Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-29
Immortality
Of Recent Reunion
Suggested by the Recent CorJcd-
crate Veterans Reunion
in Richmond.

AS the writer sat In n comforta Bile
chair on the front porch OF an elegant
home on Franklin street. said chair be
Ing supplied by that witty. wise and
attractive Southern lady, Miss Bette
Ellyson. OF Richmond. he had a SPLEEN
did opportunity OF seeing the Confcdcr-
ate parade on the Sd of June, which
viii ever he green In his memory. not
only on account of It's length. its bril-
liant military display. its martial
music. but for one feature especially.
which was this;
hs the gray line of battered and aged
confederate veterans passed by, not
only was the cheering tremendous. but
we saw tears coursing down the faces
OF many. And wo began to ask our
selves why this sorrow. Have not fifty
years and moro passed since these vet-
Grams faced death on battlefelds made
immortal by their valor? Is not the
cause for which they so bravely battled
gone Into history as lost? Yea verify.
what, then, is the explanation? Here
1T Is: There arc some things that can
not. will not die, and love is one Of
them These old soldiers brought back
the love of the whole old South Of nifty
years ago in all it's pristine fullness
and glory. In spite OF the matcrialism,
the canker OF calm world and the
cancer Of commercialism. the heroic
heart of the old South still survives in
the hearts of the sons and daughters of
fathers who made ii illustrious. The
immortality of principle for which they
Fought was evident everywhere in
Richmond
Our capital city covered herself with
a halo or glory and proved herself full
worthy Of her glorious past Yes. there
arc some things in history as we'll as
scripture which prove the Immortality
or the soul. We add an instance When
that fearful upheaval known as tho
French Revolution was at the acme Of
,ts Jury. when the Girondist, the Con-
stitutional party of France was over
thrown. and Robcspicrrc, that monster
or murder. was master of France, all OF
tho ablcst leaders of the Gironde were
arrested and thrown into prison by his
orders. Their trial was set for the
next day. friend, n Partisan wine
merchant Informed them he would give
them supper before their execution.
He kept his word. Tho table was laden
with all the delicacics for which La
belle france is famous. AS the guests
sat at the table laughter and song and
Jest prevailed. But as the night wore
on thoughts more serious began to be
uppermost in their minds. At this point
one OF their number asked the aues-
ton. Where shall we take our next
SUPPER This brought up the question
OF the life hereafter. Under the teach :
ings Of Voltairc, Didrot and others,
France had become inndel. The argu-
nients pro and con were protractcd. At
last II was proposed that Vergriand
whom Macauly pronounced the most
nasterful intellect of France, and the
equal OF Mirabcau and Danton in elo-
quence. should conclude the debate lie
did so. And while VIC can recall but a
portion Of what he said we give It az
nearly as we can In mis- own words:
Citizens. for what are we dying? Is IL
not for the Immortality of an Idea and
that idea is liberty? If. then. we arc
willing to lay down our lives for the
immortality of this idea, Is not the
source from which this idea springs
necessarily immortal also? To say
otherwise is to dispute the connection
between cause and effect That out OF
nothing something can come, which Is
unthinkable. And so. according to the
reasoning OF some OF YOU, that which
YOU would fain pronounce mortal can
produce something immortal, which Is
an absurdity on your own showing" He
said more, but this is sufficient The
proposal to send for priest, which had
been ridiculed earlier in the night, was
now agreed to. to receive confession
and pray for absolution. To conclude:
they were all guillotined the next
morning, singing the "Marscilla!se" un-
til the fall OF the fatal knife
Yes, this Confederate reunion fifty
years after the war is proof of the
immortality OF an idea--that of South
ern rights, and that which makes mem
org eternal, which is love
DUVAL PORTER
IL