The commonwealth., 1897-07-01
JACKSON'S RELIGION.
TRIBUTE TO "SToNEWALL's"
CHRISTIANITY.
"a Mans Religion the Chief Fact. .

"a Mans Religion the Chief Fact. .
At 1.-THE dedication of "Stonewall''
Jackson Memorial Hall in Lexington
two weeks ago, DR.. J. P. Smith, OF
Richmond, paid the following tribute
to the great Christian soldiers religion
and devotion to God and His righteous
ness as printed in the Richmond Dis
patch:
at is not an accident that in the i'm
pressiye exercises with which you open
this building there is place assigned
for the religious character OF him
whose name 1t bears. It is not only
that any study of his character and
career would be incomplete, not that it
would be wholly unphilosophical and
untruthful without statement of that
which lay so effectively in his heart,
and covered so entirely all that we
know of him. It was Thomas Carlisle
who said, "A mans religion is the chief
fact with regard to him. and more
than of any man of renown of modern
times, it is true. that the religion OF
jackson was the man himself. It was
not only that he was a religious man,
but that he was that rare man among
men to whom religion was everlasting.
Eminent critics are telling us that the
campaigns of Jackson will be the study
and the admiration of military schools
for centuries to come. However true
that may be of him, we are sure that
the religion of Stonewall Jackson will
be the chief and most effective way
into the secret spring of the character
and career of this strange man, who,
as the years go by, is rising into the
ranks of the great soldier saints of bis
tory-Saint Louis, of France Gustayus
Adolphus, of Sweden Oliver Cromwell,
of England Stonewall Jackson, of
America. DR.. Smith spoke OF the in
heritance of Jackson of the blood Of a
stalwart race of the hard discipline of
his youth OF the memory of his mother,
taken from him when he was little
child OF Z years. He spoke of his bap-
tism at Fcrt Hamilton by an Episcopal
clergyman of his seeking the counsel
of the Catholic Bishop of Mexico, and
of his profession OF religion In Lexlng
ton of the growth of his knowledge
and faith. Unlike the wicked of whom
the Psalmist speaks, God was in all
his thoughts His faith gave unity,
simplicity, dlrectness, and humility in
a marked degree. He spoke of his de-
pendence, his implicit obedience to
Gods Will, as made known to him. The
Providence of God was an all-embrac-
ing fact and prayer to present God
was a direct consequence. He was
capable of anger and indignation in a
high degree, but bad learned a self
mastery that was something marvellous.
He was generous to views of others, and
catholic In spirit. He was not devoid
of humor-the humor of Jackson was
illustrated by incidents the stern war
rior was the gentlest of men. Are these
the things that make the gentleman?
Are purity and truth, modesty and
courtesy the things by which we know
him? These things he had not by
conventionality, but as the expression
of gentle nature and the fruit of abid-
ing principle. An English officer, after
a weeks stay with General Jackson,
said He is revelation to me. He is
the best informed soldier have found
in America, and as perfect gentleman
as 1 have. ever known How fitting
that the two Virginia heroes of the
Civil war should meet again and find
their resting place in tombs so near, in
this retired place among the stony
mountains of the State they loved so
well. Two lofty leaders, they stand on
Fame's eternal camping-ground, each
giving unfading glory to the other.
GLOW happy and hopeful it is that
here the young men of Virginia, from
mountains and lowlands alike, are to
be gathered in growing numbers, and to
be trained for life under the pervading
inspiration of names and stories, heard
which none in all history are more ef-
fulgent in all things, pure and lovely,
and-of good report. If any young man
shall go out from the institutions of
Lexington to anything in life that is
corrupt or unmanly or forgetful of the
honor of Virginia, he will do so against
the example and the appeal of Robert
E. Lee and Stonewall jackson. Ten
years of faithful toll Jackson gave to
the Virginia Military Institute, with
difficulties that have not always been
we'll understood. Through uncounted