Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1907-02-06


of future ages, history will record
of Robert +. Lee that, like his Di-
vine Master, he pleased not himself.
He imOlated himself upon the altar
of his country and the welfare of
his fellOw-man. Citizenship never
had such loyal exemplification,
society never had such pure I'M
selfish ornament; war never mad
such genius, man never had such a
brother, the Episcopal church
never had such consistency in a
layman, bravey never had such a
perSonification, gentlenCss never
was SO embodied, truth never had
such a defender, the oppressed
never had such a champion. pat
riotism never had such an expo
nent, love never had such sub
ject, friendship never had such
an offering, the human race was
never so gloriied as in the
immortal, chivalrous, knightly,
Christian Robert +.
Lee.
Upon the scrorl of future history
we see the vast pageant of ancient
and modern heroic patriots pass in
review. and form in array around
the heights of glory and deathless
fame. As we call the roll of honor
we sec around its base, Thermop-
olae's 300, and the 600 of the Light
Brigade and the laundering legion,
and all the other patriots who
counted not their lives dear unto
themselves; and they open ranks
with uncovered heads to permit a
still grander, nobler body of heroes
to pass between and take position
vet higher up the heights of fame.
Who are theyl Not the well-fed,
we'll armed, well clothed hosts,
glittering in gold, invading the
sacred soil of their quondam breth-
rem; but a ragged, grizzled, smoke
hegrimmed, battle-scarred, bloody
footed, half-starved, pooly armed,
yet undaunted, immortal band,
who having won many a bloody.
glorious victory, over desperate
odds of five 10 one, and equal odds
in all the machinery of war: having
for four long years, battled for the
honor of their homes, the principles
of self-government, the indepen-
dence of their states and the integ-
rity of the Anglo-SaxOn race at last
YIELDED to exhaustion, starvation
and countless odds.
See them as they stand upon
these heights of fame above all
other armies of ancient or modern
times, the champions of the most
glorious cause that ever unsheath-
ed patriots blade, uconquered il
spirit still, and ready again to obey
the order, Charge Bayonets"
ready to bare their bosoms TO leader
hail and hurting shell; ready t,
follow odd Marse Robert" as Ions
as their is a drop OF blood in thei,
veins. Who are theyl They are tn,
old Confederate Veterans of tn,
South. Every one of them is
hero and a gentleman at hearth,
bravestof the brave and the great
est of the great.
And we see a pyramid formed
around the top of these heights O
fame, about which are grouped
Davis and Jackson and Stewart an,
Johnson and Long Street an,
Picket and Forest and Forney an,
Pelham and Ashby and Beauregar,
and Smith and host of other i'm
mortals. And they make obey
ance to the most glorius and heroi
women that ever adorned the page
of history. Who are theyl The.
are the mothers, sisters, dauhgters
wives and betrothed of these ga
= liant heros. They, too, for fou
, long years, have toiled and suffere
l and watched and prayed and wait
ed with anxious, yet undaunte
hearts upon the fortunes of thei
loved ones and the cause of tn
Southern Confederacy. We crow
them today with laurels and wreat
them with immortelles. But a
: eyes and hearts are now caught b
a figure standing upon the yer
tOpmost pinnacle of this pyramiC
clothed in all the grandeur of ply
i steal, intellectual and spiritu;
: manhood. A very God anon
men-Yet standing with bare
head, IL exalted humility, tower
; ing above all others, the Servar
t of them all. 1t takes no secon