Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-19
REMARKS OF a VETERAN.
! observations About War incidents
Pleasures of Hope.
(For the Disuatch.)

treasures OIL Hope
(For the Dispatch)
Let some one get access to tho Con-
federate columns of the Richmond Dis
patch and make therefrom wise selec-
ton Of it's artIcles-let him chose one anu
discard a dozen or more-let him publish
handy volumns and enrich the whole with
a scholarly introduction. and my life as
a forfeit of his book or books shall not
be eagerly read by the old ano the young,
and find place on the shelves OF eveFS
public library. A compilation OF this
sort will be Of inestimable value to the
conscientious historian Of the future.
There were more eyes than men In the
ranks Of the Confederate armies-eyes
seeing clearly particular features of a
struggle that may have escaped the OBJ
servation of a commander. There are
stories we'll accredited by old Conred-
crates that are not in the books-now
some one in command lost who
should have won-how victory was
snatched from the Confederates'
grasp, by him who saw not clearly with
sober eyes, but through the mist OF the
spirit. There are some old soldiers LETT
who fight better tnan they write-Iet tneln
be interviewed; let their narratives aD-
pear in print-"gather UP the fragments
that remain
The eloquence Of the tongue bodyIng
forth the passion of the soul. was wen
understood by an old Greek, who said,
when Demosthenes Numbered the Athe-
mans all with one voice cried, let US
march against the Persians. There is
another kind of eloquence as persuasive,
and probably more effective-the elo-
quence of tears. Miner, in his History Of
the Church, says of the great presbyter
Augustine, that he was no mean orator,
for upon being appointed by his bishop to
preach to the people near Cesarea, IN
order to reclaim them from riotousfeast-
ing on solemn days, he made them weep
by first weeping over them, or in the
Saints own words, whilst was preach
ing their tears prevented mine He
further says, 1--WE must not imagine that
a man has spoken powerfully, when he
receives much applause. This is some.
times given to low turns of wit, and
merely ornamental eloquence. But the
sublime overwhelms the mind with Its
vehemence, it strikes them dumb; it nlelts
them into tears
Logan's speech is of the character de
scribed by st. Augustine. It was deliver
ed in the privacy OF copse to one Glib
son with a subdued venemence, and IAN
abundance of tears" It first appeared in
print in the Williamsburg Gazette. Sew
eral other versions followed all of which
appear to me to have been given from
recollection, inclusive of Jefferson's. Glib
son in his account of the memorable in
terview with Logan doesn't say he wept
with him, but if the copy of the speech
given Lord Dunmore could be now seen
doubt not it would be found wetted all
over with tears.
Eloquence is not uncommonly met with
in persons Of virtuous and passionate
nature Hundreds of instances might be
cited from fiction and fact. When Ion
at the altar turns after recitlng the last
dreadful lines of the Observation-Disclosures
as it were by the hardness of his own
heart-and asks Clemanthe, was not
that thunder?" the words suiting the
tion) the action suiting the words, is a
fine example Of the eloquence Of awe.
Macready in this scene brought his
auditors to their knees.
It. is said by S. C. Hall, VINO knew
Thomas Campbell we'll that he pictured
The Pleasures OF Hope in glowing col
ors, and died hopeless. The poem was
marlSabIe feat for one so young. a touch
ing incident marked his funeral. The
proudest mobiles bore the pail OF one, who.
cared little for a lord. The poet Milman
read the service, and a the coffin was
lowered below the slabs of Westminster,
a Polish officer came up and sprinI1led
upon its lid handful of dust from Kos
ciusl.o's grave. Nor was this incident so
affecting as another which Immediately
N ret tI1n p IL Hoo -
spoken the words: Il heard a voice from
heaven; a clap of thunder shook the ole
abbey so amazingly as to interrupt the
speaker. who only finished the sentence
after the alarm was over.
In our day such q coincidence of voices
is not interpreted as a lucky or I'M
lucky omen! Twas otherwise anciently.
Had stroke of thunder fallen upon the
right side of an augur during service
| considerable would have possessed the
temple. and the most direful caIamities
would have been apprehended.
Bailey. Of Texas, is reported to have
said that he believed secret treaty, or
If not that. secret understanding be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States to be a probable thing The con-
duct of the former during the Spanish
war was such as to give good credit to so
well grounded a belief. The appearance
of Secretary Hays squib anent the Jews
or Rounania and the coincident paper OF
| the British Secretary gives color to the
| guess Of the Texan. Taking it for grant
! ed that there is either secret treaty or Il
secret understanding betwixt the hier
contracting parties, is it not fair to pre-
| sumo that Great Britrin has already s,,c-
gested an increase of both our army ana
| navy? Crafty Johnny Bull will be de-
| lighted to have both our moral and phv-
steal support in European war. 1t Is
| fer him the sure game of heads I win.
! tails YOU lose.
Our Virginia hooking bird is the finest
singer among singing birds, He has q
| Shakespearian compass which is auv 9th
| er, or all other voices, but his own. It is
| likely that he sings Observation-Disclosures
| with the low, sweet notes of the finch. or
| in the soaring octave of the skvIark.
In the old Greek sense that poetry is the
making of melodies our hooking bird he
! truly called bird poet. Our soldiers nav
have often heard the whizzing of ghost.
like bullets when no enemy was near
and have quieted their fears by discover
ing the little mimic in the Businesses OF
a neighboring copse.
SPIRIT OF TEPRESS.