The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-19
MEN O The GRAY
attend |NAIB0: | ]!
n ~ p: Lee Camp Listens to 70 Stir
ring Sermon From lRs'Yt Z.
j. a. Thomas.
lUPHOLDs THE LOST eau Sc
Though Northern Man, Hc Eulo-
gizcs Lee and Comnsnds the
Lingering Remnant.

W. SlLCS Lee anu OOllllllSllQS5 lllC
Lingering Remnant.
3. The members Of Il. y. Lee Camp Mt
tended services last night at Laurel
Street Methodist Episcopal Church, where
they listened to ali eloquent and stirring;
discourse from the pastor, Rev. j.. y.
Thomas. Mr. Thomas, though not a ma
tive OF Virginia, spoke fcclingly and we'll
of the trying days Of 81, and. of the
heroic effort and u,itarnishcd name of
tile thin gray line
Taking his text from Deut |; l5and 81,
Mr.. Thomas said in part:
Moses, the George Washington of
Israel, was making his farewell address:
Tho first fn&wHr. first in peace and first
in the hearts Of his countrynen. For
forty years he lad been with his people.
With wonderful signs and miracles lie
had brought them out of Egypt, with
marvellous patience he had led them
through the desert. and with splendid,
3heroisln he had stood between them and
God, pleading that the sword of divine.
wrath might be shcathed In his own
bosom If thereby his people could be
saved. And now as his administration
Is about to close, he reminds them of all
the perils through which they had passed,
the victories they had won and the hero
ism they had displayed. aud he bids
them. Fear not, neither be discouraged
Members of tile X. Il. Lee Camp of
Confederate Veterans: am profoundly
grateful and deeply sensible of the honor
of addressing You tonight. Ever since
L., III
contact with tile world. / have consd-
cred that one OF the greatest blessings
that can adorn the human mind is the
ability to express the emotions of the
heart intelllgcntly and with simplicity.
Flow to do this Tonight Is beyond my
comprehension. Happily the occasion
itself freightcd with truth and love ems
bodies moro beautifully than language
can do tho thoughts and feelings that I'LL
our souls. s{g{ S
II want to raise my voice in vehement
and prolonged protest against the cry
Which has gone up from various quarters
of the land. that the war between the
States was a rebellion on the part of the
South. If they. mean by rebellion the
protection of homes and property. then 1t
was rebellion, and any man who would
refuse to take up arms against an in
itrud.ng foe and protect his home and
native country would be classed II traitor
and placed in tlclcategory OF Benedict
Arnold or q Judas Iscariot My God!
IL this is rebellion, fill our land with
rebels to-day
Heven-Kissed SUBMITS
The South fought on the defensive;
therefore. fought for neither fame nor
glory. When General Robert r. Lee. at
the breaking out of the war. refused a
commission in the Union army where
honor was certain and compensation flat
tering, he stood that hour upon the
,heaven-kissed submits of nobility and
shook hands with angels. He studded
thcflrmament of national glory with such
a lustrc that no rising sun will ever dim.
When the lurid clouds of war were gath
ering thick and fast about us as ma
ton, and the red lips Of Fort Sumter's
cannon announced the fact that war was
Lee, inaresponse to his honest
convictions, laid himself. with all his
personal ambitions. upon tho affairs of
the Confedcracy. and remained there until
the Confederacy went downSin an honor
able defeat. His life was the very en.-
bodiment Of chvalric manhood of knight
" caste. On the field of battle, with
the iron hail necessarily rafting about
him, calm and cool; in victory child
like and humble: in defeat still a hero;
injpeace n loyal citizen; in all Christian
gentleman. In the language of the late
Benjamin II. Hill: HE was n foe with
out hate; friend without treachery; a
soldier without cruelty; victor without
oppression, and a victim without muir
murlng.
He was n public officer without vices.
a private citizen without wrong.Ba neigh
Dor without reproach, a Christian with
He was Caesar without his ambition,
Frederick without his tyranny. Napoleon
without his selfishness, and Washington
without his reward. He was as obedient
to authority as a servant, and as royal
in authority as n true king. He was
gentle as a woman in life, and modest
and pure as virgin in thought: watch
full as a Roman vestals In duty, submissive
to law as n Socrates. ana grand in battle
as Achilles
Con11nends Privates Also.
Bat 1t is not only the commander
wish to cuioglze tonight. but also the
man behind the gun. 1 t was
he who bore the brunt of the hattie
smoke, tho yells of combatant1 and the
shrieks OF the dying. prancng steeds
and the deadly tramp Of solid infantry.
If we could turn back the homeland on
the clock Of ANGLICAN history tonight
for forty-fivn years, and In response 20
the buglc-cnll to arms catch5a glimpse
OF the vast number who rallied around
the Confederate flag and swore ale
glance to high heaven that sooner than
let that flag lie in the dust that they
would die victims to inhulnan hate and
passion. we would no longer wonder why
the COnfederates whipped the Fcdcrals
for two years In succession and kept the
civilized world ut, bay for two years more.