Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-17

,
truth.
J y moment passes. the French ladies
and gentlemen are talking To the Gov
ernor. l do not hear their words. but
, from the little town of panville. Va.
I catch these words from Jefferson
! Oavis's proclamation: But relying OH
God. meet the foe with fresh defiance
and with unconquered ana unconuuer-
able hearts"
| Wha; foe? The foe OF yesterday Is
not the foe OF to-day.
! The foe that = patriot sees is tho
same yesterday. to-day and forever.
| Ills foe is always oppression, it may
be camouflaged. but oppression il seems
to him: his battle is always for lib.
erty and love. The vision of Lee and
Lincoln we're opposed; the star to which
they fastened their dream shed q diff
fercnt light: bat the vision OF each
brought liberty nearer--bchind each
star was love. The essence OF tho
vision of the North and the South in.
spires the American soldier to-day: the
capSulcd spirit of Jackson and Grant
Is going TO create a world democracy.
Meet each foe with fresh defiance
and with encountered and unconqucr-
able hearts"
The ceremony over, left the white
House" of the Confederacy alone:
did not wish companonshp: | wished
TO reconcile however ciumsily, ycstcr-
day and to-day.
l walked slowly through the Capitol
Square. where stands the Confederate
taD,toi III hellenic purity. Snowbound,
SphinXiike in its white silence. lay the
slopinE park with its majestic elms: 81.
ienily eloquent and strangely prophetic.
Thomas JeGerson's cpic-in- stone echoed
u ;ruant nations young. but fierce. de-
termination. Through the hilly space
bche!d armies IN gray pass on 10 CORY
battl" fields. what use" Cui homo"
Battles give birth to souls; souls o.
all ages have language for succeed
ing generations. From the fardistant
capital OF war caught the hcterodoXy
Of Christian democracy
Confederate Richmond - sister 10
Brussels. Belgrade and Buckharcs,-the
war city. cornered in the hear; OF
splendid prosperity. has mighty mes
sage for the dark world Of Il .day
Be!ea&uered. burned 'amished evac-
raicd, 1t revived maSnticently. he
cause the heart of IL was unconuucred
and unconQucrabl.. Nor will Rheims
die. nor Louvain, nor Belgium. nor the
brave victim Of the trenches. nor the
hope OF mothers. nor the world cry for
liberty ana love. II the hearts OF these
be unconuuered and unconquera
The squirrels IN the square. descend
ants Of taOs" Confederate squirrels
whom Genera Lee fed with peanuts
stole TO me. their beady eyes plainly
tnuuirinG. Where arc OF: nuts" NV
thought was a fixed as the long stalag-
mites OF ice abou; the silent fountain.
could not get down TO the Dummies
The laughter Of company Of negroes
n khaki blurred the Confederate cor
neT 10! moment, but WASHINGTON. in
triumphant bronze: Jackson. hronzed
seriously and sad: M-rcicr's Lee masked
"a glorious resignation. and stuart in
Towns cape and p!um"d hat. all
stepped from ;Acir pcd.stais. and myS-
teal! marched With their former slav.
III this new fight FOR love ana liberty.
81. Pau!'S. til" church Of the Confed-
nracy stands jus; outside The Capitol
Square--w hat mas it 20 say Of the giant
confederacy of to-day:
Down The long dim aisle see the
sexton bearing 10 the old war clergy
nah native rruSsiar--the historic
mote winch fore;e!s tn. fall OF th..
r"ntedeHacy This April sunday fe,.l
lhe irrmor OF the vast conversation
feel othrr sundays. before this
tragic day. when Jefferson Davis ana
"eHe!al l."" sat in their rcspeutiy.
pewS. still leather covered. midst the
SoFihcss OF modern brocade. soc lief
i"rs"n Davis go up pale and thin for
ho!N confirmation. General Lee and his
invalid wife Watching his grave humtl-
~! ~na;; OF sunlight strikes
'"i"H+h mc!moria! window and rests
on ih' boxed head or a young fellow
!" hhahi TREMENDOUS the spirit Of
I.r" '.i;.n.: through and ihr!ugh HIM
on his VA! 10 France
In" church. is full OF gray, tattered
gray and homespun. and q bride I'm
white hoais mp the aisle on Young.
generals arm. \ week later Pcgram.
dead. the young general. and a
Young widow follows the casket up this
io"s aisle. But fegram's spirit, is i'm
mortal h's spirit OF yesterday whips
!" Fran" the NirG imians OF today
The sun is falling as linscr bv
ne ola bel tower. the newspaper Of
'at Nonfederacy, no extras then. and
dynamic flashes over wire were cauun,
N the tongue OF the tower which called
Inc people 10 hear that the "Pawnce"
was putting up the James or that Jack
son was dead. or that Lee was yi..-
TOR OF that day. The old bell has MOI
, ioI!cG Tor ha!f i century. yet from liz
tower to-day catch glorious peal
America. America, no lomgc. North or
south but an invinciblc unity TO save
The worli."
The 200 square Of East Franklin
street is the Faubourg 81. German Of
ne Confederacy. here from 1861 to
!Ho" general, judge, secretary and
many high official resided. Houses
all gone TO public uses now but one
grim, SCARED ante-be!lum mansion,
ms N!Ie Wal ltSldcnCe OF Robert l.,
Lee sim holds its own amidst com
mercc and confusion
pause outside the iron gate, and /
hear Ewc!!s order to fire the ware,
houses as IN" gray line abandons the
confederate capital. see the HON.
guard smash the casks Of whisky and
visualize the Migrants as they, like
dogs. lap the brown flood az IT flows
through the cutters. watch the flames
spread westward, ii greedily devours
the church at the corner. and will soon
reach .01, where the invalid wife Of
the great chieftaln is bound with rhcu-
ma;!sm 10 her chair
Union soldiers spread over the
doomed capital a detail OF them 70,
some moments watch the flames play on
Inc '0o block. somebody points 10 f.ce's
residence, and Immediately bows i'm bins
rush over TO bring Mrs Lee out l.
mat for which Robert L.. Ice Is smil-
ihs as he walks down the stone steps in
my sensiti2cd spiritual visionc or +.