The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-05-31

at least, stood sponsor for me on the
plane on which ! moved. But down
deep in the heart of every man and
woman every boy and girl, there was
great love of the South. and a great
honoIing OF the Southern soldier. That
bazaar was an act of affection, and
its motor force was sacrifice. 1t yield
ed its thousands, and those thousands
placed that monument here. here in
the capital OF the wrecked and
desolated. to mark the glory we give
our soldiers and the honor with which
they died.
Sacrifice of the Southern Women.
And 1t Is in the sacrifice with which
the Southern women made posi- BILE
these memorials that the strength and
beauty of their activities are seen. In
1865 the South was a desolation. in
wreck the returned soldier and his
family were to maintain themselves.
and out or 1t to build again. The
biloxi in which that first bazaar was
held was one OF the few then re-
built, in the east, south and west the
business part OF Richmond lay a ruin.
ON the hospita bic countrywide there
was the land, and little more-many
OF the houses had been destroyed
> "overtN. Mortgages followed, ana
their frequent foreclosure. and there
vas pitiful disap pearance Yet
without call upon public resources,
without tax, without anything com.
pLlsory. save love. the South erected
her memorials was true in expression
TO her principles consented to the
situation ennobled her soidiery. and
siorlhed her cause. And this was the
work of her splendid women. gather
ing, economizins, and with artistic
taste. expanding that which came out
of the South's sacrifice How it was
done one can not now see nor under
stand. But so II was, their work was
done. in dark DAYS. made darker by
that last effort in reconstruction
measures, depressing strangling,
stifing hope. But it is very wreath
or rosemary. that's for remem-
brance," and the irresistible testimony
OF peoples devotion
And not only has she done this in
spite OF her desolation and power ty.
but even when she was required
through national legislation to con-
trloute duly proportional share of
the memorials erected by similar ma
tional legislation, and annually 70 pay
that proportion assigned the thirteen
States from which the hundreds of
millions of dollars were appropriated
Tor the pensions OF those who had
thwarted her purpose. left her desc
''''' ni'' SCtNiliB tTtdu through nara
labor and sweat, sore at heart. 1t
was. thank God. a voluntary plebtscjte
actuated by sacrifice, in response to
the demands Of love and honor.
A Pleasing symbol.
During the reunion last year the
frontispiece OF a prominent magazine
consisted OF two soldiers. one in blue
ana one in gray, hands clasped
marching. united friends II was the
Interpretation OF present fact: IL
was the holzation of cemented
peoples. But there was suggestion 70,
thought and reflection in that picture.
I Inc man IN blue-now a comrade-
receives $40 a month pension; the
man In grey-now comrade--onlv
pays it. For these many years The
man In gray has paid the man in hlae
his pension, and continues to paw it,
There Is the hint of an enormous trib-
ute here. Doesn't the picture in its
attempted illustration Of existing har-
mony suggest also a too sharp coi.-
trast? There Is some confusion In
these centrifugal and centr'nctal
forces IL this picture and its sugEes-
ton Is the exponent Were the gen
crosby of the one side, IL does seem.
what it exacts of the other-ferget-
fulness of proud civilization and a
beautiful life the abandonment of
living principles or the silencing of
them, and reconciliation 70 new and
unagreed to politic--there would be a
different condition, and there would
have been different frontispiece or
one without the suggestion. Share and
share alike should the people of d
nation, and the soldiers. II mnv be
that not yet can the prejudiced and
the Ill OF temper give and receive with
that graciousness and gratitude Which
alone expresses unbreakable, re~'uro-
catiVe friendship, but until then In
any attempt at a picture of the actual
| harmony there is something wanting
something like the lost chord OF n
great score Not for a moment does
the Northern soldier wish the South
Iern soldier to pay his pension not
Tor moment does the Southern sol
der murmur because the deserving
soldier OF the North receives nen
sion. individually we are largely
alike largely swayed by like senii-
ments. and exercise in like emotions.
and these are national. but collec-
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