Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-11
O.H.BERRY &C.,,
Main and Tenth SITS.

! of the men who, in every crisis OF our
| national history, have writ their names
"at the top" in crimson letters in the
| very "Rubric of Freedom"
Let who will call it southern Drag
ging' and southern provinciaiism." but
| when Americans in vague and general
| terms boast 1.-THE glories of our COM
mon country" / hold it to be only a
proper pride that bids me. as a Virgin
| ian, remember that it was a Virginian--
| George Mason (great-grandsire of "Odr
| Fitz. ")-who drew the immortal bill OF
| Rights; that IL was a Virginian--R Rich
| ard Henry Lee-who first moved in the
| Continental Congress that "these Colo
| noes are and of right ought to be free
and independent States; that it was a
| observation-disclosures Jefferson-who draft
| ed the Declaration of Independence"
and that it was that glorious rebel" and
| great Virginian-George Washington
who made IT good by his sword.
LOOKED HER FOR LEADERS.
And turning from craftsmanship to
arms, surely It's the same proper pride
that bids us southern men remember that
in every war waged in this country, from
the Colonial wars against the French and
Indians, down to 1861, this whole Ameri-
can people ever looked 10 men of south
ern blood as their natural leaders; that
in the Revolution, as l have said, il was
a southern man who, with his good
blade, carved out the freedom of the west
ern world, and with that splendid galaxy
of Virginia patriots, who look down
upon us in imperishable bronze from yon-
der noble monument hard by the Capitol,
led the new nation out of the narrow
bondage of royal tyranny into the broad
sunlight of republican freedom; that it
was to a southern man and his little hand
full of intrepid Virginians that the nation
owes "the winning of the West; that II
was three southern soldiers in the war OF
1872 who retrieved the disasters that befell
the American arms on land-one yonder
at New Orleans, where, with his "trusty
hunters from Kentucky" behind their
cotton bales, he hurled back in rout and
disaster the flower Of England's veteran
infantry, fresh from historic fields in
Spain, where time and again they had
wrested victory from Napoleon's eagles;
still another at Tippecanoe. in the North
west, and yet another far 10 the north
ward. where, rising above the teaching |
of the schools, he defeated the veteran
tacticians of Europe on the plains OF |
Chippewa. and planted his codntry's flag |
on the hotly-contested heights of Lun-
dy's Lane; that it was southern man |
who won the first Seminole war, and yet |
another in the second, VINO, after the boot
less expenditure of millions Of money and |
repeated disaster pushing his way with |
infinite wariness, courage, endurance,
through the tangled swamps or Florida,
crushed forever the power of those fierce
savages by the gloomy waters OF Lake
okeechobee; that in the war with Next
co, both armies Of invasion were COM
manded by southern men, and more than
half the troops engaged were from South
nd thar tnrlCe-RlO- |
rious day at Buena Vista, where Colonel
jefferson Davis, by his brilliant tacti-
cal manoeuvre, broke the serried batta-
lions of Santa Anna, down to the last
scene in the stirring drama-the daring
escalade Of Chapultepec, where south
ern man was first in the breach-the
whole story Is in chief measure the story
of southern skill and southern velor.
BAGLEY AND HOBSON.
And even in this present war with
Spain, brief as has been the time or ac-
tive operations, we cannot forget that the
first libation offered by America on the
altar of Cuban liberty was the brave
young blood of Bagley, of the "Old North
State" and that within the past week the
noblest traditions of the heroic days OF
the American navy-the days OF Decatur
and Hull, of Preble and Bainbridge-haVe
been revived and perpetuated by the cool
and desperate daring of Hobscn, OF Aid
bama, in running his unarmed collier
past the whitening fire Of 1.-THE MORO"
and sinking her with scientific accuracy
across the narrow passageway leading
into Santiago de Cuba, thus booming TO
the ironclads OF the chiValric
Cevera.
AS Marshal Ney said, when he
saw the beardless young French con-
scripts rushing in all the joyous yalor OF
their youth upon the Russian guns at
"C'est dams lie sang! Cest
dams lie sang! cts in the blood! It's in
the blood
we know not when or how Cuba Is to
be wrested from the Spaniard.
We only know that 1t will be done.
And of yet another thing are we sure
that If those lads who on Sunday last
marched away, sped with smiles that
TO tears" shall ma "a place IN
he picture near the flashing OF the guns"
with Fitzhugh Lee at their head, Virginia
rue TO the proud traditions of her mighty
,ast. will prove herself as Of yore first
N war" as in the palmy days OF the
youne republic she was SO long "hrst IN
,eace." and that the whole nation, KNOW
ne no North, no South, no East. no west.
earring the yictor's wreath, will hail the
,randson OF 'Light-Horse Harry as ne
iheathes his good blade In triumph, WIN
nail our own dashing "old Fftz," as
FIRST IN THE HEARTS OF HIS (
COUNTRY MEN.
CAPTAIN LANES ACCEPTANCE.
Captain McCabe took his seat amid
-reat applause. 1t had been expected
hat a musical programme would be rem g
erred after his address, but the must :
ians were not on hand, and Commander /
aughton after apologizing for their abb r
ence. presented Captain Lamb. The !
.aptain. in beginning his address. said:
we too often wait until our friends
nd comrades are beyond the reach OF
raise or censure before we appreciate
heir worth" and then expressed plea r
ure at the exception Lee Camp made In 7
he case OF General Lee, his old COM c
1ander Passing along in his address, {
aptain Lamb paid high tribute to Gen $
raj Lee, both as a man and SOL q
Ter. and traced his record. which he
aid had been carved on the imperishable
rroil OF fame. He characterized him
! the right arm OF Jeb Stuart. and re-
ounted at some length his brilliant ex- /
lofts during the four years OF strife on
irginia soil. His achievements in time n
? neace were also touched upon, and u
oecial emphasis was given the descrip- y
-. ~ bta sAryice in Cuba as this gov