Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-23
OUR vENERArED TowNsMAN.

OOIt EN- EltAIED TOW NSM AN.
See. again. the gallant Captain Gen
eraD X. l.. Page. our venerated towns
man. in command of Fort Morgan at
Mobile. repclling and holding in check
Farraguts powerful fleet and the
United states army with comparatively
a handful of men. and after Il long
siege only surrendering a dsmantled
and burned out fort.
See the dashing Matlit sweeping the
ocean on the Florida. ana again run
ming the blockade scores of times in
the government blockade runners with
much-needed supplies. See the brave
calm Wilkinson, Fry. Gayle and others
similarly and successfully operating
See the wise. clear headed Bulloch. to
whose fine executive and business abil-
ity and resource was due the building
ana getting to sea. while surrounded
bY spies and difficulties. the Alabama
Florida. Georgia. Shenandoah, Stone
wall. Rappahannock, etc.
AT DREWRY'S BLUFF.
Sec the gallant navy at Drewry's
Blum, repclling the Federal fleet See
them at Sailors Creek. turned into in
iantry, cavalry and land artillery,
praNcly repelling an outnumbcring enc
my in one of the hardest fought bat
Ties IF war. Src them. wherever
paced, braVely contending against SUI
diihculties. and sweeping all before
item by their superb courage. born Of
pure patriotism. Their ingenuity WAS
shown by the introduction ana opera
tion OF the first torpedOcs. b. which
some forty Federal vessels were DE-
stroyed or disabled-in many cases, as
by the gallant Glasscll by attaching
the torpedoes to spars at the bows Of
rowboats. and rowed up against the
sides of the cncmy's vessels And
again. by invcnting and operating the
system of ironcladdinG, which pointed
TO the present revolutionized navics Of
the whole world. The time Is not sufIi-
c'ent To speak OF myriads of other cour-
ageous expeditions. achievements. ana
deeds OF valor, collectively and indivi-
dually, quite equalling those named.
THEIR CAUSE LIVES.
The patriotism. solf-abnegation, va
Tor. and services of these men may be
better appreciated from the cncmy's
standpoint. by the dread in which they
were held ana the ignominy with which
they were treated by the enemy as vic
tors. for they were called traitors and
pirates. and not until about thirty
years after the war was closed when
a cloud of possible war with England
over the Venezuela boundary arose.
were they fully rchabilitated as citi-
zens. enabling them to hold freely ana
fully equal government positions by
entire removal of disabilities. This was
"a measure only taken when there
seemed To he a chance of need of
their services.
Brave. true and loyal They were dur
ing the war ana since. the survivors
manfully struggling for their honest
support. their noble qualities of head
and heart have shonc out with even
more magnificent glory. Apparent fail
urc on cause is no proof of its lack OF
merit. Their cause lives their pa
trioiic deeds Will live. ana shine out in
glory for all time as worthy of the
emulation of the highest type OF man
hood.
AN ApMONITION
See to it. my brothers. that their pos
tcrity have II not handed down 10 them
by the slandcrous or libelous that their
fathers wore knaves fools traitors or
towards -but that they were brave.
-ti-ln- Ind 2ealnns patriots lnNal TO
their righteous cause seeing with the
power to see. as given by their Creator
Consider. my brothers. did those men
live. suffer do. and dare in vain? no.
a thousand times no, No more than
did our knightly world admired II. T.
Lee. Stonewall Jackson. and their great
fellow leaders ana soldiers. live, suffer
do and dare In vain.
WATT AND SEE
In highest eXemplincation Of this
truth. COMPARING; earthly things with
heavenly. | say it with profound rever-
cncc. we may remember that our bless
ed Lord did not die on the cruel tree
in vain For while. from worlds
siandpoint. when lie died 1t seemed
that His earthly career was 4 failure.
to-day shows Him in His true light-n
king Of kings, n lord Of lords whose
kingdom shall live forever and forever,
and whose dominion shall reach from
pole to pole. from world to world. the
EXemplar of the living, tho Hope of the
dying. the Savous of mankind.
Faithfully wait and see These men
lived not in vain. The omnisclent God
who gave them life who gave Them
their power 10 see their duty and the
power to do ii. rs by the strength lie
gave withheld from them the striven-
FOR prize of independence. for reasons-
only known to His omniscencc. Let us
but wait faithfully ana the same
Heavenly Father Will. in His own good
time. enable us all to see the wisdom
of all that He docth or suffereth!