Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-07-15
THE LOST CAUSE.

introduce him. has written to the
Richmond Times-Dispatch a. fol-
lows:
In recent editorialinyour daily.
referring to the reunion of the
Confederate veterans at New Or
leans. YOU say:
There are no regrets, except
the regret that their armies did
not triumph.
Some people have been under
the impression that the Confeder-
ate survivors were glad. i'm the
light of latter day developments.
that the Confederacy did not tri-
umph. But the Times Dispatch
recently smashed that deluSion. In
a recent article ON the subject we
declared our belief that il had been
far better for the South if il had
succeeded in setting mp a separate
and independent republic. as con-
templated in secession. and from
resolutions adopted by Confeder-
ate camps and from the expressions
of individual ConfederateS. we are
sure that our opinion is the opinion
of them all. -
There Is no doubt As YOU say fur
Their on, that "the old soldiers at
New Orleans today are proud of
their war record" but are YOU
not mistaken when YOU express the
view that it had been far better for
the South if it had succeeded i'm
setting up a separate and indepen-
dent republic. a contemplated in
secession" To have come to the
conclusion that it is well that the
COnfederacy did not succeed is not
open to the charge that Confeder-
atcs rejoice at their defeat. No
parent can rejoice at the death of
a child.
None of us rejoice at the death
of loved ones: nor canw doubt the
inscrutable wisdom of God in tax
ing from Us those that we love best.
Time. the great healer of sorrow,
frequently causes us to conclude
that what we most earnestly de-
sired To accomplish was wisely de-
feated. As a soldier in the Con-
federate army at Manassas. Chan
cellorsville and Gettysburg, | with
thousands of others Of my comrades.
felt the pangs of defeat after APP
pomattoX. There was no rejoicing
among those who wore the gray
when the immortal Lee surrender
ed TO overwhelming numbers and
resources. Nor can it be said
there is rejoicing now, but in the
calm reflection that has character
lied thirty-eight years since 1861
'65. | do not think | am mistaken
when | say there are thousands OF
| living Confederates who are salts
fled that it is better that the coun-
try was not divided.
The doctrine of secession. had il
triumphed in 1S61-'65, would have
it is true, made the South an indie
pendent republic, but the same
doctrine, carried to It's Legitimate
conclusion, would have, before
now, made a number of Confeder.
acies between the Potomac and the
Rio Grande.
We were gallant, a noble PEG.
pie through all that war WHOSE
harvest was death, whose vintage
was blood"
We still claim TO wear proudly
the crown of self-reliance and.
what is far better, the Jewels OF
seIf-respect. God never made a
Drawer people than those who fol-
lowed the fortunes Of Lee and
jackson. We all remember that
General Lee, at the close of the
war, breathed a spirit of conciIia-
ton in his injunction to cultivate
fraternal relations with the North.
Of course, no one can suggest that
he rejoiced at defeat, but Christian
spirited under trial, he was the
first to encourage a determination
to let the dead past bury its
dead"
1t was my privilege to see Lee
in the hour of victory at ChanceI-
louisville and in the moment of
repulse at Gettysburg. Both in
the time of triumph and defeat he
discovered those qualities that made
him the foremost captain of the
ages" But nowhere was his great
ness more in evidence than when.
the conflict ended, he counselIed
the things that made for peace. :"