The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-20
M1Mi3

49, W NilN
ment, called conventions. ana one state
after another passed acts or secession,
by which they undertook TO secede Irom
the Union Of States. resume the delegated
powers and sove~ their connection Win
the Federal government They did not
make wal upon any one. 1hey ohly ASK
ed 10 be let acne. They asked TOT no
property and demanded nothing except
the recognition Of their rights 10 govern
their own affairs. These states formed
another union Of States known as me
Confederate States Of America. our
Northern brethren did not interpret the
constitution as we did. They denied our
right TO sever connection with the Union.
They declared that We were rebels In a
state Of rebellion. and they resorted 10
arms TO enforce the laws of the United
States and to compel obedience 10 us au-
thOrity. We believed we were right ana
believing this. we had the mahhoou 10
Gare maintain it. The gage OF battle was
rendered and we accepted IL. To arms 10
arms was echoed throughout the lahu.
The bugle call was heard from every hlil-
top ana throughout every valley. IA,
theirs, husbands. sons. brothers., ana
sweethearts. gave the farewell KISS ana
pressed forward to rcpel the foe, that as
we honestly believed. was invading our
territory without shadow Of authority.
From every State anne the sons OF the
South. From the plains Of Texas, from
the States washed by the CUR, from
across the Father OF Waters, from Ten
nessee. Kentucky and Maryland, from
NN' AAANA + NVA NAAH $500
State Of the Southland they came. They
came from the farm. from the store, from
the Office and workshop. from every. trace
and profession till Virginia bristled WIN
bayOnets from the drift wood or the ONO
10 the sands of the seashOre.
FROM OTHER CLIMES.
There were those who were not OF our
race, but were adopted from other climes
who stood with IS. ] would not forget
them. Some months ago, while IN TINS
city, | visited the Jewish cemetery ana
saw the plat dedicated 70 the graves OF
those Of that race who fell in the South
crn army. Had / ever felt disposed 10 de-
ride those people and give them The cold
shoulder. ! could do so no more. They
touched elbows with us and died for US.
We know what part they played IN the
history Of the past and II / read the lines
Of prophecy correctly. they Will have an
important part yet to act IN the great
drama Of life. and ! do believe that the
descendants Of Judca will yet herd their
focks amid the hills Of the Assyrian
kings and sing songs 10 the Messiah be-
meath the stars Of the Chaldean sky. All,
all were our comrades
VIM living. were true ard tried for us,
And dying. sleep side by side for us.
without an army. without munitions of
war. with our ports blockaded and cut
of from the rest of the world, with only
our own resources to rely upon, the SOutn
I'm a few months. sent into the field an
"a ny " NNhAtAH'iAH VIA AA ENAHEAa H -"H
daunted courage and powers Of endur-
ance. was seldom squalled and never cN-
cellcd in ancient or modern times. For
four years the Southern army, with no
place to recruit from except our own
homes. met i'm the open field an army
or vastly superior numbers. with money
and army stores I'm abundance and with
the world TO draw from to swell its
ranks. Those who were our enemies have
furnished i~ndisputable proof OF the dash
and terrible fighting qualities OF the
southern army. While the pension sys-
tenn of the Federal government is the
most ~stupendOus fraud ever perpetrated
upon a long-suffering people, IL furnishes
a monument 10 the chivalry OF the South
ern soldier that speaks with a trumpets
tongue and a thunders voice. Think or
IL. T~hirty-three years after the close OF
the war. there are more pensioners upon
the list. basing their claims upon service
in the Federal army. directly or indirect
lN, than the Southern Confederacy ever
had men in the field including the living
and the dead.
OUR CAUSE LOST.
on ana on rolled the surging fiery bill
lows OF war till scarcely a home in the
Southland was beyond the roar of cannon
and the rattle of musketry. Stronger and
stronger grew the Federal army. weaker
and weaker grew the Southern. till at last
our chieftain, Robert T.. Lee. beside
whom, ms man and soldier. there is no
one 10 place. who can chin 10 be his
lffNt SUI ItllfflF A NlI remnant OA NME ENA~
liant army. our flag was furled. our
hopes We're blasted. our cause was lost.
Amid all these stirring scenes who was
the central hgure2 Around whom did
all the hopes Of the PEOPLE cluster To
whom did the people OF the Southland
look I'm the darkest hour with a. cOnt-
dence that knew no waveringy To that
grand man and great commander, Robert
h. Lee. And what shall / say Of him.
Language which my feeble ability en-
ables M 10 command Is inadequate 10 eX-
press my admiration for him and my con-
ceptiOn OF his greatness as man ana SOL
der. The Southland plOWed with graves
and Redeemed with blood. thdt can look
the prOudest nation fearlessly in the face.
and whose sons he led TO battle. will ever
cherish for him the highest regard ana
the deepest affection. Aye, moro. his
fame is not bounded by the country OF
which he was a citizen. but 10 has gone
across the waters and wherever there Us
"a heart upon whose altar burn the fires
Of liberty. and a soul that appreciates an
that is great and good. there the name OF
Robert +. Lee. is enshrined. and when
the monuments we may build TO his mem
DRY shall have crumbled into dust. his
virtues Will still live-a high model for the
imitation OF generations yet unborn. A.
has been beautifully said. II was a Zoe
without hate, a friend without trcachery,
a soldier without cruelty. and a victim
without murmuring. He was "a public
officer without vices. "A private cltZen
without wrong. a neighbo without re-
preach. "a Christian without hypocrisy
and "A man without guile. lie was Caesar
without his ambition. Frederick without
his tyranny. Napoleon without his selfish
ness and Washington without his reward
He was Obedient to authority as a SER
want and royal in authority as a king.
He was gentle as a woman I'm life, pure
and modest as "A virgin in thought
watchful as "a Roman ycstal. submissive
10 law as Socrates and grand in battle as
Achilles.
LEFT HIS TREASURES BEHIND.
The profession OF the soldier has been
honored by his renOwn. the cause OF edu-
cation by his virtues, religion by MS
piety-
THE greatest gift 4 hero leaves his race
Is to have been "a hero
In the ancient East. it is said. the wan
dering Arabs are searching for treasures
buried in the tomb OF their mOnarchs
lie whose memory We commemorate, on
this the ninety-first anniversary Of his
birth. has no treasures buried with him.
The treasures of his life were brave. mo-
bic. unselhsh deeds. which he left behind
him 10 make the sons Of men wiser. no.
bier and better.
I said Ouc cause was lost. but il was lost
only in the sense that We did not accom-
pllsh that for which we struggled. but the
principles for which we cOntended stili
live. Clouds may obscure the sun. but Il
still shines. truth may be crushed 10 the
earth, but II will rise again. principles
OF justice and right may be trampled up
der the feet OF d~emagogues and fanatics,
but they still survive. All else may
change AMI decay. Passing away IS writ
ten upon all material things. The. grass
of the field withereth. the flower thereof
fadeth. the wind passeth over II and II Is
gone The tiny leaf springing from the
eNpgn1iun tree cbappafh its color from