The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-06-03
What Richmond Is 10 the South.

Colonel VI. NJ. Doak. for a long time
ealtor OF the Memphis Appeal Avalanche,
was in Richmond on unwilling day for
tne frst time in thirty years. having
left here on the night OF the evacuation.
Nhlie here he dropped in at The Times
Office. and wrote this:
Richmond for four long years was the
Mecca of the Confederacy. Its people
We're not more heroic than Confederates
otherwhere, perhaps; but II was their
fortune TO be in some sort a soragassa.
rot Nasty. slow, the step once taken. Rich
mona, the centre of war. the object OF
ATTACK surrounded by heroic defenders
ana heroic invaders, both American. both
inspired by principle, the people of Rich
mond speedily became the most patient.
the most heroic, the bravest. and most
enduring people the world ever saw.
Fanlc was never known. Mcclellan as
sauIteu her lines with an army; Dahl
sren came TO her very gates: girded by
, IRE, menaced at all times, her old men,
thelr calm: patient faith. In the last
hour her old men and her children manned
the trenches. on the night of evacuation
l nave seen old men and women going
On upon the last march, deVotions last
oIer' devotion without judgment-but de-
Votion.
II is not my purpose to hatter: only
wiSh TO call attention to what is practi-
cal movement for the future. since the
war, by her devotion 10 Confederate
memories, by using freely her hard
earned substance TO embalming the mem
cries OF Confederate heroes: Richmond
has again-for herself. for Virginia. for
the South, for the whole country. for
our northern brethren, If they but knew
again been the centre and Mecca of Con-
federate worship.
And was there nothing to worship; moth
ing TO embalm, nothing TO commemorate
In these monuments?
Indeed there was. II only a Lee had
been stamped and shown to the world;
the God-like among men, something great
would have been done. A people that in
a great struggle cast up a Lee, may
never produce another such noble char
acter, but ii will always produce nobier
characters for having produced that one.
But there is more. About the amount
Of right the North or the South had !
would not dispute with my northern broth
ers Allow him almost the entire circle
Of right, If the South had but the merest
segment Of right upon its side then was
the great circle Of right incomplete UNI
I'll the southern segment was added.
| grant of equal importance TO the peo-
pie the rights of the Federal Government
and the rights of the States.
The South embraced perhaps extremely
the rights of the States slavery wise
benefcient. good in its day-the school
| Of liberty and of learning to walk, OF
all infant people-was bound 10 go. 1t
[ had reached its end. If the South had
Welded a step in 1861 slavery would have
been wiped out in a long civil struggle,
which would. unavoidably. have wiped out
our system Of Government. AS II was, II
went out In a brief bloody CONFUSION,
which so little shocked our system that
all the struggle between state rights and
Capitalization came after.
In that struggle the South stood nrm,
found northern allies. won the fight, and
to-day the North. from a party STANDPOINT
/ Democratic or Republican, is better in
/ structed in. and more firm for State
rights than at any time in the history OF
| our country. If we except a portion Of
New England at the time Of the Hartford
! convention.
This is certainly something. 1t is not
/ all by any means; but enough 10 make
! Richmond proud that she not only was the
| Mecca and the citadel of Confederate en-
deavor and worship during the war, but
that she has done more than any point
Of the South since The war 10 emDalm IN
tangible signs the enduring and deathless
deeds of the sons Of the South;
Asheylle. Tenn. II. NJ H.