The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-07
i[RAINED" Men
||.N|||.3T|R| II: SOUTH II
President Edwin A, Is Asldertli1t mai,
i Vi ttcat University, Replies
& toS His Critics. MA;
.C0NTEx XIII OF WHAT ne +: SAID s ! |:
He Gave Expression to "a y ID: De !;
libcrate and Hone Opit1--
ion Long H cid.

1aneoIsl 3 ria .rImee .pApat chs

{NE (6peolal TO Tho Times: DNpatchl5
\ RLOrTEsvlLLl1, VA Feb. e.
President Edwin A. Alderman Of the
4 University Of Virginia, day gave Y, l. out !.
the following statement with efe rene
10 his recent speech delivered before ttlc
a Southern Society OF New x ork :ssS.i
There has been como criti cisnl and y - DIS
{, cusslol, OF d speed, made by mo before 11.
tho Southern Society iii New York city
on December 18th last. mas %.
beer, based upon few lines sen out by
the Associated Press, summing An y II f' q
i forty minute speech. T has u occurred GO reg
II 10 me that t might DO Of some ~ crest
"a tho public and to ycritlcs ~ know
what was really said IN " the n context on Z:
u SUCH S5 ltnowledg g Is iS usual toler ply
D helpful to sound criticism. ~ ha vc O pld 4
& Ing faith In the fairness OF the 4 people
when the facts arc known " 5is
i$t5 81 was speaking TO five hundred southern
men in New York city. am q g Southern ,f1
To serve t constructlvely has been &c the
guiding principle OF my life for twenty
years I would not know q how 4 % p
81 pronch a subject touching Southern life
4unsyn1patheticaliy itI do, however, Pc
Y lieye In looking at things steadily and
y squarcly, Al In forming honest tld gmen11ts.}
Y and I'm uttering them whenever and
& wherever I hey may do Il 8 ood. lolcnt .$
u oyer-honest and sympathe tic crit c'sm Ssls
N a,lsunfailing and pathetic 81 gn Of super
senstiyeness and Slnsclentinc Inentn I at;
y ttude. Yf nv speech In the ] rye was q
plea forS3thc more complet g VI trail ngs Of
B our youth for directive lcadershlps N the
"a great days to come. TO aid IN brir ging
u bout st,ch5 complete training IL the Ebust
inf al
4 speech appended below, which 81 have!
transcribed from my notes, contain g
q deliberate and honest opinion l1ich n =
have long held ard Off exp pressed and
will cont Hue to hold and express again
whenever j believe wort til ! GIG
q not mean 70 be personal or Que rnloul ~
III did not mean to underrate many strong
& and noble men or to $belittlc much heroic
Ynnd faithful service Il was MOI rcferr1ng
exclusively TO political lead ship, or COM
& pairing Northern and Sou hern leader
ship. have nothing to apollo gize Tor or -
retract In this opinion. can q un 9
stand how in such q rye ma tier mere ,e
lis room, for honest 81 s,
and criticism is erfectly leg innate ana
4 helpful i cannot understand II how y Sc
x rious-minded, just men can A impute to /
i other ser lous-rninded men unworthy mo-
tivcs upon X slender ks,oWlt>l &c u OF s.$$ ne
Facts ana with no power g search the
human heart. III s 9 =.
s5fs sYrheEold time Ehad It's leaders, and they
n were lie Best trained men for their tasks
Il that III tFis country has see r:sFs q nd the
Y places that trained them we're tn best
places for training Ii such men for such
tasks That Old time furrs js he'd ~ c5 ma II
~ ton its hest concept OF the IN crednass OF
public service and public Sproblt and let
8sus thank God that the succession OF our
& publica1ncn from Ca llloun to = llman, ms
elusive a considerable distance-is free
Il from any sort OF sordldnes or personal
dishonor. It nourished capacity for = deal
ism and stead fastness tina chung ~ g
faiths and theories I hougl1 they lead 10 TO
ruin, I'll The led did South, trou-8
blcs many good people 70 2 me y !, rs tine
I steat fast South welded together 50
8flercely in the fires OF conflict and dis
#cussion and oppression that IT has almost
lost the capacity for political fluidit or
social imagination. Forehanded, shrewd
men did not rule that old life, nor 9! 90
they rule our life Of to-day. Around the
4 flreside of those days the task fell on an
y oth her type. Has 5he borne himself brave
IN IN hattie? Has he suffered somoWher
with courage and dl gntty? d Has he kept
himself free from stain? Has he kept
Faith with ideas? z These were the tests
W tic old time. and the spirit n! them
4 q not vet dead 81 It Is u doubtful II any
mar, In that old air could have write
!. Emorson's II Essay NJ on he a mel lc {!
A scholar, but certairly nowhere else did
q such a type as r bert T Lee flower into
gthe rose OF his exquisl te$ ana Il oerant
Srhat time. a !, civil III demanded fire
and strength. the stout heart and nd the
y iron viii, the fixed purpose and tho eio-
h ouent tongue. q And 1t got what u wa nted,
ana to spare. N y. \. ~. /.
4 There is deep meaning in the fact that
the leader-ridden South OF the past past: rs
almost leaderlcss now. There are q
course, honorable names In letters, IN
economic life. In Journalism, In State gov
eminent in legislative halls, and the
Swltc-hared veteran OF the South who y
At work, with sweet temper and un ny
Ing spirit, ut Oil sorts OF noble tasks, Is
tome tho real hero OF our time. Y
\ ~ do not wish to be merely ssimistlc
4 1t Is more ii fflcult to- be a. leader now y
life Is wider ard Demo acy sees fart her
and wants more. One cannot simply In
Il carnato for tho dumb peoplo III heir de-