The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-21
PASTORS PREACH
SERMONS ON LEE
Refer to Noble Character Of
Great Confederate Cfieftain
Born Hundred Years Ago.
IMPORTANCE TO THE SOUTH
DR.. Gardner and DR.. Young Both
Pay Tribute to
General.

list Church yesterday morning on Sue
the message of General r. T.. Lees char
acter to the world. lie spoke in part, as
follows:
at IL very important that We should
distinctly apprchend and appreciate the
real message OF Lees career. There is no
lie in ai history that teaches an irnpor-
tant lesson with greater clcarncss and
more powerful emphasis That lesson is
the truc ideal OF success. IL SUCCESS Is
the accomplishment of matsiai results.
then we must frankly admit that Lees
life was not success. He was q great
captain. entitled to stand In the front
rank of tho world's military cilieftnins.
but he was overwhelmed, lie was borne
Gown. He finally failed to achieve TIE
military results for which he strDve with
perfect devotion and n supreme aDility.
He saw the nation whose existence he
sought 10 confirm and perpetuatc, de-
Gtroyed from, the earth. a sweet memory,
cherished but forever impossible dream.
lie accumulated no wealth. Indeed. he
declined TO enter the race for It. He even
waved away the voluntary overtu.es
of material fortune.
why. then. IL this man honored al
NlOst sIu1Ity ny tDCbe WHON ne IeO IN
a defeated enterprise and by those who
defeated him? would certainly say
nothing in derogatIon OF the great mil
itary captain TO whom Lee SURRENDERED.
but who does not perceive the strange
fnct that oven Grants followers are
coming to bow to the memory OF Lee
with an admiration really more heartfelt
than they do 70 THAT OF Grant? And
Say this In full appreciation Of the great
ness OF Grants character and the immor-
tally of HIS deeds. But believe that
Lees memory strikes deeper chord In
the hearts OF unprecedented men through
out the republic than Is struck by the
memory OF the man to whom he surren.
deted-a man. let me repeat, whose char
hcter VIII command the respect OF men
TO the end OF time. and whose achieve
Incnts cannot be belittled by an crit
lclsm nor dwarfed by the lapse of wears.
Grant was great success On the plano
OF material achievement he was a far
siea.ef SUCCESS than Leo. And yet In
mo maj verdict OF history Leo will rank
above him ms n hero. az a human ideal
Grant was SUCCESS, but Lee was even
greater one.
me lesson OF this historic phcnom
ehon IL that the highest success does
ho -! lie IN material achievement.
lies IN Character. n the realiza-
az 81 iueiis, IN contribution To
tne moral riches of mankind. AM.
man who estahiishes In hi. ebar.n.a,
h'sher moral ideal, or who hv reo
n-'n8 nigh ideal gives II yItaIi,v
ana power In the hearts of me, no.,
iorms the supreme service to f,,Iman,tv
tnh Hes the greatness of Lee. He
ihlied of final victory: he failed "a ,..t.
independence for the new na,ion. I W..
manner went down in defeat. Blu, ,his
ia'iure proved 10 be the very ,,.dIr,,
through which his resplendent char.
aeter shone upon tho world Uts
failure was the pedestal on which stood
personality which in my Judgment
anu = speak wisi2 care. IS the most i'm
pressiEe and sublime that has vet an.
peared in the p"blic lie of Anerira
Perhaps the ordeal OF failure was ma.
cessary to Its perfection And ~ nm.
OF that furnace of terrible SUFFERING inf
which the South was plunged by tbo
IiviI war there had come nothing but
.he Respondent concrete ideal OF Lees
rns , personality, the price would
nor nave been, too high. For we need
That ideal WeEare now we'll int
era OF INTERCHANGEABLE, a time when
mlghty material temptations will
-oeset our youth. time when the ton.
aenoy will be, weilnigh Irresistible 70
Judge men by the standards of material
success I thank God that upon ths
threshold OF that era stands tha VIC
Jestic figure OF Lee embodying in the
most striking form the moral jd.s,
or success and giving It new All.
thority over the hearts OF our younZ
men. ~ 'oe'&
To-day. and IN the days to com. whsn
men seek 10 exatt the low, crude stand
ARD OF material achievement as a criterion
by which to Judge men. we can and We
snail give the lie to their materalism nv
pointing to Robert Edward Lee, His mil
'1ary genius needs no praise. In this re-,
spect he stands among the few immor.
tals; but the galaxy in which his star will
ma Its most fitting place will be the far
more brilliant one OF moral heroes. who
conquered not others but themselves. A
competent authority has declared him to
be the greatest captain OF the English
speaking race; nevertheless he had more
In common with Jesus than he had with
Bonaparte and Caesar.
Sermon by DR.. Young.
There was largely attended service
at Centenary Methodist Church last
night when Rev DIR. w. ]. Young, the
pastor. preached on "a Nations Heroes
and Nations Gold,' the sermon hay-
Ing especial reference to the Lee centen-
NAL ceremonies OF the day previous.
The music is always a feature OF the
Centenary service. the fine handling of
tracing many people from all parts OF
the city 1t Is the custom at Centenary
for the organst to continue for half
hour or more after tho night service.
delivering splendid selections from the
great masses and sacred operas to the
half-darkened church.
Dr. Young spoke In strong terms of the
materialism Of the age, the tendency to
value material prosperity more than char
acter, and paid higl, tribute to the man
hood OF Lee, who. In the hour of defeat
and poverty, declined the offer OF the
presidency OF a great insurance corpora
ton, at salary of ten thousand year,
merely for tho use Of his name, preferring
rather to retire to the little college in the
mountains OF Virginia. where he might
spend the remainder OF his days in SER
vice to the manhood OF his country.
The perfect manhood" said DR.. Young.
"must be that which extends far beyond
tho carnal things of this world, and which
points real moral to tho human race.
The real question Is. Do we really want
to be like him In character and follow
him as he followed CHRISTI"
The speaker described the emotion that
might take hold of one on hearing a ereat~
sermon, but which was soon forgotten IN
the material hurry offthe age,