The National tribune., 1894-06-14

mona on memorial lay zen. IuomaS IL
Rosser made speech. Comrades" said
he, when you marched out in 81 you were
buoyed by hope of the future. Now you
have only the memory of the lost. The
great principles for which we fought have
been dishonored, but they are not dead. "
(Here voice from the crowd cried, /" Not a
bit of it"0 ave are now only an ambu-
lance corps; but we are here to-day to do
honor to the men who fell, for we love their
memory as we love our God. The men who
overran us remind me of the locusts who
now infest part of this State. They
couldn't whip us, but they devoured part
of our substance. The army that devoured
us was an army of substitutes. We killed
the substitutes and the men whom they
represented stopped at home and made
money and now draw pensions. despse
the man who gives United States money to
a pensioner."
Gen. Rosser then went on to say that the
GAR was banded together to get PEN
sions, and if he had been at Birmingham he
would have voted against the proposion to
invite them to Atlanta. He said: Some
time ago. we unvailed monument to the
greatest General who ever lived; to-day
we unvail monument to the greatest private
soldiers and sailors who ever lived; and in
time we shall unval a monument to the
President of the Confederacy. But we are
Knocked at the North, and will live to see the
Yankee army march again through the
South and pull down our monuments. l
don't know what sort of stuff the rising
generation are made of, but if you and l
are living there'Il be bloodshed when that is
DONE"
Then Chap. J. VIM. Jones was called for,
and in his speech said that he cordially
Endorsed what Gen. Rosser said, especially
about pensions, and wished to say that the
invitation to the GAR. from the meeting
at Birmingham was not unanimous, and on
a square vote would have been defeated.
He was ever willing to fraterniZe with an
honest soldier from the other side, but did
not wish to mix with bounty jumpers and
pension-grabbers. Among other things, he
said that as long as the Confederate women
lived Gen. Rosser need not be afraid OF the
stuff of the rising generation.
This meeting was a representative one,
and speeches were made by Gen. Wade
Hampton, Gov. OFerrall, Gen. Fitz Lee,
and others high in the estimation of the
Southern people.
Another one of the signs of the times" is
the fact that the Southerners no longer wish
their children to study the school histories
now used, but wish history of their own.
In this same meeting, when speaking Of this
subject, Rev. ]. VIM. Jones declared that
there is miserable Yankee concern now
on the State list which lies by the yard. Go
home and put it out"
Many other instances of like character
occurred on this Memorial day, but these
facts are enough to prove that it is the in
tor IF fho Gnufhcry, laadars tn EaeYa ali u
the spirit of the Csnfederacy.
This condition of things should no longer
continue. There is time when patience
ceases to be virtuen There should be q
mighty wave of public sentiment which
should arise and put down such reasonable
sentiments as those expressed by the South
ern leaders.
Rev. Mr.. Cave declares that the Southern
people did not bring on the civil war, al
though he admits that they fired the first
gun" He, however, declares that the prin-
cipIes for which they fought shall live for
ever. These are the views which were in
dorsed by the Southerners with loud and
prolonged cheers. In this section the word
Confederate stands for all that is high, noble,
pure, and brave; Yankee stands for all that
is mean, low, and vile. The only GAR.
Post in Richmond is a comparatively weak
organization, composed of a few brave sol
diers, who nobly try TO stem the tide of
public disapproval. They are regarded
with feelings of pity by the Southerners, and
the G. r. uniform is looked upon with con-
tempt. These Southern people have very
erroneous idea of the Union army. They
believe them to be hireling host" and
speak of them as the Goths and Vandals of
the North" Their ideas of the GA. r.
would be ludicrous if il were not for the
fact that they are Installing these same ideas
into the minds of their children. The rising
generation are reared in the principles of the
rebellion, and they do not make any attempt
to deny it.
Very few of the Southern people read the
Northern papers. They imagine that they
are the only ones who honor their dead to any
extent. We admit that great deal of their
egotism and their contempt of the Northern
soldiers is due to ignorance. They would
perhaps open their eyes if they could see some
of the National Encampments of the G. Ar.
What these Southerners need is an object
lesson in true patriotism. The National
Cemeteries around Richmond are compare
lively neglected, while every year the demon
STATIONS on the part of the Southeners on
Memorial Day become larger and larger.
There is. as / said before, only small, weak
GA. X. Post in Richmond. This Post deco
rates the graves in one of the National ceme-
teries each year; but the Post is too small in
numbers to have any practical influence and
the work done is swallowed up by the large
demonstrations on the other side. The news
papers barely mention the affair, and alto
gether there is little if any force in the whole
affair.
If the G. A. r. would take this matter in
hand and determine to send delegations each
year to Richmond and show these people that
the North have not forgotten the many brave
soldiers who lie buried here, apparently neg
lected and forgotten by their living comrades,
the result would thousand times repay them
for the outlay.
Have those who fought to preserve the
Union died in vain? No, never, while there
is one sentinel left to sound the alarm and to
let the true patriots of this Union know what
is now going on in the former Capital of the
Confederacy.
"Tears may be ours but proud for those who win
Deaths royal purple i'm the foeusan's lines;
Peace too, brings tears; and mid the battle din
The wiser ear some text of God divines,
For the sieathed blade may rust with darker sin.
God give us peace! not such AS lulls 10 sleep,
But sword on thigh and brow with purpose kniti
And let our Ship OF State to harbor sweep,
Her ports all UP, her battle lanterns lit.
And her leashed thunders gathering for theil
leapf
Three roots bear up Dominion: knowledge. Will
These twain are strong. but! stronger yet The
Obedience. tits the great tap root that still,
Knit round the rock Of Duty. is not stirred,
Though Heaven.lo osed tempesis spend their nj