The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-11
HOUSTON DAILY POST: SUNDAY MORNING, JUNE. H. 1899

1T is our duty to iiye-yes, by a sacrince
nobler tnan death, live,' Ana where shaii
we look Tor nobler example OF self-sdcri-
hce to dutyy 10 the many offers OF
wealth and luxury which were rendered
TO him by friends and admirers IN tnis
country and In Europe, his answer was.
Il can not leave my people In this hour OF
darkness" But when called to the pres-
dency OF Washington college (with empty
halls aud an empty treasury ne heard
again tne voice or duty aud his answer
was; Yes l have led Nirginias sons
In The path OF death; now 1 will try 10
Teach them now 10 walk In the path OF
life" once more ne mounts his old war
horse Traveller and rides alone on his
tour DAYS Journey to the scene OF his re-
naming lie work.
And most molly nc fulfilled bis trust. he
taught the sunlimesi virtues OF Christian
life by precept ana example.
BY relieving the Union soldiers who |
came 10 him Tor aid he taught mis- peo- !
pie that spirit OF charity which atone
could bind up the wounds OF shattered
nation. our soldiers" he called chem,
our soldiers VINO fought on the other
side" On, what SUBJECT for the artist, |
What u model for the scuplori What au
; example tor nation.
To undertake TO tell you dear friends, |
how we'll that example has been followed,
/ or how Loyalty that last charge uttered
by the great ohieftaln OF the Confederate
army was received and how truly ex-
ecuted would be 10 attempt the impos
sibie. For no pen eau ever reclto the dark
story or trial and suffering which awaited
that army of men on their return to their
! devastated homes History will never re-
y count the bitter trials of those dark days
1t was not the acceptance OF defeat, nor
the humiliation OF surrender, nor the loss
of fortunes, the desolation, the hopeless
$ confusion which measured the depth OF
y their woe, burt rather the attempted ig-
( nominy OF q political subsection to the
e very slaves OF an exhausted and conquered
o people. Only God ana you Will ever know
the soul anguish of that dark period which
e has been tersely called the hell of re-
q construction"
. Human virtue should be equal to hui
= man calamity! n--Yes, but where in the
, history of the race shall We look for a
). calamity taside from that which came to
L the Divine Nazarene) that has subjected
human virtue to so severe test?
In the death OF Robert +. Lee may be
j. seen the measure OF the meaning of his
II words. For human virtue" may be equal
le TO human calamity where human flesh ana
blood must fail. No bitterness found
lie Judgement in his breast. His counsel was
$ ever for patience, for endurance for peace
10 the peace of magnanmous suffering.
10 And yet, II you would know the nature
W OF the death OF the great Southern leader
IS 20 to the physicians who watched by him
VI night and day through his Illness, and ask
SIS them the cause OF the malady which
brought him to the grave They will tell
r Won that IL was "the result OF mental de-
h preston produced BY the suffering Of The
v Southern people, His heart was weighed
n down to breaking under the burden OF his
~ peoples woes
nj And the travail Of that dark hour which
~ broke the heart OF Lee gave birth 10 thai
ee darkest problem with which a people ccult
h.. be cursed. for which the greedy NEEDLE
or someness OF unscrupulous politicians wer'
s most largely responsible, and which is
% even yet the fertile source of luminosity
Z, and strife For ! am persuaded that politt-
cal and partisan Interest has done more u
HI. past years to prejudice, ALLEVIATE and an
a tagonize the feelings of citizens of thu
,s North and South than the real issues them
al selves for which the war was fought
ed Interpretations have begotten mis-
nd understandings and Misunderstanding
IA have engendered anlmosities and suspi-
lie cions which have worked incalculabl'
m harm aud the greatest harm they have
NJ wrought has been to the too contding ne
gro, in whose interests they have pretended
T., ~ be enlisted. They have alienated tn'
"A negro race from their truest friends anc
,s from the people who alone hold the key
ar under God to their future destiny and wei
fare us a people,
,a But do not mistake me, the fault has not
of been altogether on one side. II many o
y. the people OF the North have been toe
n ready to draw the portrait Of their South
ern brothers according to the hdeous cart.
nv catures Of a partisan press, many of tn
NO people of the South are living under Al
nd impression tss unfair as untrue) that tn
mi carpetbegger of reconstruction days rep
resents the character and political attitude
N, of the average Northern citizen of today
a. You have all too readily allowed The
min 10 uh haar a IA
represented or misrepresented 10y the vi
70 tuperating vulgarities of an unplincple
nv Journalism You have been too willing &
:, be tried without a hearing. You have beer
too indifterently proud to deny or to give {
c justifyng explanation to the many things
,s real or imaginary. for which you have
10 been condemned. In this respect you haV
.es nor been as true as you might be to thu
al marnanimous spirit Of Cancellation while
inspired the words Of your noble OLD chief
NJ tam: Live to rebuild your shattered couu
raj try
49, Your shattered country. is the Natior
al and so long as the animosties and alien
Of ating suspicious OF sectional prejudice ar
ne allowed TO prevail and do their evil worl
the shattered life OF your country Is 10
his rebuilt
- The need Of the day is the need OF
,nt better understanding. This so-called race
NJ problem" is not understood and there
NJ fcre. not appreciated in the North. Tn
70 one crucial element in that probem-ho'
~, are the white people Of the South TO con
nv hue 10 live IN peace harmony ana safet
ere with their negro ncighbors and at the sam
he time preserve their own race integrity an
, that political and governmental domina
air ton which is absolutely necessary to tn
best welfare OF both races-that elemer
n. which lies at the very center OF the dar
ace problem. seems hardly to have suggesto
lep itself. The problem as It presents itse