Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 18.djvu/163

 General Joseph Eggleston Johnston. 163

rightly yearns for Peace, but wrongly refuses to estimate fairly the greatness that is born of the profession of arms alone. A quarter of a century ago, as the majestic figures of our great generals emerged from the smoke of battle, and moved out from the soldier life, from camp and march and field, into the unromantic walks of our selfish, schem- ing business world, men marvelled at them as anomalies and de- manded " whence have mere soldiers these characteristics ; this purity and consecration, this majesty and strength ? " Those of us who have to some degree lived and loved the life of the soldier make answer, " These men were cast in this mould ; they are not anomalies, but the lofty yet normal outcome of a grand system of physical and mental and moral training." What, then, is the training and what are the formative elements of this life ?

ESSENTIAL CHARACTER OF THE SOLDIER LIFE.

We answer : The essental character of the soldier life is " SERVICE " its all pervading law is " DUTY." Its first lesson is OBEDIENCE un- questioning its last lesson COMMAND unquestioned. Its daily dis- cipline ACCOUNTABILITY unceasing its final burden .RESPONSI- BILITY unmeasured. Its every-day experience HARDSHIPS, PERILS, CRISES unparalleled its compensation FIXED PAY. Its inspiration

PROMOTION FROM ABOVE.

Here is the mould. Does it not prefigure the man we mourn and honor to-night? His purity, his loyalty, his directness, his robust- ness, his majestic simplicity, his devotion to duty, his heroism ? Yes ! God made him in body, mind, and soul a youth capable of respond- ing to this noble training and absorbing these lofty influences ; but they made him the man and the hero he was.

Thus was he soldier-trained to a great character and a grand career, to a majestic manhood and a mightyl ife; but his spirit soared even higer, because he was also God-created high-souled, and broad- minded. It is noteworthy how his soldier-training and his soldier spirit entered into, inspiring or modifying, his almost every act and utterance, and yet how his personal elevation and breadth bore him up and away above and beyond the mere soldier.

FOUGHT BRAVELY UNDER WHAT HE CONSIDERED INJUSTICE.

Where will you find anything finer than his palliation ot the failure of a gallant officer afterwards prominent upon the Federal side to espouse the cause of his native South upon the ground, as he said,