The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-31
THE MEMORIAL OVATION.
.n,r TExr OF RRv. X. @. CAVES
4DDRKss rssTsRDAY.
III. subject was the valor and Worth Of
Those 10 Memory Of Whom the Mon
umsnt was Unveiled.

,,on comrades Who Wore the Gray, My
rerow-Countrymen When was honor
"a with the invitation TO speak on this
o.casion Of the valor and worth of those
On memory Of whom this monument mas
hcen erected. felt somewhat as I'M
oe.ne one OF old felt. when contemplating
,hs infinite, he said: III is hish; can
~, attain unto it," ] felt my inability
e., rise 10 the height Of this great argu-
.,ent and fifty euloglze the soldiers and
,rd sailors OF the Soathern confederacy.
And vet I felt impelled 20 speak some
word however weak. In honor OF those
,r.cd and true men, who feariessly front
"a Inc foe In defence OF home and coon@
80, and haitled even unto death foU
. cause which was dear to my heart,
'reNe SIS banner proudly floats over victo-
,.Srs fields. and which | have regarded
Min an affection sanctihed ana strength
,~od bv sorrow. since lis banner was
S,rlca In the gloom OF defeat.
As 5elth paints our loved ones in soft
~ ava fairer colors. and brings us 10
see as we did not see before
"rhelr likeness TO the wise below,
Thor kindred with the great of old ;
81 thc overthrow Of the cause We strus-
rsd to maintain gave me still higher
aunreciation Of II. and brought me TO re-
alize its oneness with the cause oil human
freedom in every age and land.
am not one OF those who. cilnging "
the old superstition that the Wil u roe,'lfs
ven is revealed In the immediate res,ulSss,
az trial by combat, fancy that -.
must always be on the side oil Illsn,,,
and speak Of Apron atoX a. JUN l NE
OF God. do not forget mat ,s JI"'t hat
trlumphed. and a Kosciusio zen, La La
a Nero welded the scepro OF cuPlIV;;
and Paul was beheaded; that a Herou
was crowned and a Christ was cruc!xll "a
and. instead Of accepting the defeat OF the
S",,,b es a Divine verdict against her /
regard In as but another instance OF trutn
on the scaffold. and wrong on the throne
AProMATox.
Annornattox was triumph OF the
,,hvsicalIv stronger in a conflict between
Inc representatives OF two essenually III
ferent civilizations. and antagomsuc IDEAS
~ government on one side In that con-
Nicf was the South led by the descend,
ants OF the Cavaliers, who, win All
their faults had inherited from iohg
line Of ancestors. manly contempt loi
moral Nttleness, n high sense OF honor
a lofty regard for plighted faith; strong
tendency to conserva tism, profound res
rect for law and order. and an untalter-
ing loyalty TO constitutional e NeinIns.,.
AGAINST the South was arrayed the power
~ the North. dominated by the spliI1
~ Puritanism. which. with all It's VII
tues. has ever been characterized by lue
Pharisaism that worshipS ltseil, "a an To-, 20
\
rrelf. which has ever arroSanliy helu
lie ideas. it's interests. and its VIII 10 DC
higher than fundamental law ana COZ
snanted obligations; which mas aM%t >
.it,-od and moved. and had its neing IN
,sbeuion against constituted authority
,rbich with the cry OF Freedom on i1
~ hos been one Of the most cruel
aud pitiless tyrants that ever cur 80 w.
,-orid which. while beheading an Eng
,tsS hing i'm the name Of liberty Drousnt
iF~glend under a reign OF oppression
whose little finger was heavier Si'a ,,h;cb
mailed hand of the Stuarls, am W. ne
.ine ~ Abraham Lincoln, has never hesl-
,ated TO tramnle upon the rights oi ol"e'S
a. Crder To effect its own ends. , -,
At Appomattox Pnri'a ann 'lninI United re-.
,,.'',s DrevaNed. But brute force car
NOT settle questions OF riSht anu VIZ.
irbinking men do not Judge the me err,
81 a cause by the measure OF l's SUI
cess: and l believe
"The world shall yet decide,
In truths clear. far off light
that tho South was in the right; that me-
cause was Just; that the men NJ 49,
up arms in her defence were paulots ~
had even better reason Tor what my my
ala than had the men who fougnt a. Non-
cord Lexington. and Bunker mn an.
that her coercion. whatever good ma
have resulted or may hereafter IeSul'
from IT, was an outrage on liberty.
cannot here discuss, at lehgth, w
merits Of the Southern cause pul' III
Justice 10 the memory OF those VINO ule'
In the struggle TO maintain IL, ! wish ID
protest against the aspersion that theN
fought 10 uphold and perpetuate the
irftitutiOn Of slavery. slavery was a
hcritace handed down TO the South from
. time when the moral consciousness
4ankind regarded II as rlght-a uIne
W. en- even the pious sons or New EHis
,4nd were slave owners ana deferred ny
no conscientious scrupleS from plying
the slave trade with proverbial YANKEE
enterprise. 1t became a peculiarly
Southern institution, not because me
rights of others were dearer 10 the Nor
fhern than 10 the Southern heart
but because conditions Of soil and ell
mate made negro labor unproftaDle ln
the Northern States. and led the North
ern slave-owner 10 sell his slaves GOWN
South"
BY FORCE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
With slavery thus fastened upon them
hv the force OF circumstances. the South
crn people sought 10 deal with It in the
Wisest and most humane way. Ihey be-
lieved that the immediate and wholesale
emancipation Of the slaves would be ruin
Gus 10 the whites and blacks alike; and
that, under the then existing conditions
the highest interests OF both themselves
and the colored wards committed 10 their
keeping demanded that the relation OF
master and servant should continue.
But IL was not 70 perpetuate slavery
that they fought The impartial student
War cannot fail 70 perceive That In the
words Of Mr.. Davis. "tO whatever extent
the question OF slavery may have serv-
ed as an occasion, II was
far from being the cause Of
the conflict" That conflict Was
The bloody elimination Of controversy
which had been raging for more than a
generation. and the true issue in which
rs far as Ii pertained 20 slavery was
sharply stated by the Hon. Samuel A.
Foot 90 Connecticut. when. referring 70
fhr debate on the admission Of Missouri
o. the SisterhOOd Of States. he said:
The Missouri question did not involve
he question Of freedom or slavery, but
merely whether slaves now in the coun-
if mlaht be permitted 10 reside In the
i,rQ new Stale, ana whether Con-
s'rss or Missouri possessed the power 10
decide and from that day down 10
-''l when the war-cloud burst in Jury
-i1l on and, the real question In re-
tHl to slavery was not whether II should
l.HNe in the South. but whether the
+tNt.l nan should be permitted 10
."n. us slaves. originally purchased al
tl''i cNciusivcly from Northern slave
taNris. into the territory which was the
N'.lHon property of the country, and
mere without interference from the Cen
n" document. have an equal voice with
N1rthrrn brother IN determining the
N'iiteuc policy Of the new state. The
IANlon was not whether the negro
r.'u,d be freed or held in servitude but
,,er the white man Of the South
rtvu!l have the same privileges enjoyed
me white nan Of the North. IL was
10y ne desire 10 hold others In bondage,
10y tAe desire to maintain their own
.-Nif lftf aoiuated the Southern oeODle
throughout the conflict; and II behooves
es % insist on this, that the memory
pl Uose VINO wore the gray" may be