Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-29
TUESDAY MAY 20, 1894
Drum and Fife. Soldiers Young and Old.

Veterans and volunteers will come
trooping into Richmond to-day and to-
morrow to participate in the dedication
of the Soldiers and Sailors monument
and roll OF drum and shrek OF fife VIII
become familiar sounds to this communl-
~ again.
Nearly every man Of healthy mind and
body at some period in his life has
wished TO be a soldier. and few have not
wished to see a great war. The genera
tIon which Is now rapidly passing from
the stage Of life had its I'll in both re-
srects We saw war with ,and without
its eIamor. In the beginning 1t was gio-
rious In every circumstance. inc UNI
forms we're new. the brass buttons on
them were bright, highly-pollshed mus
kots and swords CLEANED In the sunlight
like Jewels on the brow Of beauty ana
from the general to the private In the
ranks hope ran high. Always we ga"
victory perchng on our banners, ana
somewhat in the distance we saw our
men. their task accomplished, coming
home from the war with trophies OF their
yaIor 10 receive the plaudits OF thelr
fellow-citizens. But turn in affairs
made the reality far different from what
we had imagined. Wounds and sickness
came and with them dreary marches
short rations, tedious months spent In the
trenches. and at last-.crushed hopes.
uappy Is this generation that the war
js behind. not before IT. And yet we
know Of no Confederate veterans who
lament that they took part in that strug-
Gle. We know not one who thinks with
out pleasure Of the sacrifices he made, OF
the battles in which he fought, Of the
honorable scars he bears upon his per-
son. Indeed, the war has now receded
into the distance sufficiently to efface
from memory much Of it's horror, whilst
al it's glorles are remembered and trea-
sured.
There doesn't live a true-hearted ex"
Confederate soldier who isn't proud Of the
fact that ne helped to make the names
OF Lee and Jackson immortal; that he
assisted to illustrate southern valor at
Manassas. Richmond. Fredericksburg.
Gettysburg. Shiloh, Atlanta, Chattanooga,
Charleston, Mobile, Wilmington, and APP
pomattox. Well may our volunteers come
70 do honor to our veterans-to our Vete-
rams who are dead. to our veterans soon
in the course of nature to die, and for
an of whom the Soldiers and Sailors
monument has been erected.
There Is at this time well-organlzed
and widespread movement in favor OF
the settlement OF all international dis
putes by arbitration; but it may not sue
coed in every case, even where resorted TO
I'm good faith. Hence independently OF the
fact that troops will always be needed
for the suppression of domestic violence,
he win probably be an aged man before
he dies who lives to see the time when
great bodies of organized soldiery, regu-
lars and volunteers. are not maintained
by the nations of the earth. In our volun-
teers of to-day Is our defence against
Anarchists and our protection In case
any foreign power should trespass upon
our territory, These patriotic, enthusias-
tic young soldiers are worthy successors
of the men who followed Lee and John
ston for four years and laid down their
arms to become as Incompatible as citi-
zens as they had been as soldiers.
Long may the military spirit survive
with us. keeping alive chlvalric traditions
and fostering in our young men indepen-
dence, respect for authority, and venera-
ton for our forefathers, who bought this
Land Of ours with their priceless blood.