Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-05-25
Confederate Memorial Day.


Interesting and impressive. The wealth
er was idea for such an occasion: In
the throngs which crOwed around the
monument we're many strangers, to-
gether with numbers of former Alexan-
drians now residing in other cities.
Early in the day Lee Camp hall was
opened and committee was on hand
for the reception Of donations of flowers.
During the day other committees of the
Camp visited the various cemeteries adj
Joining this city and placed floral en-
blems on the graves Of all known Con-
federate soldiers.
About half past five o'clock the
members of Lee Camp aud the Alexan-
dria Light Infantry formed in line on
Prince street, near Lee Camp Hall, and,
healed by Capt. Thomas Perry, the
chief marshal, and brass band, marched
north on Alfred street to King street;
west on King street to Henry street;
couutermarched on King street to Fair
fax street; south on Fairfax street TO
Duke street; west on Duke street to
Washington street, and thence to the
Confederate Monument at the interSec-
ton of Prince and Washington streets,
where the stand for the speakers had
been erected.
On the broad veranda IN front Of DR..
Hugh McGuire's colonial residence the
choir and band took position, and after
appropriate selections by both, Mr.. j.
M. johnson, Commander Of Lee Camp,
raped the assemblage to order. when
Rev. DIR. F. J. Brooke, Chaplain Of Lee
Camp, made an appropriate invocation.
Mr.. John M. Johnson made a short
address to the assemblage in which he
feryently alluded to the memory OF the
Confederate dead, the principles for
which they sacrificed their lives, &c.
lie then introduced Major Holmes Con-
rad. who was to be the principal orator
of the occasion. The Major was re.
ceiyed with an outburst of applause, and
when it subsidized he began his address
by implying that what he said would be
impromptu, as he had been taken by
Mr.. johnson from the miasma OF
criminal court where men were being
tried for defrauding thegOvernment, and
indicted into the pure atmosphere OF Ola
Alexandria with its sacred history and
memories. In referring to scenes which
he had left bat few hours previously IN
Washington, the Major said no ex'Con-
federates had been arraigned before the
bar of Justice for defrauding the govern
ment. Such had never lacked courage
in the trying ordeals through which they
posed, and they had never been found
wanting in any position OF trust. Inc
speaker called attention to the fact that
Notwithstanding the gradual depletion of
the ranks of the survivors OF the lost
cause. their enthusiasm kept at the high
water marx, and the assemblage before
him was an evidence of that TACT. lex
Confsderates, said the Major, care not
as Jews at the wailing walls Of Jerusa-
lem. weeping over what the nation had
been and lamenting over the decay OF
centuries. They have nothing to regret,
as the principles for which they fought
are now recognized, and sooner or later
will be confirmed by vote OF the ma
tion." Major Conrad then made a
rapid resume of the issues which con-
fronted the country at the close OF the
revolutionary war, together with those
which subsequently arose and continued
up to 1860, when Virginia, exercising
the right accorded her when she entered
the federal compact, deemed it to her
interest to Withdraw. The speaker mem
toned number of chapters in the coun-
iry's history which showed that the
South was sustained in the stand she
took prior to the civil war, among them
a decision of the United State Supreme
Court to the effect that an army officer
had the undOubted right to take his SER
want with him when ordered from port
to port in the country. But the repub-
lican party had Ignored the mandate OF
the higher court of the land, and there
was bat one way to assert southern
rights, and that was resort to arms.
The South made no war against the con-
stitution or the government OF the
United States, but realizing, as they did,
that the ship of state had been captured
by pirates, they had a proper incentive
TO 20 to war. The major traced the
course of the republican party after thu
close of the war, alluded to the drum
head court martial which condemned
woman to death twenty-tour hours ate
declaring her guilty and other high
handed acts of reconstruction days. Int
speaker appealed to his hearers to SHOW
him where under democratic rule (pre
yious to 1860 the laws had been OF sucl
nature as to enable certain men Il
amass from fifty to one hundred million
of dollars. There were, said he, no fed
erations of labor up to the war OF 1861
1865 for protection from amalgamatloh
of capital. The ma )r said Andrew Gar
negie has written a book in which Ii
says he has made his millions by virtu
of laws enacted by the republican party
But" said the major, 'if Presiden
Roosevelt is the man take him to be
he is in accord with the better elemen
of this country, and a day OF reckon
ing is coming when the entire natio
will no longer be taxed for the bene
fit of Yankee factories. They are des
tined to go by the board" Majo
Conrad referred to the enormous expen
diture for pensions and asked his hear
ers how long the G. A. r. would hOl
together if pensions to its members wer
cut off. "Would they" said the speak