The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-15
THE CHARACTERA AND SERVICES
OF THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER

that perhaps q righteous repriSal. care
full with fire, and they were never
known 10 borrow Jewels Of gold and
silver with no thought Of returning the
same They divided their last rnorsel
OF food and the last drop OF water with
The hungry and thirsty prisoners that
they captured b. the Thousand. with
the rarest exception. they never cher
ished bitterness ana i'll feeling for the
rank and file OF tn. men they mot III
deadly combat.
They were soldiers from necessity,
not choice. and only fought. as their
Revolutionary slres did. for home and
liberty. They kncw then and know
nov, mat they were absolutely RIGHT
IN their CONVENTIONS The last one VIII.
~" with the proud satisfaction that inn
ln.nt IN their favor, ana RANK them as
the most heroic and least selfish OF all
VINO, ia tn. tide OF time. have fought
tor their homes and iircsIucs.
historians on TWO continents are Civ
ing the Confederate soidier full credit
tor the honesty OF MS convictions. and
them.
In duo time they will tell of his
achievements in peace that were not
surpassed by his exploits IN war Worn
out by the victories H. had won over
superior numbers he yielued TO those
ana the resources OF the world that
L
last colnpasS.d his defeat.
IN" territory that he defended with
unsurpassed va!or. containing one
third OF our population. has FOR years
contributed 80 per cent OF our exports
10 foreign lands. But for the cotton
crop produced on his land ana through
ms enterprise, there would bc no bal
1nce OF trade In our favor. ReceivinE
no pension save a pittaHcc from the
Commonwealth that had been dcspoiled
By war ana robbed nv decentralization
10 M. tnt a
prise Of himself and the sons sprung
from his ioins, furnished from his tax
able values fully one-third Of the rcve-
nue. that mas gone TO pension the sur
ViNorS OF the Federal army. and the
widows of those who sleep in the we'll
Kept cemeteries OF the nation. The
recognized everywhere as the under
lying and fundamental principles OF
government to-day.
lie sees one of his own comrades the
Chief Justice OF the United states. and
one Of his associates, an cX-Confcder-
ate. The Legislative branch of govern
sons who are In sympathy with him.
Under no other form Of government
could such situation obtain. The
safety of the nation is the safety OF the
states.
No summary. however brief. of the
record and services of the Confederate
tion of the part he has played in help
ing shape the legislation OF this coun-
Iry Tor the past forty, years IN the
FIFTY NTH, F'ifty-siXth and Fifty
seventh Congresses there were thirty
two eX-Confederate soldiers in the
House and sixteen in the Senate. The
constructive legislation they initiated
and enacted into law has been OF in
calculable benent 10 the nation. while
the undesirable legislation they pre-
vented has gone far to preserve the
mcnt.
When the Panama Canal is completed
IT VIII be no less monument 10 the
skill and genius OF the American en-
Sineers than TO the patient and uutir-
ing efforts OF Senator Morgan Of Ala
hama It would be Il pleasant task to
name many others in both houses. who
through long and faithful service have
inscribed their names on the roll OF
fame nigh among the civic heroes of
this age Your own State furnishes
one whose memory is tcndcrly revcred
By every Confederate soldier, whose
name Will I've for years 4 household
Major DanieIs fame as an orator VIII
not rest primarily or the Confcderat.
addresses he delivered. although more
than one OF these has long since taken
rank as American classics.
His many able and eloquent speeches
on constitutions! questions. particular
option bin, will ever rank him among
the mots profound lawyers and able
statesmen OF his day.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts. in
closing his euloEy on Senator Daniel.
said The Civil War brought many
tragedies TO North and South alike.
None None sreatsr, certainly than the ni-
such n history. with such memories and
traditions. there was peculiar cruel
ty in such fate Virginia alone,
cr wounds have healed. The land that
was rent in twain is one again The
old cnmities have grown cold The
old friendships and affections are once
more warm and strong as they We're
at the beginning. But the wound which
the war dealt 10 Virginia can never be
healed There, and there alone, the
past cannot be restored. Ore bows TO
the inevitab bile. but as lover OF my
country and my country's past have
felt deep pride In the history OF Nir-
ginia, In which /. as an American. had
a right 10 share. and have always sor-
roWcd that an ineXorabl" destiny had
severed that land where so many brave
and shining memories We're garncred
up. That thought was often in my
mind ~ looked at senator Daniel in
this chamber. Not only did he fifty
with all it's memories and traditions.
but I've also represented the tragedy. as
great as the history, which had fallen
upon Virginia TO the cause in which
she believed she had given her all. even
n part OF herself. and the manned sol
dicr with scars which command the
admiration of tine world, inely typi.ied
his great State in her sorrows and her
losses rs in her .lories ana her pride
Confederate soldiers may well com
fort themselves with the thought that
each passing year sees the cnmities OF
the past giving way for kinder feelings
for them and more dispaSsionatc judg
mcnts touching their great leaders in
the War Between the states. This feel
Ing has been voiced in Congress often
during the past decade. notably in the
sixty second Congress by two we'll
known representatives of great ability.
The former Speaker II the House Mr..
Cannon. speaking on the Lincoln Me-
mortal. said in part: There are Ger
tain great characters that Will dwell in
the history of the country: first. Wash
ngton; second, Lincoln; third. Lee. n
great man. a great general, who did
his duty from his patriotic standpoint;
fourth. Jefferson Davis. a great man.
performing great service for Il pro-
posed new republic rs he saw his duty"
hundred years from now the ordi-
nary reader will recall this period, and
there will he In the mouths Of the
school children the names OF Washing
ton, Lincoln. Grant, Lee and Jefferson
Davis, but you will have to search the
Conversational Record and the ency
clopedias to find out about the balance
OF us. who have been Speakers, eX-