The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-05-20

GOING BACK TO RICHMOND.
Jefferson Davis ON His Last Great
March.

The following article appeared as
an editorial in the Greenville News
In 1889. on the day that the body of
Jefferson Davis passed through South
Carolina from Beauvoir to Richmond.
II has been greatly admired by Eng
iish scholars and critics as an exam
pie or beautiful prose. 1t Isl worthy
OF preservation and should be in ev-
cry scrap book:
A. b. Williams, In the Greenvi,le
| News.
In the far South, where the mightiest
river of a continent swells to its most
majestic width and the summer winds
dance across the blue and sunlit wa
ters OF the Gulf to linger languidly in
the fragrance of Louisiana's thou
sand flowers. an old man lies asleep.
In virginia. nine hundred miles
away. Is Hollywood Cemetery. On
the slopes of its many hills the grass
grows green beneath the shade Of
old trees. and marble monuments to
mighty dead gleam through the foli-
age. swaying gently In the breath of
the breeze from the James River. It
Is very still and solemn there, and
the roses drop their petals silently on
the graves beneath and yield their
breath to go forth gently through
ravines and valleys where the hopes
and loves of generations lie buried
and the memories Of thousands turn
backward from ali the corners of the
earth.
The broad. yellow river rolling by
on Its course to the sea is broken
there by many islands, and its waters
surge beneath the dropping branches
OF willows and are ruined into waves
Dy the lodges Of rock beneath. The
voice Of the river rushing amid the
willows comes softly among the hills
and ravines OF Hollywood. like the
sound OF ceaseless signing from many
thousands Of. breasts. and minRles
with the whisperings Of the old
trees AZ their foliage sways and rus
tles.
In Hollywood the soldiers sleep in
renks long and straight a those of
the battle line. Beneath the green
turf. shadowed by the whispering,
swaying trees. with the roses above
them and In the sound Of the sishing
from the willows in the river, they
sleep and wait. silent, stark and mo-
tionless. each man in his place in the
last array.
Today the old man who went to
sleep by the blue waters OF the Gulf
will be brought on his last journey to
Hollywood to join the men who sleep
there. He will pass nearly thusand
miles through the Southern land to
the sound of tolling bells and solemn
boom Of minute guns and the music
OF dirges telling Of the mourning of
millions Of men and women.
He will be laid in Hollywood for
his long rest-will be put there among
the men whose hearts thrilled at his
name and who crowded the path to
death at his bidding.
Thirty-two years ago he went to
Richmond at the head Of new ma
ton, the chief of a people who had
taken arms In vindication OF the prin-
ciples and for the defense Of the land
they loved. From every part Of this
wide Southern country men gathered
there to him. and his name was high
est among all those whom the swarm
ing hosts honored with wild enthusi-
asm. In the splendid dreams of that
time-dreams Of new empire, broad,
beautiful. mighty and peaceful. and
a Nag bearing the Southern cross
fiuttering on far seas and waving
higher than the flags Of all the en-
pires-his personality was foremost.
Keeling and falling In the choking
battle smoke. sickening and dying in
prisons. passing away in the crowd
ed hospital wards. his men went
from the ranks they filled so glori-
ously and from this world. His ar
mics melted away. the splendid
dreams faded and his flag went down
and was furled forever He lived to
show that the confidence and love his
people gaev him were we'll placed, to
illustrate the heroism OF adversely, to
show to the world how a manly man
and patriot could endure disaster and
deprive defeat OF sting and shame. He
died an old man and very tired. He
Is going back to- Richmond to rest