Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-12-03
SPIRIT OF JEFFERSON.
Ol..aIss TOE. Jas.sa.son cogasT. v. VI.
TUESDAY MoRNING. DEoEMBER s. lsos.
The south.s RattIe ABBEY.
An Eloquent and Noble address to
the Men and Women of the South.

ate Veterans, the Daughters of the Confed-
eracy and the Noble Women of the South
This address is made TO You by direction OF
general committee from all of the Southern
States, acting under appointment and by au-
thority of the United Confederate Veterans
Association
That general committee was raised in con-
sequence of communication from Mr.. Charles
Broadway Rouss, of New York City, at the
annual convention of United Confederate Vet
e rams, in Houston, Tex, through which this
generous Confederate Comrade proposes to
give S100 GOO for great purpose which will
be more particularly described hereafter, upon
the proper condition that we would evince an
equally patriotic spirit by contributing, in
many small subscriptions, similar sum. The
communication of Mr.. Rouss was received
with most appreciatiye demonstration of
enthusiasm by the immense body of Confeder-
ates assembled in that reunion, and on q res
olution presented by j. B. Gordon, Command
ing General, with General Stephen u. Lee in
the chair. 1t was composed of one member
from each Division or State. This important
commission was entrusted to the following
comrades, viz:
Gen. George Il. Stewart Maryland.
Col. J. r. Mcintosh, Mississippi
Gen, George ID. Johnston, Alabama
Col. J. B. Cary, Virginia.
Gen. J. A. Chalaron, Louisiana.
Capt b. 81. league, South Carolina.
Major W, r. Garrett, Tennessee.
Col John o. easier, Oklahoma.
Gen. w d. Chipley, Florida.
Col. j. q. Cravens, Missouri.
Capt. John. II. Carter, Kentucky.
Col. Howard Williams, Georgia.
Hon. W. q. Ratchiffe, Arkansas.
Gen. W. L Cabell, Texas.
Col. Thos. s. Keuan, North Carolina.
DIR. l.. Q. Tennent, Indian Territory.
Capt. John NJ. Hickey, Washington, ID. q.
Capt. w. q. White, West Virginia.
The committee assembled in Atlanta, Geor-
gia, October 49, 1885, in person or by proxy,
the proxies being Gen. Clement A. Evans, j..
o. Murray, of West Virginia and Col. Robert
C. Wood. Its deliberations continued several
days and covered fully and carefully the great
ulntter submitted for consideration; all of
which discussions were held with remarkable
unity and enthusiasm, eyincing the most patri-
otto spirit and lofty purpose to carry on to
rapid and signal success the magnificent
scheme which Mr.. Rouss had inaugurated.
The conclusions of the committee were
reached in absolute and fraternal unanimity,
and it was then deemed to be essential that an
address to our people should be made through
special committee appointed for that
purpose.
We therefore enter upon this duty confess
ing our profound sense of the magnitude of
the enterprise we have in hand, and the mex
pressible worth to ourselves, our posterity, our
South and our whole country of the memorial
institution suggested by Mr.. Rouss. We do
n ot distrust your patriotic interest in perpetu-
ating the principles which have always gov
erned the actions of the Southern people. and
in preserving the materials of their honorable
history we do not imagine there Is any
abatement of the tenderness or strength of
your regard for the actors in the ever memor-
able days of the Confederacy nor do we fear
n lack of your liberality in q prompt response
to an appeal on behalf of our common cause !;
but VIC sincerely say that in the brief space
within which this address is necessarily con-
fined we cannot adeqc1tely set forth the ines
timable value the absolute necessity the limit
less influence, as well as the sublime spirit
all included within the Incompatible endeayor
now proposed, to establish in the South a SUI
perb and indeStructible memorial OF Contcd-
crate times.
With this feeling deeply impressing our
selves. we proceed to submit to You very
succinct statement of the noble proposal of
Mr.. ROuss and the object now contemplated
as something sure of attainment through yonr
speedy and enthusiastic action. 1t is eminent
~ proper, however, that we precede the state
ment with mention OF the IRE OF the nope
private soldier of the Confederate Army who
first of all his comrades rose to the conception
of an enterprise on hehalf of his beloved
South, exceeding all prior memorials and well
worthy of the great cause it is designed to
represent Our comrade, Charles Broadway
Rouss, is proud of his Southern birth, and has
never wavered in the devotion of his heart
from his Southern comrades. He was born
iuteiligently accustomed to commercial life
In the nIidst of successful career, then fairly
begun. be was found ready when war arose to
obey the call of the South, and enlisted as a
private in the Twelfth Virginia Cavalry. where
he rode with Rosscr, Ashby and other gallant
spirits in that dangerous service which daily
imperilled the lives of those brave men.
Seeking no other place but that of fighting
private. he impressed himself upon the mem
| ory of his comrades by his fidelity and gnllan-
try to the last. General Rosser said recently
that his attention was often drawn to the brave
young cavalryman in the desperate fights in
which the Black Hi rise Cavalry were go fire.
quently engaged. Thus by his hard, unselfsh
and dangerous service through the perils of
] the whole war our comrade endeared himself
10 US and unconsciously became that typical
Southern soldier who will be conspieuously
portrayed in the history, poetry, statuary and
song of the ages to come. His name is now
far famed and feryently mentioned through
| ont our country, but the truest evidence oil
our appreciation will be manifested when we
| celebrate his three-score years of valuable life
in 1896, by presenting him parchment scroll
containing tens of thousands of names with a
completed response to his proposition
| after the war he went to New York City and
engaged in commercial business on plan OF
his own conceDtiou. Commencing without
capital but with unborn courage and certain
| iutuitions that surely directed him to success.
our comrade illustrated Southern commercial
| genius in the great city of New York. amidst
| the giants of trade and accumulated large
wealth. His financial success broadened his
4 opportunities for benevolencc and these be
| has seized to relieve many Confederate, TO
| help numbers of struggling young men to
encourage institutions of charity and to build
monuments in memory OF the Confederate
dead
! Now he crowns all with an unexpected, I'M
solicited proposal so unique and appropriate
so grand and feasible that we can have no
hesitation in an immediate enthusiastic coop
/ Grafton with him in bearing 1t on the rising
tide to q most magnificent success. What y
/ this undertaking? 1t is no less than the found
| in. of O memorial institution of noble proper
lions in some Southern city which Will be de-
voted TO the collection and guardianship OF all
| things that can illustrate the entire wonderful
epoch of the Southern Confederaey in every
respect whatsoever.
1t is necessary 10 state the plan itself plainly
| in order that you may understand It clearly
and be prepared to accept it heartily and act
upon it promptly. In 1891 Mr. Kouss adj
/ dressed fraterral, patriotic letter through the
mails to the various camps of Confederate
veterans, in which be called special attention
to the pressing necessity of establishing soEle
institution which would guard forever
| 1.-THE memories of the struggle of the South tor
liberty, and evidences of her glorious proves
in the field, and after expressing his own warm
desires invited responses from his comrades.
Within . month replies came from hundreds OF
sources such as to call forth his second letter,
| of December, the same year. in which he says
'-The theory of the movement Is this: That
every Confederate veteran should have pro-
prietary interest in the institution; that each
of them shonld feel that he had contributed
~