THE BATTALION. 5
pride or availed him aught when the cold steel of Brutus’
dagger rankled in his heart and poured his blood upon the
senate floor of Rome? These men have gained lasting names.
But oh, the doleful price of their eternal ruin. Who can
read the history of such men as these and then seek like im
mortality? May such desires be blown by the waves of obli
vion from our continent! But as we read and think o’er
these men the question arises: “Is there no other way in
which we may gain immortality?” Boundless are the ways
and many are the fields in which great prizes can be won.
Many are the examples which present themselves to us.
Notable among these is that of our illustrious “father of his
country.” Born of humble parentage at a time when it
seemed that one of his standing in life could never attain to
prominence, he was reared by the hand of Providence for the
work intrusted to his care; he was led along the rugged and
rock-bestrewn path of poverty, up the steep heights of ad
versity, until at last he surmounted the highest pinnacle of
fame, and stands “first in war, first in peace and first in the
hearts of his countrymen.” A fire of desolation may kindle
in our metropolis and strew it in the dust, yea, may burn up
our continent with all its monuments, but his name shall be
cherished with reverence till “the ocean has ceased to heave
and time has ceased to be.” * And after the foot of time has
trodden down his marble tombstone and strewed his grave
with the dust of ages it will be said that nature’s orator, Pat
rick Henry, when accused of treason and thieatened with
death, hurled “his crushing thunderbolts” full at the haughty
form of tyranny and cried: “Give me liberty or give me
death” in accents that burned all over Europe.
Can time, with all its ravages, destroy the illustrious
name of “Stonewall” Jackson? He was not only a military
genius, but was as pure as a vestal virgin and on the es
cutcheon of his honor there never was a fleck or flaw. He