The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-22
Or. Shops Restorative On Trial

OF f1eetng victory, snatched from the very
Jaws OF opposing fate! The pathetic
spectacle of transcendent genius and al
most superhuman yalor fighting like sise-
ra against the stars in their courses! The
tender beauty OF womai,'s mlnlstrations
ana the brave. sweet faces which masked
their aching hearts! The uplifting OF
souls to self-oblivion! The deiirium of
the headlong charge The superb record
OF constancy, loyalty. and endurance,
which lent a rainbow's lustre to those
bloody annals The Pickering brLliance-
the sunset Of the onfederaey-ot the last
Inevitable; - .r.1 -
And then, the darkness Tell.
Exhausted by the very. persistence and
success with which they had protracted
an UNEQUAL contest, those skeleton batta-
lions still standing grimly by their colors,
had nothing left of all that makes up the
efficiency of armies except the Invinclble
spirit Which trial only tempers and that
courage which rises with the demands
upon It. In mercy and in justiceEto these
incompatible veterans. the order for sur
render was given But theys{had already
won laurels not always Spla ced upon the
victors brow. And there was little room
for triumph to the hosts that stood by In
countless numbers and saw the thin pro-
, cession OF emacated forms and worn
AhSSss III 4d6 Ecu JdChelS, Dut bearing
bright muskets.' march out under the
April sky to give a last salute to the
| leaders they had followed so well and the
| flag they had worshipped.
| When that was furled. the last seal had
been set upon the tragedy Of the ages.
In place of the once magnificent armies
were afew thousands oflhaggard, footsore
and heartsore mem Hsending their painful
ways toHa ards zruined homes and desolated
| Mains 80 Inay. f1af,hp "A Sf
! at the BIRTH they.were the astronomers
at the grave Of the vanished nation.
Dear country of the soldiers dreams
Hail and farewell! The night falls upon a
land Of shrnes and affairs. peopled by
ghosts and by memories,
Comrades: To others than ourselves
and our own people we cannot explain,
| and we would not make apology, that the
!; four years we spent as soldiers of the
Confederacy. despite tho trials and losses
that attended and the unspeakable dsas-
ter that crowned them. are treasured in
and sanctifled to our hearts of hearts as
the best and proudest and dearest expe-
riences of our lives. s5
We could not forget them If We would
We would no !; forget them five could
Nay rememp ering aud realizlng all that
struggle costaMs-the priceless lives. the
desolated tiresfdes, the rapire, the piage,
the devastation, the impoverlshment of
War, and the political and social evils that
caused the period Of reconstruction-re-
calling all the agony Of impotent herosm.
(, Of unaYailing prayers, OF unfruitful sac
r1fce of @undeserved oppression, of politi-
cal Rers ecuton. and of social outrage
still 1 declare-and know that speak for
l8you In decaring-that we would not
turn back the tide Of time and have eN-
plunged the record Of that heroic fight for
hreside and for freedom, not II all we
have endured could be llndonc, not II all
that was wasted could be restored. not
even could our dead be given back to us
and all be as it We're in the olden times.
ACCEPT NEW DESTINY.
we have long ago accepted the new
destiny, as Loyalty as we bnttletl to
avert 1t. We nro pledged without re-
serve to the duties OF the present; and
out OF tho wrecks OF our ancient for
|. fumes and systems we have builded Il
new Industrial and political South, We
have confronted rude fortune with a
courage no less than that tho Confed-
crate soldier displayed upon the field.
There is no stain upon the faith we
plightcd When the hard tutelage Of res
construction was ended and we renewed
allegiance to the United States govern
ment Our representatives are In Com
gress, striving with fidelity to leglslate
for the good Of tho whole country
Once and again IN recent years. our sons
have answered the drum beat Of the
Union and rallied to the flag which
Washington made illustrlous at York.
town, and Scott at Iundy's Lane, and
Davis at Buena Vista, and Lee at Chap
ultepec. And but now, In supremes'
evidence that we hold the new bond ns
union to be one of fellowship Ylrglnia.
has rendered, for a place In the Capital
az washington, n statAe of her best be-
loved SON the AoWer Of Southern chic