The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-18

siblc to think OF anything Of living inter-
est that might be wrcstcd from the wreck
Of time to pass onward to the future gene
rntoIs, and yet that, very thing Is pos
siblc. Let lis Imagine for an instnnt our
selves present at a. celebration of the
birthday of Robert JT Lee, or of Con-
federate Memorial Day hundred years
from now. IT Is. MS Usual, solemn nr-
fair. and perhaps some speaker Is making
reference as to how for many years after
wards the veterans would parade the
streets under the escort Of their sons amid
the heartfelt cheers OF the popilnce. Ife
calls attention to tho deep vcncratior with
which tho presence of these men was re-
coivcd, and culogizcs the thought of what
n great privilege 1t must have been to
have known and seen them face to face
In the flesh; but says tho orator In his
finest burst of eloquenoe, there Is still
II great and sacred privilege left to us,
one which we hope to pass on forever SO
long as homage to vnlor endures upon
this planet AT this point II young man
attired In the uniform Of the Confederncy
with tho well known ensign OF tho Lost
Cause IN his loft hand, advances to tho
PLATFORM. lIe has been selected to receive
the distinguished endowment OF Tho
Hand Clasp of Robert ~. Lec.' which ho
future ceremony. Another advances to
meet him, and after an appropriate speech
and the rendering perhaps OF some token
and certificate Of delegation, lie grnsps
tho hand of the newcomer, and so the
hand clasp Of the great chieftain is passed
along down tho generations
TO that young man, II he had n par
tlcle of soul or enthusiasm in his ma
.ture this would be n valuable heritage.
He had actually touched the hand that
In turn had touched the hand of Robert
-. Lee, and was himself privileged to
bestow that rare endowment upon
others. This portion of the ceremony
would undoubtedly prove the most alb
sorbing of all. and would serve perhaps
more than anything else to keep alive
the fro of devotion in the hearts of our
descendants Before 1t is too late this
ceremony should be made possible and
secured to the future. 1t should be re-
culiarly Virginian and limited to Vir-
ginian city, that city alone to have tho
privilege of this unique and beautiful
ceremony. To Norfolk belongs the in
stitution and perpetuation of this UNI
paralleled rite. We understand that
there is q gentleman here who was on
the staff OF Lee. and who had the most
intimate relations with him. He has
no doubt many times taken the hand
OF his great superior OIlCeT. Leu lIll5
gentleman be selected to inaugurate
this reverential and poetic rite, either
at the celebration OF Lees birthday. or
on the Forthcoming Memorial Day.
With appropriate ceremony let him be
the first to pass along the touching
OF hands, which will bind the future
peoples OF the South in an unbroken
living chain to the heroes of the great
civil war Familiarity breeds indiffer-
ence The heroes of the Confederacy
are now among us. Every now and then
we hear of one dropping from his ac-
customed place in the daily walks of
life. Not until the last of them has
passed forever will the peculiar inter-
est of their presence be realized. Let
us take the lesson to heart now, and
wrest from lnexorable time Mt least one
glorious trophy. one priceless heritage
the inspiring hand-clasp of the south's
great chieftain. Robert Il, Lee. the
of hands that will be passed
in authentic and unbroken succession
all the ages to come,