The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-14

of which he is pastor DIR. MCDANIEL
said:
Devotion TO the Confedcracy was
born in me. The first large gather
ing ! ever attended was a reunion OF
| Hoods brigade in Texas, and can
! still feel the thrill that went through
I my young soul as I heard the cheer
| ing of 10000 veterans and listened TO
| the clarion voice OF Roger @. Mills,
and the melodious tones of Norman
! G.. Kitreil expounding the principles.
nerrating the deeds and proclaiming
the virtues of the men who wore the
gray" Richmond became in my boy
ish imagination a sort Of shrine. The
passing years and intimate acquain-
tance have made that shrine more
sacred. The debates OF Webster and
Hayne, of calhoun and Clay. of <Da-
Wis and Douglas are to me the mas
terpiecea Of American polemics The
years of 81 TO IS mellow my spirit
and hold me with irresistible charm.
Therefore TO accept an invitation to
preach the memorial sermon of Lee
camp FOR the second time is indeed a
cherished pleasure.
Visoount Morley, in the most in
forming book of the past year makes
striking comment on the War Be
tween the States. IL was the only
war In modern times as to which we
can be sure: first. that no skill or pa
tience of diplomacy could have avert
ed il, and, second. that preservation of
the American Union and abolition OF
negro slavery were two vast triump hs
OF good by which even the inferno OF
war was justified"
Conflicting Ideas.
AS 20 the first statement. II is un-
doubtsdly true that two conflicting
| ideas Of government existed in the
minds OF the founders of the repub-
! lie, and persisted. without abatement
on either side. to the outbreak of the
war. They were inca rnated In those
/ two protagonists, Jefferson and Ham
! ilton, whose debates across the cab
met table marred the harmony Of
Washington administration and gave
| him ma nv anxious moments. In
genfous statesmen. patriotic civilians
and devout pacifsts employed every
known method Of diplomacy to avert
! open conflict. All compromises and
4 devices which postponed the final rs
sue made its eventuality more GER
tain and fatal Clashing theories for
seventy years presaged the glistenins
bayonet.
AS to Lnrd Morleys second obser-
walton that the results justified the
war. we rciojea - agree that today
we are one pHn'Iie. but 7 suggest the
qua lifyins rcH Us that slavery would
have passed away had there been no
war. n was "a liability 20 olE eco
nomic and social life. and scores OF
petitions were filed IN the South for
its discontinuance, and hundreds Of
owners had manumitted their slaves.
\ If the fiery aboiitionists had not light
Cd the match OF Civil war, Chris
ttanity would have settled the slav-
, cry question without bloodshed and
slaughter.
u On occasions like this II is deem ed
appropriate to discuss the merits OF
the Confederate cause more for the
infoYTna ton OF the present generation
than for the encours cement OF the
veterans. You men Of Lees army
know. better than I can tell the pT~n'
cipies for which you fought. Your
consciencss approve the course which
you pursued After hfty-six years
reelection no one OF you regrets his
action. Under similar circuSs stan ce'
YOU would do the sarle thing again
Some Of you bear in your bodies th'
scars Of battle. and they are badges o
honor But in the bosom of no on
Of YOU does bitterness rankie Tim
has healed the wounds and history II
doing you tardT Justice. In the cap
ital and heart of the Confederscy. O
all places on earth the lamp OF tr-u'
history should be kept trimmed snt
burning What shall we say then o
THE ill-starrcd, but immortal cause
flor hich our fathers fought?
Moral Right to secede.
Al This 1t was right morally. If thre'
million people had the moral right T.
withdraw from tho British govern
ment in 17Ts. why did not twent'
million southerners have the sam
= moral right to withdraw from tn
American Union in 1881? II Presi
- dent Davis was a traitor. 20 wer
Patrick Henry. James Madison. Rem
iamin Franklin and President Wash
ington: II General Lee was a. rehe
so were Francis Marion, Thoma
Sumter. Nathaniel Green and An
e thony Wayne, # all Just government
derive their just power from the con
sent OF the governed who can den
the n1oral right OF fifteen states to de
termine their form OF government
Wendell Phillips. never noted fc
Southern prejudice. pertinently sai
In a speech at New Bedford, Mass
o on April g. 1911, "a large body q
people. sufficient 20 make nation
have come to the conclusion that tho
| will have government of a certai
form. who denies them that right
Standing with the principles OF 10 he
t hind us, who can deny them tn
. right 20 With him agreed Hora0
Greedy, Salmon p. Chase. William II
7 Seward. President Buchanan, Edwar'
Everett and Abraham Lincoln. a
Charles Francis Adams remarked
The difference was that, confronte'
hy the overwhelming tide Of events
Virginia adhered TO It: they in tn
" presence OF that tide, taoitly han
doned IL" Imperialistic and despou
: governments ere maintained by force
, but the United states was govern
mant founded on fraternity. tn
> voices of Lloyd sGeorge and Prestden
Wilson today are eloauently proclaim
ing tho rights of people 10 determin
their own forms OF government, an
manage their own affairs. unawed b.
militarisn. If we can Interpret tn
! ,Argou or articulations from Russii
II is a demand for the right OF PEG
: nie 70 determine for themselves thet
government and rulers. In othe
r words, gentlemen. the moral strength
! Of tho allies cause today, and tina
which their leaders arc anxious Il
have rooted in the minds OF all men
la IN essence the same as that TO