The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-05

|
The Constitution Then with dignity
calmness. and courage she walked out OF
The Union. with all her children about
her In solid phalanx. She knew that her
act meant war and she stepped upon the
arCna OF that fearful strife with the
! violated charter OF her rights In one
| other. How she maintained herself: how
| She suffered how she lost her liberties:
| how she has borne the results OF de-
| feat, is what the sold FRS who fought TOT
| her Liberties desire the world 10 know.
QUARTER OF A CENTURY LATER.
More than a quarter OF century has
! passed since the fearful conflict ended.
| More than two-thirds OF the soldiers who
! fought under her banners are laid TO
| rest forever, and those who survive are
all OLD men. But they IRE iatners, ana
| II Is but natural that they should desire
| that their children and tho generations
! which are 10 come after them should
| know the truth rcspe ,lng that period
| in their history when they were making
| daily sacrifice OF life for liberty and
me world has been tod that the peo-
Die Of the South fought TO hold and per-
| Tctuate the institution Of human slavery.
! Il is true that slavery vas the cause OF
! tic war between the States but II is
! not true that II was the cause FOR which
| tho people of the South fought. Ire
soldiers of Virginia STOOD IN STEADY ranks
i,ron her borders, without the spirit Of
| invasion, but filled with the purpose or
defrnce. and struck only when the peo-
plc OF the North invaded her soil win
| deadly weapons IN their hands ana dead
- purpose in their hearts.
THE sLayfEY QUESTION.
II slavery was wrong, we answer our
friends Of the North with the historic
statement that they were the authors
OF 10 upon American soil We say 10
! thcm that when the convention Of lisI
proposed to abolish the African slave
J trade as soon as the Constitution which
| they were celebrating upon was adopted
bv the convention and ratified by the
! pr0plc the answer came from the rep
! rcseutatives of tfe New England states
| I'm that convention that their people
| would not rdtNy tndt constitution Win
The reason given was that their mer-
! chant marine was dependent upon the
African slave trade for its prosperity,
| and II tho people of New England were
deprived of the profits from that trade
| they would be driven into bankruptcy.
! All of the southern States except the
| States Of South Carolina and Georgia
! insisted upon the provision, but 50 earn
I est was the opposition OF New England,
so open and avowed was its purpose not
! 10 adopt ana ratify the Constitution with
/ that provision in IT, that the convention
was forced into compromise by which
/ il was agreed that the African slave trade
should continue until 1870 SO for twenty
three years the ships OF New England
/ fI.1Etl
! African negroes. and during that period
| they imported from Africa more slaves
! than were in the United States at tile
time the Constitution was adopted.
COLD. HARD FtcTs.
These are the cold. hard facts of his
! tory. as they are to be found I'm Ell-otts
! Debates. in Bancrofts History Of the
! United States. and in Charles Francis
| Adams History of Massachusetts. The
| historic old ship the Mayfiowcr. was a
slayc-tradcr until she became unsel-
| worthy II IS impossible TO discuss upon
en- occasion like this all OF tn, facts
] and causes which led up 20 and prOuucci
| the war between the States, but II IS
| gratifying TO know that We are gsttirg
| far enough away from the passions OF
! the struggle 10 begin to consider these
facts and causes with something Xix
| judicial calmness and historic fairness.
| Who unbiased student Of history. IN
/ earnest search for tha truth, is throwing
more and more light upon this subject
! with every passing year, and We may be
assured that i'm the course Of time the
| truth viii be known. and when II IS
! known the descendants Of these old So
Gitrs who are assembled upon this green
! TO-DAY VIII be as proud OF the history
| Of their fathers as are the descen 1dnts
| of the men who established American
| independence under the declaration Of
| III Cmas Jefferson and with the sword Of
| George Washington.
believe it to be true that no country
! ever entered into war with a clearer
! knowledge on the part Ct its people OF
| what il was fighting for and no p@opIe
| ever had clearer conviction of the
righteousness Of the cause for which
| they fought. Everything that man can
! sacrifice for liberty was willingly offered.
! And SO we are here to-day to erect
| monument 10 the memory OF the cause
| to the memJry Of the soldier who fought
| for it-and we desire the world TO know
| that the leaders Of that struggle on the
| part of the South were no Drawer or more
| devoted 10 its cause than the private
| soldier whose Valcr ard patriotism made
! his commander immortal.
IMMORTAL NAMES.
The world over, the names of Lee,
Johnston, jackson, and Stuart are upon
the lists OF military commanders whose
names are spotless in the discharge of
duty.
II has been well said that the land
| without monuments is a land without
memories, and the land without memo
ries is a land without love. Monuments
mark the civilization OF people. The
pyramids of Egypt, standing in a desert,
thc sculpture and paintings of Greece
and Rome. tell the world that wonderful
| people lived in those countries. which
are to-day almost ciphers upon the map
OF the world.
When the people now living have passed
away, and other generations have taken
their places, they will see a monument
equestrian statue TO the memory 81
Robert r.. Lee, statues 40 the memory
OF StoneNdn Jackson. \. 4. Hin. James
+. b. stuart and splendid column upon
Libby HI. topped by typical southern
private soldier. and other great leaders
and commanders of the south in me
capital city of the tOniederacY. fhcy
Will visit the county seats all over The
state OF Virginia, ana find upon their
couit-erccnS such monuments as the one
We are defeating here to-day, and they
VIII know that these men had no blot 81
treason upon their lives. They viii be
put upon inquiry to ascertain how ana
why ana for what these people lOuSht.
l. is tue mat the armies OF the South
were disciplined b. their own ValOr ana
patriotism. when the disparity of num-
beers and resources and the length or
the struggle are considered. the courage
and endurance of the southern armies
becomes "a matter Of wonder TO the world.
II the Army Of Northern virginia, IN
any one of the great pitched battles 81
the war had outnumbered the Federal
army as the Federal army outnumbered
1t, what would have been the result!
The rowHATAN rrooP
Upon this occasion a brief statement
of The services OF the POWhatan Troop
should Doe made. This company was
0ieanzfi several years before the war.
The whole strength of the company,
from start TO finish of the war. Of those
who were in active service with the com
pauy, not counting those who were de-
tailed 90 perform services as icOuts.
OcCrhes, and officers in other branches
OF the service, numbered n.nety-twO.
The number Of officers and men killed
ana wounded in battle and who died
OF wounds was forty-six. The number
OF horses killed and wounded IS estimated
al hily. The maximum number of men
mounted in any one engagement was
tfty-two. There were only two con-
ScfintS ana two substitutes.