Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-31
WFDNESDAY..MAY3 81. 1893. !
To Days Ceremonies.

The removal Of the body OF ex-Presi-
dent DAVIS fro-n New Orleans 10 Ech-
mond must stand out A. one OF the great
events IN tho post-bellum history OF the
South. AS such II TO-DAY receives world
wide attention; a. such 1t Will be chrohi-
cled and remembered hereafter.
From the Mississippi 10 the James
wherever the funeral train stopped. men
and women were found standing with
arms full Of flowers waiting 10 place them
unon his coffin. Almost literally the thou-
sand miles of distance was paved with
flowers. and az TIE train proceeded from
ration to station every old Confederate
who was at his work in the fields near by
respectfully raised his bat
At the capitals of louisiana, Alabama,
Georgia. and North Carolina ;here were
imposing demonstrations: imposing be-
causo they were the spontaneous express
SION Of popular sentiment; because whole
communities became absorbed IN them,
and, above all. because they were hearty
and sincere. The witchery Of oratory was
not invoked 10 arouse sentiment. IL was
not needed and 1t was not employed. Ia
tude lives for all # those who gave true
hearted service u the Confederate cause.
No matter Il hat cause failed; no matter
that 1t is dead. memories of our heroes arc
alive rs ever and wo honor them ali IN
LonOring their clcf.
Carping critics have indeed charged us
with trying 10 make rs great " to do
over the removal of Mr.. DAyIss remains
~ the French made over the removal OF
NAroLFoN's from st. Helena to Paris. It's
not so; though If Mr. DAVIS was not II
greater man Ia was inc0ntestably bet
ter man, purer man, than the first Con-
sui. He deserved lar more of the South
than NUoLEoV dii Of tho French, but
there has been, there ~ 20 be, nothing
spectacular IN our programme. The ar
rangcmcnts for the reiutcrment could not
well BE- simpler. All that Is scenic about
them comes from popular affection and
the desire to pat on record a different csti-
mate of Mr. DAyIs's worth from that which
obtains N some other quarters.
Richmond has with her to-day the body
of the Confederate President. and chief
among the mourners at the grave Will be
his wife and children. Our sympathy
must make their grief less. while our
reverence for his memory will confirm
them in the CONVICTION that they were
right in selecting Richmond as his last
resting place.
We have also with us here to-day hun
dreds OF those veterans who carried our
fag to victory on many fields and who
likewise won honor for it even IN defeat.
They belong to q fast dwindling band.
Fewer and tower they become. When we
laid the cornerstone of the Soldiers
Monument IN Hollywood soon after the
close of tho war. their number was great.
When we unveiled the statue of STONE
WALL JACKSON III the Capitol Square
in 1875 hundreds had gone beyond
earthly roll-call. When We unveiled
the statue of LEE here in 1890 We could
but erieve over the gaps Time had made in
thor ranks. Thinner still will these ranks
be to-day, and few years hence when we
como TO unveil the monument of Presi-
dent DAVIS many who are here present will
be absent-absent from us-but. we trust,
once moro with DAVIS. LEE, JACKSON. the
JoHSsToNs. aud the HILLS. and the tens Of
thousands Of other beloved comrades, who,
having fought the good fight, now enjoy
the soldiers rest and the Christians re-
ward.
1t will cheer Mrs. DAVIS and her family
to have our veterans about them. 1t will
cheer them. too, to see in the ranks of our
volunteers the sons and erandsons Of the
heroes who fought the Confederacy's bat
ties from Bethel to Appomattox, and have
never failed in featy to the memory of
those who endured 80 much for us.
1t is funeral occasion and a sad day,
but we can say welcome to all our soldiers,
old and young, and they will not mis-
understand us.