St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-04-29
Southern Chivalry.

In these days when the Old time rev.
erence to the priceless heritage OF
southern birth, is fast becoming mat
ter secondary to tie iuortlinate greed OF
gain among our people, it is refreshing
to read such words as those spoken ny
Father DeLanorinicr in lecture ID
New Orleans, recently, on southern
Chiyplry. Said he in opening the lee
ture II am here tonight at your bid
! ding to speak to you Of Southern CitlV-
alrv.' TIE task is a perIous one,
| fraught aith difficulties innumerable,
both by lgasop of its complex features
and its bfoadness of scope. NoW, on
the start, let me beg you to recall those
times in the heroic past, when, truth
| and honor, courtesy and gentienese,
purity aud faith, valor and courage;
I kindliness of heart and loftiness OF soul
we're the highest orders of nobility and
the surest, nay, the only sure claims to
greatness"
Dwelling q while GU the age of chlv-
airy, and it's concomitant, war, he des-
cends to the natural subject OF his
theme, Southern Chivalry, from his dis
cusson of which we extract these ei0-
auent wolds:
"Why, then. have / awakened to-
| night the sIumberiDg echoes of by gone
days7 All! you know why. That you
might grave them on the tablets OF
| your hearts; that you might bind them
| like shields around your necks; that
you might be reminded by them to
| what achievements you are fallen helfs
and that great deeds are to be worked
for, bled for, died for, to-day as ia the
DAYS of Gettysburg, Richmond and Shi-
lob that though war be the dreadful
thing and scourge it was meant to be,
you might be pardoned for thinking
one crowded hour of glorious life is
worth an age without a name, and for
wishing that your brilliant uniforms
| might be more than a mere parade
dress aud your good swords better than
glittering toys; but, especially to give
point to my assertion that loyal adher-
ence to duty was the true chevaller's
| first and eDgrossing care.
All 4! forget that, gentlemen, and the
bones of that greatest son Of the south
will rattle with indignation in the
grave; bis honored dust will burst
through the confines of the tomb to
brand with c0wardice race fallen
from the path which his luminous ex
ample had marked out with bleeding
hands anu bleeding heart for their mar
tial tread. >.
For, if there are lanes that must not
wither though tie earth forget her en-
pres if there are deeds that from their
Immortality look straight in the suns
face, impersbably pure, such came,
such deeds are the name and deeds OF
Robert Edward Lee. Tie idol momen-
tarily set up for political reasons crum-
its limbs were originally moulded but
| when the pillars on which the idol rests
are self-reverence and selfdevotion.
no hand can tear the idol down; for no
hand OF men or time can SKATER the
supporting pillars
The grand figure of Lee towers above
all others in the history of our own
times and of our own country, and will
tower still higher when future races of
American historians shall record its
stirring events with lmpartiality, be-
cause the great Virginian forsook home,
fortune, certain future, all--in his en-
deavor to choose what was right.
The creative band of God, ladies and
gentlemen, cannot fashion a nobler
heart than that which takes such mot
to for shaping of its ways; nor can
history record nobler life than that
the actual deed is in keeping with such
kuiulus pAincipdi' IL HAS oeeu NY
good fortune to live on terms of close
religious Intimacy with a veteran chap
lain of our gallant bands during those
days of trying warfare.
From that day in April, 1861, when
the first shot was fired at Fort Sumpter,
Charleston larbor, to that day in April,
1865, when the heroic struggle ended by
the surrender Of Lees army at Appo-
matox Courthouse, in Virginia, bis
priestly zeal had ministered to our
troops. He had shared their exulta-
tons in the fitting hours of success.
He had cheered their dropping spirits |
and reused their energies in the brief |
hours Of dark dependency, aud wheth-
er in closed ambulance, or on open field |
amid shell, shot, grape and canister, |
had shriven the wounded, spoken of |
duty's crown to the fallen, and made
pure for heaven and the land of un-
broken peace the parting spirits of the
vaI0rous dead.
When ! told him of my purpose to re-
call in this lecture those scenes of past
glory and woe, and the memory of the
with imperishable fame, and shed over
them the halo of Immortality, the aged
priest wrenched himself as if bv
mighty effort from the vice-like CRASH
IF the disease which crippled his frame.
His voice shook with an emotion which
shall never forget. His hand pressed
lis brow as it to stir again to life lis
buried thoughts. His eyes, dimmed by
Iears, sparkled through the large tears
hat filled them, as, after q pause he
made reply: "Ah tell them, the men
If the south, that during four wears
hese eyes have been the daily witness
les of deeds of seltiess devotion and en-
Iurance, which, when written. will
lwarf the proudest records of ancient ,
hivalry; tell them that the chieftajn
whose hand so often met mine in the
warm grasp of friendship, and who. !
ven at the head of charging column
Llways maid mo tho bupol,lo .:-: