The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-05-11


the blood OF heroes. and on whose ma
ternal bosom are pillowed the heads OF
those brave sons who sleep In the graves
OF martyr patriots.
GOD BLESS VIRGINIA.
God bless thee, Virginia. Wherever He
has a follower or truth worshipper. or
liberty a defender. there wilt thou have
a lover, and the story OF thy life will
nerve the arm and inspire the heart OF
all VINO strike for right.
Upon whose invitation arc We metz
We are called together by the president
and ladies OF the lakewood Memorial As
ISOLATION. And we do well 10 obey their
call. for when Nrginia's daughters call
TO her sons, and point the way, mat Is
always the path OF duty and Of honor
Nations have been houored only as they
have honorcd woman. What would Eng
land have been without her queens;
Rome without her matr0ns; Sparta with
out her mOthcrs2 What would Virginia
he without her daughters. who are
queens matrOns. mothers. all in one
when II was seen that war must come.
who babe the men preserve the honor,
and see that no harm bcfcl "The old
Commonwealth? When war did come
who, with her own fair hands. clothed
the soldiers. and without a tear. buckied
the sword upon lovers. brothers. sons,
and husbands. and bade them return upon
their shields rather than without them
when battle came. and the fierce god
or war claimed his victims by the thou
sands the wounded and the dying on
All sides VINO nurscd the one and solaced
the last moments Of the other? When
victory pcrched upon our banners as Oft
times II did, who rejOiccd with u.s. NJ hcu
defeat frowned upon us, who cheered
the dropping and restored confidence TO
the falterins? Woman.
At THE Esd.
And when the end came; when man
hood was Of no avail. devotion and dar-
ing Of no effect, when the noble band had
dwindled 10 few; when the sword had
fallen from the nervoless grasp, when the
night was over and the day came That
knew no evening shadow or setting sun;
when Virginia, like Rachel, sat weeping
for her loved ones. and would not bee
comforted. because they We're not "hen
called upon TO degrade her living and
disown her dead. when all hope had
flown; when "the hour and power
Of darkness" was upon her, who
dried the tears Of the dear, old Mother
state" bending in weight Of woe over
the stricken manhood other sons VINO
lifted the PROSTATE form, and by lnstllins
new life, new hope, new faith, new cncf-
gy. and new aspirations into the veins OF
her sons. placed again her government in
ver own hands? II was woman-God
last best gift TO man.
And it is upon the invitation Of such
women that We are met. for side by
SIDE with the Confederate soldier stood
and stands the Southern woman, true
and tried, and glorious In her unsWefN-
ing fidelity and love. In all the books of
Ystory there will be no proudcr page
than that on which is recorded her he
roic patience. courage, and devotion.
II is well 10 erect monuments TO the
fallen heroes of the Lost Cause, but
there is one monument that long TO see
crcctcd-a shaft OF pure, white marble
pointing hcavenward, in nonor OF the
women of the South.
We are called together to-day by the
ladies of "The OakWool Memorial Aeso-
citation" Virginia women. the highest
type Of W0manhood the noblest order OF
womanly nobility, the queenliost OF
Qleeny race.
WHY IS THIS?
For what purpose arc we come to-
gether? These little children. why are
they here clad i'm white not purcr than
their own Young hearts. bearing Wroaths
and flowers not sweeter or pretticr than
themselves? Why have these girls and
boys put aside the games I'm which they
SO much dclisht? These young mca and
mailens. why have they quit their daily
duties? Why have these fathers and
mothers put away the cares of business
and the worry of the household? Why
have we here these soldier boys. the SONS
of those who fought so long and so Wei,
and these veterans of many battles. who
bear upon their persons the scars Of con-
niet. and who have scarce removed from
their checks the bronze of war? They
have all come 10 pay tribute TO our dead
heroes.
IL is pleasant to see friendship prove
more lasting than life itself. to see the
love between parents and children. which,
more abiding than death, raises tablets
TO the memory of the dear departed, but
OH how beautiful. how noble, how grand.
to see the daughters of Virginia collect
ing the remains Of her defenders, Sc
curing for them resting place erecting
monuments 10 their memory and assem-
bling old and young, that they may place
flowers upon their graves and rise mp
and call them blessed
Strong is the tie that binds the living
to the dead. lasting is The bond which
neither time nor the grave can weaken.
Let us see what these men have done,
what are the tics that unite. the bonds
that bind, that all thus meet 10 honor
them.
THE STONE WALL.
The question is answered by "The
First Manassas" whore Bee and Barlow
fell. where Jackson stood as a stone
wall" dashing back every wave OF battle
that burst upon him. BY THE Second
Manassas" where as a thunlerbOlt II
war. Lee scattered and crushed every
thing that opposed. and thus showed that
reversed position, increased numbers. and
changed commanders could avail nothing
against bravery such as We this day
commemorate.
The question is further answered by the
battles around our own beloved city,
where for seven days there "aged each
day a battle, each battle a victory, the
whole grand triumph. which left the
enemy broken, shattered, and covering
beneath the shelter OF his 2unhoats.
Harper's Fcrry's rugged heights, with
SIS captured army and countless stores
Sharpsburg's crippled host, slaughtered
and destroyed Fredericksburg con-
tinues the response. The Wilderness won
at so great a cost. Slaughter Noun
tain. so aptly named; Spotsylvania's
bloody field and hard-carned victory; cold
Harbors useless butchery.
Virginia. from all her hill-tops and
mountains, proclaims the heroism. while
all her plains and valleys re-echo the
praises Of her defenders.
In the language Of an old veteran. Il
am lost in astonishmcnt that so small a
share of the glory won is ascribed to the
private soldier. while the brows of the
officers are wreathed with laurcls."
FOND MfMoRIrs
oh