The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-28

| another occurrence (for It meant more)
a story which you will recall. for you
Yourself told me. the story OF Confed-
crate father with heart unchilled by ths
lapse OF time. his memory all fun OF
! that crowded four years. which was al
most all of his life to so many. He was
telling his family what we did and what
they did and why 1t all was. His son,
his own son, turned and with plying
smile said: The old man believes every
word OF thatv' young fellow / recently
met. who pleased me well up 20 that mo-
ment. was talking OF that splendid record
of ennobllng self sacrifice which. as text
book Of true manliness and heart swelling
devotion, liz inferior only TO the Book OF
Truth itself IAN that Is nothing to us
now" he said. "Al that has gone by
and we must go ahead" i did not like
him any more. Incapable OF reverence;
incapable Of exalting worship: dead to the
power OF duty; dead to the sa-
cred case OF truth, and TO that
bright honor that will not buy a break
fast" and yet is brighter and more pre-
cious than mines of Golconda or wealth
of furthest Ind!-To what point have
we GOMEZ Soldiers and Gentlemen, Let
us keep step and time together and do
the work WE'LL.
l have not given you such details OF
errors, and ingenious omissions OF facts
and suggestions of error, as would prove
all the allegations that we bring against
these books I want il under stood. how
ever, that chapter and verse are ready.
and can be cited on occasion. am
aware that you who are to do this work
know there Is cause. / have only spok-
en- to excite you TO a deeper. more de-
termlned purpose. Justice requires that
I should stop to say that all now APP
parently or partially responsible for this
thing are not so. and OF some. whose
hand are not altogether clean. think that
we. standing Cor the truth tonight. the
truth that accumulated error would hide
from our sight, may remember the time
when the cruel stones overwhelmed 1t In
the person OF the martyr stephen, and
with him declare our belief. or at least,
our hope, that these persons knew not
what they did.
A BETTER THOUGHT.
II II was done carelessly or OF malice
prepense. it is stranger than l thought.
For myself. believe this is relic of
the day when in our haste to begin the
general educational work in Virginia.
some people went North and borrowed
Northern methods, Northern men and
Northern books together.
And now l reach the final and more Sc
rious view of the subject. 1t was and Is a
grievous breach of trust. and to n woful
extent irreparable. The dead trusted
you and me 10 see that their memories
were kept bright. their honor unfair
nshed and their children reared I'm that
true faith that they thought worth life
itself, even that life for which man will
give all that he hath. | see them all
around me. as / gaze upon these walls.
Their memories crowd uDOn me sir. and
speak the words OF truth and sOberness
when I tell you that / am bowed down
with shame because this great trust has
been so unfaithfully discharged.
Mr.. Chairman / have partly read what
! desired to say. knowing that | should
not make so good n speech. unable 10 find
time to prepare il in any other way. but
holding IL more important to say exact
ly what ] meant, nothing 10 eXtenuate
and naught set down in malice and TO
speak moderately. though my heart is hot
within me. and although when ! think Of
the multitude Of Virginia boys who will
never experience the proud delight OF
knowing that their fathers were wise and
faithful men. never feel the enrolling JOY
that the Southern position was histori-
cally true and politically right, that It
was clearly defined question OF fight or
6ishonor for Virginia and that Robert
Lee was a king. / am full OF pain. filled
with a bitterness that tongue Of men
cannot express.