Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-01-21

II &. I AN Z EOfIcA 1 L J(ISEADs ~ ava
loVias Is the iull text of the remarks
msds BY Mr.. John NJ. Johnson in re-
snoD.e 10 the toast the Confederate
Dead" at the banquet given by R. Z.
Lee Camp on Thursday night:
FRIENDS AND COMRADES After tho
trply eloquent speech of my friend
from Texas and the equally touching
address by mis- colleague from the same
: ate. and tue remarks of the delegate
from Fauquier and the gentleman from
North Carolina, l feel some hesitation
in following in their wake. | hope l
will not offend against the properties
of the occasion If Il speak for our dead,
chiefly for those of them who fell on
the field OF battle, and who have rested
in heroes graves for more than 8 gen
GRAFTON. They were of the flower OF
Che select of our beloved Southland.
The world knows mat the South sacri-
feed her own, her best blood; but this
csnuot ba said of the North. Read the
names o. foreign tongue on the tomb
stones in the national cemeteries. Our
cead we're patriots. They fought for
honor for right, for principle, for couu.
;rv For these, they willingly shed
.heir blood The people of the South
rom their first citizen, whose birthday
re are celebrating tonight, to the very
humblest of their citizens believed in
the inmost recesses of their souls to the
very core of their hearts, that they
we're fighting for honor, for right,
for principle and for country.
i Was this sentiment which inspired
Tie South; without it, there would have
hesn no movement OF the whole people
as we'll the old as the young of both
sexes, women and children Included.
us one man to repel the invaders from
their homes. Without it, they could net
nave maintained the unequal contest
with the North for four years. No
Peep ever made q more gallant fight.
With man for man, and equal in equip
ment and subsistence. even many OF our
foemen now concede the result would
have been against them. There is nc
parallel in history. uoless it be in Scot
land in The time of Wallace and Bruce.
ID has become Questionable, if not I'M
popular, with the powers that be, to
designate us as rebels and traitors,
Comrades, il Lee aud Jackson aud their
compatriots, dead and living, were
le1sls, let US remember that Sir VIII
lmm Wallace and King Robert Bruce,
of scotland, were in their lime rebels
jo,; that the former was executed by
Edward, King Of England, as such, and
the other would have been, had he been
caugnt but to-day, and for generations
past, the same Wallace and the same Bruce
sre nd have been among the heroes of the
people Of Great Britain. Their fame is un-
Qncach=be. What youth, who can read The
English language mas not read of Wallace
and Bruce? Few to-day can recall the names
OF tire English commanders sent against them
TO subiugate the people Of Scotland, bnt the
names Of Bruca and Wallace are as familiar
throughout tho civilized world IS the name
of that other arch rebel our own Washing
ton. How different it all would have been
II tho Sou b ha1 been successful. But the
day IS bfeSEiug even in ouc lend aud the
light OF truth Will yet shine here, 1t is 81
ready shining abroad Read the history o
Jackson by Colonel Henderson Of the British
army.
Let Us. comrades, till the last slrvivOr of
US, and, if need DO, let our children pepetu :te
the memory of cur dead, and on each Goa"
iaieate Memorial Day continue our ser-
vices
N9tunul fnll Justice is done to our cause
not until fun Justice is given US for the SIM
certify aud purity of our motives, ought we TO
surrender the privilege of preserving the
graves OF our dead.
The time will come; we, comrades, may not
I've TO see it; but there may be some here
tonight who WI live to see the day when
The whole people of the United States will be
proud to share in the fame of the Confederate
soldier. When that time shall arrive, then
and not until then, can we cease to pay tFi'
butte 10 Our dead