The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-16

He spoke as follows:
Whether in future, nations. in the
adjustment of their differences, viii
submit to the arbitration of reason,
instead of appealing to the arbitra-
ment of arms-whether war, with all
it pomps and glorious circumstances,
is to be discarded as a relic of brutal
barbarism, repugnant to civilization
we do not know Whether its mis-
cries and cares are to give place to
the happiness and blessings of peace
whether the sword is to be sue
ceeded by the crool<-Whether power
is to obey justice, and right to govern
might-Whether the decalogue is to
find a place in diplomacy, and sim
cerity is to supplant stimulation in
the governments of the earth-in
fine, whether intelligence will ever
convert selfishness into virtue, we
do not know. These are questions
whose answers must depend upon the
laborS of the honest mOralists and the
efforts of the sincere philanthropists.
But however these things be, we
do know that in all ages martial valor
and heroic sacrifices have challenged
and received the unstinted admira-
ton of mankind They are commem-
grated and handed down to future
generations by the genius of the poet,
the pen of the historian and the
chisel of the sculptor Nor do we
stop to consider the abstract question
of the right or wrong of war. We
know that there are deeds of which
humanity cannot judge-deeds that
must appeal directly to the tribunal
of God. We know that good and
evil are so intimately interviewer that
it is well nigh impossible to mark
the end of the one or the beginning
of the other.
If such applause is bestowed upon
those who follow the standards OF
captains bent upon conquest and the
achievement of ambitious dreams,
what must be the yeneration of the
world for men who fight and fall, not
to humiliate, not TO conquer, not to
enslave, but to preserve or achieve
the liberty of their people.
Courage and yalor find their high
est development in duty; duty in self
sacrifice. The sublimest exhibition of
sacrifice is afforded by the spectacle
of the cross. The universally of the
! objects make it so. But next in
! sublimity to this, ] hesitate not to
say stand the devotion and sacrifices
of the Confederate soldier. They were,
! it is true, more circumscribed in the
| object but they were Without price,
and gladl. made for the political and
social salvation Of his people. he
was willing to suffer and to die that
Ethey might live in the possession and
enjoyment of that freedom which
! they inherited from their fathers.
| His splendid valor and knightly
| bravery upon the field of battle, his
| chivalrous gallantry to his foes, his
generous rivalry for martial honors,
| his patient endurance of the winters
! cold and the summers heat his mod
| Grafton in victory and his courage IN
defeat find no parallel in the history
! of the world. His was the courage
| that regarded not numbers, fidelity
/ that considered not hardships, pa
| tience that knew no WEAKNESS. His
was a devotion that triumphed over
privation, fatigue and want, and
! fought on for country that scarce
! had food and raiment to give him.
! Splendid valoT, splendid devotion,
worthy of a success that never was
! to come.
Napoleon. in order to animate his
army. as it fought under the shadows
| of the pyramids, exclaimed: Forty
ages arc looking down upon you
| But of the men who warred under
/ the star-lit banner of an Inflated
cause ii may, without any extrava-
| gance of enthusiasm, or eX9ggeratlon
of patriotism be said that four hum
| dred years will read with rapture of
/
wondrous story of their heroic deeds
and more than human sacrifices, and
give thanks to God that such men
| have lived AS the stars, though re-
moved from the earth by immeasur-
| able distances, continue to she'd their
| light upon it, as they did in the dawn
| of creation so the examples of these
mems lives will continue to exert an
unseen influence in molding the char
acters of coming generations to the
| love of all that's good and manly in
| men, long after the marble shafts
| which commemorate them shall have
crumbIed into dust, and as long as
the universe shall endure.
| 1t was the grandest and noblest
army the world ever saw; or ever
| will see; and the noblest and grand
est hero in that army was it's inn
mortal commander. Only such a man
was worthy of such an army; only
such an army was worthy of such a
| man. One would have scarcely been
possible without the other.
! Robert Lee listened not to the
| temptations and solicitations of am
bition, but refused the crown to ac-
| cept the cross.
| Although more than a generation
| has passed since he crossed the river,
yet when l approach him, even in
| memory, methinks ] hear a voice bid
| ding me to take off my shoes, and
| telling me that the ground upon
which / tread is holy
'Ah! Muse, you dare not claim
A nobler man than he.
| Nor nobler man hath less of blame,
| Nor blameless man hath purer name,
| Nor purer name hath grander fame,
Nor fame-another Lee.
| But the Confederate soldier, instead
| of marching to fields of honor ana
! glory with firm tread and elastic step,
to the inspiring notes of martial
music is now marching, with feeble
| steps and slow, to his last great bat
tie; and I believe that this God viii
give him the victory, and open Tor
him the portals of Heaven:
For if there be on this earthly
| sphere
| A boon, an offering Heaven holds dear,
'Tis the last libation that liberty
draws
From the heart that bleeds and dies
in her cause"
General Roberts Paid Glowing Tribute
| RI Women of the South.