Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-06-19
4 GENEROUS OFFER.
C. q. Rouss Wants Confederate Memo
rial Built.

I ANhNA AANh man htto Ills NNa laANANN''NN-
hobby. Some devote themselves to yacht
ing and others to the breeding OF running
and trotting horses, while still others de.
rive their chief pleasure in life from trav-
el, books, the erection of magnificent
mansions.
Charles Broadway Rouss does not diff
fer from the other wealthy men of his
time. He too has hobby. 1t is to es-
tablish National Confederate Memorial
Association, which shall have the custody
of all the relics, valuable papers, etc, OF
the late war, which are now scattered over
the country. Perhaps the word hobby is
not strong enough to express Mr.. Rouss'
sentiments in this matter, for it amounts
to a passion with him, and he regards it
as a sacred duty to do all in his power to
preserve the traditions of the South. For
this purpose he is willing to contribute
literally from his large fortune.
Mr.. Rouss has already done a great
deal for the South and lis people, and is
prepared to do still more. He thinks
that the Civil War will 90 down into his
tory as one of the greatest military slrug-
giles on record. He believes that the ar
mics and the generals on the Southern
side have not been treated with justice or
fairness, and that in the time to come the
war willtak rank with the wars of the
Ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Mace
domains or the Persians. There is no bet
ter way to accomplish this, he thinks,
than by the establishment Of muse-
um where the scattered relics and records
of the Confederacy can be gathered to-
gether and preserved for the future his
historian. As it is now these relics, i'm
portant records and documents are being
exhibited and offered for sale in all parts
Of the country. BY collecting them in
one museum this would be prevented, and
the people OF the South would have some
thing of which they could be justly proud.
Mr.. Rouss says that there is no doubt
that the Southern people will take kindly
to the idea of the National Memorial, and
that it is only a question Of short time
when work on the museum will be begun.
He has generously offered to contribute
500, 900 toward its erection, making only
one condition. That is that the people of
the South raise like amount. He says
that 100000 will be sufficient to build
museum and leave a surplus for the pur-
chase of the widely scattered relics.
In furtherance of this idea Mr.. Rouss
wrote the following letter to General Ste
phen d. Lee, which was read at the re-
cent Confederate Reunion at Houston
New YORK, May 11.-My Dear
Friend and Comrade: : As l have been in
correspondence with many Confederate
veterans in relation TO the establishment
of National Memorial Association, and
as the matter has been c.iled officially to
the attention of the United Confederate
Veterans by the two department COM
mands, | assume that it will be subject of
discussion at the Houston reunion
Should this be the case, | beg that you
will furnish the Veterans with fuller par
ticuars than | have been able to convey
to them by circular or letter. The fol-
lowing statement will explain the reason
that induced me to interest myself in this
memorial movement, and why felt war
ranted in calling upon my comrades for
co operation.
Shortly after the termination of the war
became thoroughly impressed with the
importance of the South taking up the
work of vindicatiou. | saw that North.
ern writers, imbued with partisan feelings,
stimulated by sectional auimosity, and
posing as historians, were falsifying histo-
ry; that they were misrepresenting the
cause that forced the South to take up
arms and the manner in which she had
sustained the conflict that they were re-
Wiling our domestic institutions, impugn-
ing the courage and devotion of our SOL
diers, making our trustred leaders the OBJ
iects of malignant abuse and were utiliz-
ing the text books of the schools to mis-
lead and debauch the minds of the young.
I saw that these Misrepresentation and
ISLANDERS, propagated over a wide field and
without correction, we're being accepted
as facts.
In view of this, I saw with great salts
faction and watched with eager interest
the growth of movement in the South
to insure the truth of history by means Of
a truthful record of the great conflict, and
an explanation of the causes that led 10
it. thought that all who wore the gray
would work harmoniously to this end, and
in addition do all in their power to pre-