The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1899-03-22

I
French Revolution has at last produced
its Cromwell. We see him as he rises
from some Of the lower ranks, his pow
er increasing all the time, he rushes on
in his maddning career for power. until
God in his almighty wisdom stopped
him when men and armies could not.
We cannot get better idea of his life
than by a glance at his warlike career,
which presents beautiful example OF
the justice of God.
Then let us picture him as he gathers
together his soldiers from every home
in the realm. The mothers, as with
aching hearts and tearstained cheeks,
turn away from their departing sons and
the sisters giving the farewell kiss
We see them as they march off under
the floating banners and by the mui-
fled beats OF drums. We cheer them on
With a silent tear. They are gone,
perhaps forever. On and on they march
gaining victory after victory, until atlast
they reach Moscow. And as they en-
ter that city with Napoleon marching
proudly at the head Of that grand army.
it burst into a sea of flames, and as
those flames roll onward and upward
quill they almost seem to reach tie
stars, the whole world reads in them
the genius and power of the mtghty
Napoleon. But ere he lett that city,
the sun of his fortune had reached lis
meridian, and when he returns on his
march through Russia, the almighty
seiz'ng The winds and gathering The
SHOWS from the icy regions OF the
North, hurled them over his uncon-
querable soldiers and scattered his
armies like the withered leaves OF
autumn. Then gathering up his few
remaining soldiers, he marches on SUI
fe,ing loss after loss until at last that
great Napoleonic sun which arose so
brightly at Austerliiz, sinks forever on
the planes of Waterloo.
We must now cross the depths o.
TIE Atlantic ocean, not only because 1
am an American, but because / would
be unjust to the subject which have
chosen, if failed to mention the father
Of that republic that has taught this
world its best lessons in liberty. George
Washington, the first in peace, the first
in war, and the first in the hearts of
his cOuntrymen." By his fruits We shall
know him. and judging from his fruits
to-day, he was indeed more than great
and the many beauties of his life will
be ever held as "forgetmenots in the
garden of memory"
Standing as am on Southern soil,
speaking to Southern ears, and conf
dent of the sympathy of Southern
hearts, | realize that cannot say any,
thing too fiastering to the memory OF
our own and immortal Gen. Robt. Z.
Lee.
He fought as no one before or since
has ever fought and against such odds
as would have driven even Napoleon
to despair Although he lost, lie was
never out generated in any of his cam
pains from the RappannoCk to the
Jemes. To-day he is numbered among
the greatest men that the sun ever
shone upon and man is grand indeed
when he is grand in defeat.
His cause is dead, his banners are
indeed furled forever, and he himself
is sleeping where the mocEing bird Is
Staging and the fragrant flowers are
blooming beneath his own loved South
ern skies, but his beautiful lie, glowing
with everlasting fame, will continue to
live when the stars have burned to
ashes in their dreaming fields of blue.
The man of Galilee. That one who
was all love, ell wisdom, and all boil
ness. That one in whom nineteen cent
uries have Jailed to find single spot or
a single blimish, and the coming cent
uries will but polish his glory 10 a
brightness unspeakable. Devine as he
is, he stands as the light OF the world,
as an unequal model, and as the savior
of mankind.
He came to make light out of dark
ness, to cover The faces Of men with
smiles, as his father had wreathed this
earth in flowers; to fiji his sorrowing
peoples hearts with Joy, as God had f :
led the armament with the stars; TO
dispell the dark shadows of the
tomb and to make out of it life ever
lasting. Oh, could / speak his match
less worth, and shine his glOries forth,
l soar and touch the heavenly strings
and vie with Gabriel while he sings
Dev;ne was his Grand, this Son OF God,
and we must leave the measure of his
greatness into other hands than ours.
But we do know, that his life will go
down through the ages as a sweet but
mighty echo, which rolls from soul TO
soul and rolls forever and forever.
j.. Il. HERRINcToN.