Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-10-26

ever much we may confuse ourselves or
.nislead others, we cannot affect the real
truth-it stands fixed. imHlutable forever;
part Of history. as much established as
The Norman conquest, or the Crusades;
beyond the reach alike of affection and
malignity; as much beyond them. as for
ever beyond them, as those silent soldiers
who sleep this evening in their quiet
graves.
SPIRIT OF THE SPEAKER.
It was a high saying OF Greek philos-
opher, when some rhetorcian said he had
heard he was to deliver a eulosy on Her
cules: Qui Herculi Enthusiastically, who
has slandered Hercules?" feel in some
such spirit to-day.
Turning back to my boyhood, seem to
see once more the grandeur and glory of
it all: the drums once more roll. the bu-
giles once more blow upon the hill-tops;
the standards once more flutter in the
breeze, the tramp of troops, the shouts
and cheers sound in my ears, and all the
ponlp and circumstance of war once more
pass before my fresh and azzled vision.
Once more I seem to see the gray-clad col
uran marching in all the panoply and joy
Of youth and high emprise. Once more l
see Stonewall Jackson fresh from his
prayer-meetings, fighting his Valley sam
paigns, winning two victories In one day.
and then transferring his men across the
Stdte W tl d CeieIlty WORTHY VI tIle VIC
tor OF Austerlitz, to help win the seven
days fight outside of this city. Once more
see the great leader-for all his de-
feat, in my judgment, and that OF many
more competent judges, the greatest cap
tain of the Englsh-speaking race, sec
ond in character not even to Washing
demonstrating his redoubtable legions
to wedge his great opponent rom his
dearly-desired prize, with a loss of two
60. ~, hi
(My figures are from the review of Grant
campaign of 1864 in the New York Sum.
AS I look on 1t In the soberer light of
experience, from the vantage-ground Of
thrty-odd years of reflection, after the
dust and glamor have passed away. and
the tunult has subsidized. see more clear
~ the fata' end, disease and wounds.
death and defeat.
Whoever has attempted to SANDER Hercu-
les, it is not my part to attemp his eulogy.
AS reflect upon these men-on what they
represented and what they did-they ap-
pear too high for eulogy. The highest
tribute we can render them. the only fit
ting tribute we can pay them, is the sim
pie truth. Truth, like beauty unauorned,
adornS the most.
THE TRUTH ENOUGH.
If possessed the faculty OF perfect
expression l should ask High Heaven no
greater favor than to be able to sweep
the clouds alike of flattery and detraction
and leave the truth about these men to
stand naked in it's absolute exactness for
the SAFE Of posterity. If I were given the
supreme power of illustration. and wished
to illustrate Truth. I should ask no bet
ter illustration than these men whom we
are honoring to-day They stood for
truth and died for truth. leaving their
lives the complete expression Of their
faith.
One truth as it appears to me Is that
the war was inevitab BILE. Our forefathers,
who left us many good things-amons
them the most priceless blessing that men
have worked to bestow: Liberty-left US
one great evil-possibly two. It Is not
to be charged against them: for who
shall lay anything to the charge Of those
who wrenched this country from the
hand Of our overload and gave us consti-
tutional freedom? Still, they found them
selves unable to solve the problem. and
left it to US to our sorrow. They left uss
slavery and they left us the right OF Sc
cession. / say this was an evil: for with
one half of the country maintained by
and maintaining slavery. and the other
war was inevitable. Lincoln. who said
! than that this country mad to be all free
or all slave.
NIGHT HAVE BEEN DELAYED.
War might have been postponed for
ten years or for fifty years. Twice, I
think, the great Virginian. Clay, almost
| by his own personal force postponed It;
but am satisfied that sooner or later 1t
had to come, cannot ind any reason to
believe that the emaucdpation Of thu