The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-04-19
THE TIMES: RICHMOND VA, TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 1898.


triumphed over their difficulties in the
hardest time a people ever sa" ana thls
( people owe Jefferson Davis an eterhai uept
/ OF gratitude for this. fr.
4. Ills fourth title 20 be had I'm remem-
| brance by the world and above All by the
Southern race is this As the human IN
strument and entitled TO the credit OF MS
act Jefferson Davis gave Robert r.. Lee 10
| the South and 10 the world lie pnt INTO
the hands OF Rober, r. Lee the pen WIN
which he was 10 write his name among
| the immortals. That pen was the Army
OF Northern Virginia. IL Is an appalling
! suggestion. but suppose he had not put
| that pen into that hand. but into some
| other2 lie was President ana Cohmahoer
| I'm Chief. He could have given the COM
mand OF that army TO whom ne pleaseu'
and several other men were haihen lot
! the place And owing 10 circumstances
| Lee was by no means popular or unop-
| posed choice. But Mr.. Davis selected Leo
4 and put him I'm that fatetul place. Goa
| led him 20 take the man that lie had
chosen and put him on the pain 10 inc
| goal He meant for him. Goo greatest
! gift TO a race and a time Is one man IN
/ whom that race recognizes It's ideals and
| the needs OF that time meet their satisfac-
| ton. and who thus win unrvalled place
| I'm the affection. homage and service OF
! their time and race. Moses was such
a man for his time: David for his. Pass
! ing 20 others. George Washington for his.
| The man whom God fashioned for this UNI
| rivalled place: The Lords Amounted FOR
| this kingly office Of service, In our day
and race and necessity was Robert Leo
| and as i'm Israel OF old David was the
man after Gods own heart. destined 10
| supreme place i'm the veneration Of Israel
4
must 20 and find out whom God had chos-
| en- and anoint him for his throne. so the
| wise seer and Judge and ruler went in the
| fear of Cod seeking TO find the man
whom God had chosen. God guided his
| steps and he found and recognized the
| chosen one I'm Robert Lee and We all
| know how nobly and how Loyalty he help
! ed Gods anointed up 10 his exalted
place and TO sustain him there \ nobler
| deed he never did.
Beyond an his other virtues Israel ever
| deemed Samuers highest title 10 their
| love was that he brought David to his
throne And President Davis highest
| service to his country and his highest title
| to be forever gratefully remembered by
his pooDle. ave. and by his race and by
| the world is that as human interest. ne
gave them Robert Lee and led him Ia
| for. Apart from and beside the splendid
J and devoted service with brain and hand
| and influence of this man so richly dow
cred bv heaven. these that / have named
are jefferson Davis titles 20 everlasting
remembrance by the Southern race and
! By their children's children. But then al
| this gives him no title 90 a memorial
| here. Title and monument everywhere
| else. If you please but not In this place
not I'm the walls OF Gods own home. not
| I'm a temple consecrated to the LORD
| Christ.
II he combine I'm himself the civic vir-
| tues Of all the great rulers Of men; II ne
| had displayed on victorious fields the mil
| itary genius of Alexander. Caesar. MARI
| borough. Gustavus Frederick. Wellington
| and Lee. all put together if he were
| iurist like Hale and Marshall IN one; II
| he had all the learning ana scholarship OF
! all the sages and philosophers or all the
| ages. none Of this nor all this together
| had made IL right. and suitable to grave
/ his name on their walls, What. then
/ is his title % have his memorial heret
/ Simply this That under ana through an
| the grand qualities that marked the man
/ and am the noble services he rendered I'm
! the affairs of the world, there daWns on
our vision his grander title TO immor-
| tally. His title To- memorial I'm COD
| temple Is that in the devOut conviction OF
| devout men this man is worthy 10 be
! numbered with Gods saints \ SAINT OF
| God2 Yes, Why uot2
We are too chary. both I'm speech and
! thought. Of that word saint-simply be-
| cause we misunderstood it. We are much
! more chary Of # than the Holy Scripture
| is. THE saints of Cod Who are they
! Our ordinary thinking is fun Of mistake
I az f,NN'g saints.
! In this unwarranted way Of thinking
! Gods saints are series of persons set
! apart from the common lot Of men, Very
| venerable. indeed. but entirely eXcep-
| tional. We rather incline TO confirm the
! application Of the term 10 that portrait
| gallery OF sanity sOuls-the Bible HIS
| tory-and they are FAR away from the
! conditions Of life as We know them, and
| distance is very ilusive-both TO the eye
and the mind. Stand near great noun
| tain-the precpices menace. the great
! black rocks forming the ugly chasms
| vawn-all the fOrbidding repulsion, stern
| realities of that scene-the bones and
| muscles of strong rock that sustain the
! strong framework Of the wOrld-lay re-
| vealed TO your eye. View the same from
| leagues away All the real features are
! concealed. Distance covers the rugged
| strength. The atmosphere lends soft and
| mellow tints. 10. against the summer
sky the far blue range spreads out its
! rounded peaks mrade of tender effect
| and mystic beauty Brought near by the
| great telescope, the moon IS rugged
| spectacle-seared and SCARED by forces OF
| nature. but witness TO the rocky strength
| that has resisted these forces But your
| eve sees her i'm the blue distance as the
| silvery queen of night. dream OF era-
cious loveliness. sitting calm and radiant
on her sapphire throne. And just what
| distance does TO the eye IL does 10 the
mind. In the illusion and unreal vision
! we view the saints OF Scripture. But who
| and how and what manner OF men were
| these. as the Scripture paints their actual
| lives2 They were not the solitary Of the
cave and the hermit OF the desert not
| the devotees Of mysticism and the un-
natural souls living apart from their
| kind: not the monk Of the cell and the
| nun Of the clolster. But rather the men
| who. marching in the ranks Of humanity,
| have helped il as they went. They were
men who filled all ranks Of life-knew all
! human experience. served in all lines OF
service. Noah saw and served IN the
worlds life before the flood. Job lived
the free life of the tent dweller. Daniel
| served under the glittering robes of
| Persian satrap.
And nowhere in the Scripture are they
| pictured 10 us as fautless men. but just
| the reverse-Ioses at Hord. David at
| Gems Alden. Elijah under the juniper
tree. Paul and Barnabas IN their sharp
contention. Peter denying his Lord with
aH 10.