The evening times., 1899-04-04
Plan TO1S'ART THE
BA7IILlB ABBEY FUND
Confederate Veterans to Pe
Asked to Assist.
Donation for an Old Project Yet in
Their Hands.
Money Contributed Years Ago to
Establish a Building for South
ern War Relics.


the Battle Abbey projectors may secure
their first donation for the proposed struc-
ture. great deal remains to be done be-
fore the donation can be secured, however,
and the money may not be forthcoming at
ALL
Several years ago Charles Broadway
Rouse, the wellknown New York philan-
| thropist. donated 100000, which was to be
used for the construction of building to
receive the war relics of the Confederacy.
This donation has been subsequently in
| creased to $500,000 and the building has
not yet been decided on.
The matter is in the hands of the Con-
federate Veterans Association. and 1t is
thought that If the plan for a National
Battle Abbey were presented to them in
the proper light they would release their
claim on the money, and allow it to go as a
donation from the association toward the
| fund being raised for the construction of
the national building. 1t is believed by
| many of those interested that the assoca-
| tion will agree to this donation, and If 1t
can be secured 1t will help materially to-
| ward the realization OF the plans of the
promoters of the project
The money was subscribed in the first
instance with the understanding that the
| building was TO have place among the
| sights of the National Capital. 1t would
have required the expenditure of great
deal of money to keep the place in order
after Ii was established and as the
Government could hardly be expected 10
| support such an institution the scheme fell
| through. Then an offer Of 100000 was
made to the city which would be select
| ed as a site for the structure in the pace
| of Washington.
Richmond was the spot designated by a
| vote of the Confederate veterans. but
there have been no plans prepared and
! nothing has been done toward the building
| OF the Confederate Abbey.
| The new building now proposed will have
| a decided advantage over the old plan, it
| is claimed, because II will be national in
| every respect. The great events of the
| Confelera will be as faithfully and as
carefully depicted as the events in the his
| tory of the North, and the dream Of Mr..
| Rouse will be realized in a manner that
| even he has never imagined.
Il do not see what difficulty should be
| encountered in securing the Rouse ,lona-
! tion," said prominent Southern man 10
! a Times reporter today. Of course, there
| will be objections raised, but do not think
| that people should allow the feelings of
| realization of such a grand project as the
| National Battle Abbey. The episodes of
the Confederacy are as much a portion of
| the history of the United States as the bat
| tie of Yorktown and il seems to me that
| when such "a scheme is proposed there
| should be no opposition. Light Horse
| Harry Lee. an ancestor of the great Rob-
| ert E. Lee, was a great man during the
| Revolution. He was a Southern man and
owned lot of slaves. | think he would
| have fought with the Confederates had he
| lived, and yet he is one of the heroes of
! the Revolution.
| Gen Joe Wheeler was a Confederate
| cavalry general of the highest order and
| is now a major general in the United
| States Army. No one will dispute Els
patriotism or his right to high place in
| the National Battle Abbey. Such men will
be immortalized in the National Abbey, SO
| why should the Confederate veterans stand
| in the way of a splendid scheme of such a
scope and character? | am sure / can find
| no reason for it.
Another thing the Abbey will certainly
do and one which will greatly improve the
| educational system of the country, is tC
| disillusionize the school children OF the
(! country and throw some of the false idsas
| that are now taught them TO the four
| winds.
The Battle Abbey would show that
whether they fought for the North or the
f, South whether they were Confederate o.
Union in their sympathies. the men of the
cos were Americans one and all and
fought and bled for the cause that was
| nearest their hearts as only Americans can
fight. If this is fittingly shown in the new
building, as il certainly shall be if the plans
of the promoters of the institution are car
| ried out, and as it ought to be, then
think any person who would stand in the
way of the project would be following false
ideas of patriotism and / do not beieve
the Confederate veterans will do so.'
The attention of the grand encampment
of the Confederate Veterans Associat ior
will be called to the matter at its next
meeting and it is confidently expected that
they will agree to allow their fund to &c
with the other donations that will soon BIZ
received for the erection of the national
building in this city.