The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-25
Voice Of the People
Echoes Of Memorial nay.

Echoes OF Memorial Day.
Editor OF The Times-Dlspatch:
Sir.-Since tile shouting has ceased
and the cap.uI.is linve dclnlitGd TIE
echoes OF fervid oratory. celebrating
msroiG aead eetar tner
bearing tender and holy memories OF
the great national tragedy. Nevertheless.
I have a few things against some Of
those orators, who seem to find no
fulsome laudat:on. which, ,fait can be
heard by the great names who have
passed Into the pantheon OF history.
must be exceedingly distasteful to
t tsG II rsrf thai we hear an M
tons growing out OF the war, or see
In their treatment anything like al
continental comprehension. The do
feat of the SOUTH is held up as a defeat
of Righteousness and a calamity to
civilization. There can BIO no such
thing as an ultimate defeat Of righte-
BUSINESS. and since you cannot defeat
righteousness ultimately, you cannot
defeat dsl It temporarily, excepting In so
parent defeat. Is a providentlal disci-
pine toward the ultimate righteous
ness. 1t follows that neither was the
defeat of the South calamity to
f fbst y was vast calamity to
calamity, but 1t was certainly no
calamity to this generation, and there
IS no reason to expect that 1t will be u
calamity e. to any future generation OF
convinced of this, take vote Of the
present generation and see how many
are willing to reverse the settlement
or national questions by the war. Not
even majority of the old veterans
right or accession, even IL that vote
should be effect,al to re~estabfish
these thtngs to-morrow. They fought for
the principle of local self-government
Defeated. they have--local self-govern-
ment. II the slavery Issue had no,
been settled by outside pressure. i.
would have soon become much more
poignant question among ourselves. Ii
g Moui a be abool.utely impossible to-
m may =. 90 SUPPORT r., the institution Of hu.
and irresistible civilization. It re-
mains. therefore, that the only per.
manent result OF Southern victory
would nave beena divided and probably
now be regarded rs an irreparable
calamity. The fact is that the destiny
OF the Western Hemisphere was deter
mined by the Divine Arbiter ofnations
upon far broader outlook than any
merely sectional interest Indicates.
A vast and fertile continent--the hn1f
OF the world-was hidden away for
S Sa and reserved as the grand arena
for Inc ~ nlt I'm development Of the
and inconceivable triumph over nature.
me development OF man as man 4;
mere TO be achieved, reaching posi-
S na dn !, and IN attaining heights Of which
We we 40 not as yet even dream; as also
u, the development OF society, as men
working together for the highest good
Q, AZ. In either direction we are
mercy tha VA at the beginning OF things. In
the record OIL the years in the memory
Of every one. imagine, IL You can, what
mes l., ,m me and remotely before
and ne 81 asent Inc
UNIVERSAL education. the conquest OF
disease the abolition OF poverty and
the recession OF crime. Look upon our
disciplined, and every valley is as "the
garden of the Lord" That conditions
prevailing before the war were mimi
cai to continental progress needs no
those conditions would have been in
tensified BY the subdivision of the
country is equally true. Especially
would tho South have been hopeessly
lhsurabie paralysis of slavery projected
NO telling how far into the future.
Inc ~ prestige of Republication and the
moral mora IN influence OF free institnsions
would have. been practically destroyed.
In the estimate OF mankind and II,
our impress upon the times we would
have sunk TO the status of South Amer
lea. From this fate the gallant SOL
dters Of the Civil War saved us--the
Southern soldier as much as the
Northern--because he sacrificed himself
with equal sincerity for his Ideal OF
he fought so thoroughly that the
tremendous exertions required to
overcome him brought about Just
that degree OF cataclysm and rev.
ra IoA
tablish the essential conditions Of
unparalleled progress upon which this
country Is now fairly entered In the
ropulence and splendor of that progress
Ia full. II not a predominant, share,
and she may we'll rejoice In her mani
fest destiny to be so important part
OF the, greatest nation and the most
the world.