spread from ocean 10 ocean while We orc
10 liant over each new star that is added 10
our az. While we see our country. both IN
cory and IN practice. tie refuge or the OPP
pressed and aHIcted Of ali countries. the
haven and harbor for al those storm tossed
end tempest-beaten IN other seas while We
Win /, nest pride and swelling hearts, feel
that ours is indeed the deal Of human govern
ment on earth. where liberty holds alOit her
light in uuOueuchable and dazzling beauty.
3 a. we may not forget that the foundation Of
all shs was laid by the actions # q single
man. and All is later grandeur built up under
the ia .ueuce of single hero
iho secret " the all-efcctvo power that tho
"lathfr OF Ills Country p ssessed lay but ir
one direction. We marvel muol when we SCI
tie influence of q single man spread 80 long
and So powerfully over q country so vast and
filed with such mixed and heterogene ms
races as ours. Yet 10 is q fact whose marvel
usuess disappears when sc recOllect that
that influence is founded on that which above
all races creeds classes. customs. climates or
districts of tine earth rises and dominates hu-
mainly as ITS one enduring factor and that Is
the .orce of the moral power This alone Is
the fttest that Will survive Mankind has
heretofore. and doubtless will again IN the
future he Gwen over 90 the sway Of men who
are merely intellectual giants AMI moral
dwaris or phenomena II physical p wer Yet
it has not been, and never Will be lasting. II
is # necessity only temp rarv. such are the
ones wlOh lld lmm rtauty within the III w
Of their hand, az are the JUDGE raised mp by
@ q b." working in the name and with the
spirit of God.
This great factor that is felt in the move
nent OF the worlds history. as affecting
nations, peoples and racer, applies as well 70
narrower and smaller circles even unto Indi-
yduai lfs After all, moral truths are the
only rocks over which the pillows OF ages
sweep Jon vain All. things else, soon or later,
sink beneath waters and are lost sight OF in
the great ocean OF time as the waves ~ the
years surge endiessy over them. In our own
little private unher0ic lives we see the same
truth. DO you wish 10 command influence or
respect you must be moral and your actions
must be morally m0tlved. on may be witty
pc 'ished, cultured. wealthy. successful p0pu-
lar. but If YOU are immoral YOU are powerless
for great achievement. Men may admire your
wit applaud Your brillancy. approve your
Q .atfFlf 20
cess. but never respect you or be under your
influence IOr any length of time. on can
never be power IN the community II You are
morally defective. The leaders OF the people
must be the Judges raised 10 by God and
working with the divine tools of morality
and truth. instanced Is this most truly
in tins portion of the country, where
where 10 people nave ever given the loyalty
the homage and the devotion t. their leaders
as did and DO the pc pie OF the south 10 the
memories of tner departed heroic leaders
The tuesday of this week was q legal holiday,
with c sed banks schools and institutions
to the memory Z TIE man so beautifully pc
tured IN the noble monument in the West-EnI
The bronze or marble statues that hold tie
fru~es of jackson Nickham Hill and VIII
that of Davis. together with the Terence and
love IN which they are held. are ali tribute
not so much 20 tie courage or her0lsm or WIS
dom these men may have displayed. but 10 the
~ the moral impulse that prompted these
mon GO as they believed O. be right. eve n
at % Great personal loss and sacrifice. Com .
Ne closer unto our own smaller religious
community. we find tbs lesson told IN the
l.e OF our departed spiritual leader and nero.
the anniversary of whose most untimey
taking OFF, we this day mourn. HOnored.
esteemed and beloved. far. far beyond the
cOu6ne- Oi the body 20 whose spiritual need.
he ministored. the recognition and the reVer-
ence paid TO nim WAS not alone nor 50 much
for the learning. tie wisdom. the profound
fchOiarsh lp aud the eyeT-reedy and unwearled
defense of his people that chaTacterHed him,
ass 10 was a tribute TO the morality, the ol@ ne
lessness and the purity of the lie that WAS
led These were the things that grapped me
hearts OF the people 20 HIM As win
hooks OF STEEL for he was one OF the
Judges raised by God unto has people. Per
lnps ~ stronger plea can ada unto 70 mine
own than tie story of ms life simple. unber-
aided. unblazOuel abroad, yet heroic III It's
love. its beauty aad It's purity. rom MS
snOw-clad resting place out M the midst OF
those whom lie had loved and tended. whom
he had with tender words, lad u thef last
rest comes 10 US the mute narrative, the con-
l-matiOn and the strengthening OF our
thought and text-that those VINO are judges
in the name of God, those who I'LL out their
HES task on the lines of morality, virtue anu
truth, they are the reai heroes the reaA men
aud men Of influence. Earnestly pray
that unto each and al OF you may TINS thOught