Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-06-26

unequal and terrible struggle.
| Neither do / consider il necessary to
find a reward for the Confederate
soldier in unexpected good results of the
great conflict. The reward of noble
actions lies in the capacity to do them.
The Confederate soldier who fought
with unflinching courage had the reward
of being brave man. He who loved
his country had the reward of being a
true patriot. He who faced the can
mons mouth for those he loved
dearer than life had the reward of being
hero. He who was faithful unto death
had the reward of a stainless honor
What other course could a Southerner
have taken?
Behind him were the great traditions
of his English race; there were Hast
ings and Cressy and Agincourt, there
were Naseby, Blenheim and Quebec,
there were Kings Mountain and Valley
Forge. In his veins flowed the blood of
a thousand years of chivalry. He could
face the line of fire, but not the shame
of standing back.
All merit comes
| From facing the unequal:
All glory comes from daring to begin.
Fame loves the State
| That. reckless of the sequel
Fights long and well, whether il lose or win.
'1f it might be imagined, said
Seneca, THAT the Almighty should take
off His thought from the care of His
whole work, what more glorious specta-
Gle could He reflect upon than valiant
man struggling with adverse fortune?''
Not long ago l read from an English
review these words:
When all is done that man could do
and all is done in vain. the human heart
goes out to the weaker side, to the
soldier who fought on, ragged and starv-
ing to the bitter, inevitable end, to the
leaders who would never admit that
hope was lost, and to the noble women
of the South who gave of their bravest
and their best without a murmur.''
States are not great, except as men shall make
them.
Men are not great, except they do and dare.
These men fell bleeding and with
broken swords before the altar of their
country. Their reward was the imper-
ishable knighthood of their service. II
imagine that the Knights Of the Holy
Grail never sought other reward than
just to serve.
Confederate Soldier
The Confederate soldier was the flower
of noble and heroic courage. Duty laid
her kiss upon his brow, and love of
country folded him in her arms. He
enriched the world in honor. He added
to the spiritual riches of mankind. The
memory of his deeds is the treasure of
his people, incorruptible, undefiled and
that fadeth not away. No noble action
is ever lost, no brave deed shall ever
pass away. They are written upon the
everlasting pages of the universe, they
are inscribed upon the heart of God.
The mountains and hills shall be made
low, and there shall be no more sea.
but nothing of moral worth shall perish.
Upon the coral of such lives as these
Gods islands lift
Their fronded palms in air."
But if religion were superstition. and
faith We're folly-if death ends all and
icy night awaits the world, these men
lived the only life fit to be lived.
To those whoke alive in loyal hearts
the memory of the Confederate dead. /
would say these men chose the noblest
part. This is the best life offers any
man, to strive for the highest, the
greatest, the bravest he knows. Is it
not better to achieve these things, even
at the cost of life itself, than to pur-
chase length of days by mean and sordid
living, by cowardice or craft, by sur
render of the fine ideals of manhood in
base compliance TO dishonor? In the
hearts of every man the Everlasting has
made answer. If the cause was lost
the men were not. Looking beyond the
little span ofhuman life, into the white
light of eternity, what better could we
have wished for the Confederate soldier
than to have played his part as he did?
He has left heroic memories that chasten
and purify the hearts of all who shall
come after him. He has lifted life
above the low level of the common place
into the realm of precious and immu-
table things, into the great spiritual
realities which abide above all change,
beyond the reach of years.
The story of the dying Sidney. who
gave his glass of water to wounded
soldier, saying ''Thy necessity is greater
than mine" is one of the fine memories
of the English race. / would that the
pen of Milton or Gibbon were mine that
l might place beside it the story of Pat
Cleburne at Franklin. as he drew off his
boots to place them on the bleeding feet
of comrade and then rode on to lead
the fatal charge. He fell upon the
breastworks, saying "I'm killed, bows.
but fight it out
Far out on the crest of the battle
Up. up toward the death
"To die for ones country is sweet. ~ he remem.
bered,
And then, out of BREATH
Met the shock and the pain and the terror
Untiinching and knew
In one instants unbearable brightness
1t was true. 1t was true
Of him also it might have been written
Right in the van on the red ramaart.s slipper,
SWELL
, | With hearts that beat "A charge he fell