The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-03-24

Richmond Education Association, 1t vii
jbc entirely free, rnd the public nre IN;
yited. No seats Will be reserved, It Will
be a case OF first come first served
Tho ladies' are requested TO attend witll'
/ out hats. or al least To remove thoii
hats after taking their seats,
To all Unknown Contemporary.
al, esteemed correspondent has sent us
| copy Of the Utica Globe containing the
following:
| ',As these lines are written says one
| OF the leading papers of Ohio there rises
| d, vision OF Confederate battle flag
planted insthe soil OF Virginia forty years
| ago, now seen for u moment, flutterinH
and cleaning In the spring sunlight, ROY
Host to sight in clouds of sulphurous
smoke. About It RACES apd surges, back
| and forth, one of tho fiercest struggles OF
tile war. Blne and gray intermingle, with
hoarse cries of Down With EN-" There
| are savage thrusts of bayonets and cuts
Of swinging swords. officers fighting Will,
dubbed lnuskets. and all the wild excite
ment aud bloody scenes of a hand to-
hand conflict Slowly the gray line gives
back. when q Union sergeant scizes the
staff Of the flag, only to full dead be-
meath Its folds; then Il boyish young pri-
yate wrests 1t from the ground, and.
,inhurt. bears 1t to tho rear. Later, 1t
was carried under escort of n guard OF
honor, with blue silk ensign of the State
of Georgia, captured by the same resi-
ment III, the same battle, TO corps head
quarters and forwarded to the War De-
partnient, where with many others they
are kept To-day.
.'Now we arc told that they are all
TO be sent buck to the States, from
which tho regiments came that carried
them.
."Has there cvsr been on any statute
book HE world over such all act as
that? We know OF none, Warning ma, ma
tons have made peace, md friendship
and good will have been restored VIC
tors have returned surrendered swords,
hut where is there en- instance OF cup
tiired flags having been restored? The
resolution came at first to those who
had won them with n little shock, but
it is right. Gradually the spirit of
magnnnimity and the recognition that we
are one people, Which dictated Grants
terms at APPROXIMATIONS. have swept away
every proscriptive act md every disable
the North. through Congress, lays this
last offering toward perfect peace and
reconciliation on the altar of our common
country, and the men who wore the blue
say. Amen. $ KY a
Take back your battle flags, brethren
OF the South. We Yield them TO your
Keeping willingly ind gladly. They were
ours BY the fortunes of war; they are
yours by right OF the magnificent courage
with which you defended them, and by
the gift Of the nation with our hearty
concurrence. Cherish them. and teach
your children to revere them as en-
blenls and menlentoes Of the brave deeds
of their fathers, and teach them as we'll
torejoice with ours that we are united
again and invincible under tho old starry
flag Of our fathers. ss
This article is credited to "One Of the
leading papers OF Ohio. We wish that
the name of the paper had been given.
temporary a gracious Acknowledgment
for it is rarely that we have seen SO gra-
cious an article In Northern print and
rarely that we have seen from that source
so beautiful q tribute to the heroes of
the Southern Confederacy. The editor
who wrote those gallant and chivalrous
lines. who was able to rise above pas
sion and prejudice and petty spite and
do honor to the south's noblemcn. must
feel within himself a proud satisfaction
that he has such an appreciation Of vir-
tue and courage, and the grace to give
lit utterancc.
When st. Paul was at Athens he saw
an altar "To the unknown god, The
Times Dispatch would build an altar to
this unknown contemporary and burn
the incense Of esteem to his chivalry. y