New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-26
THE AUGUSTA OUTRAGE.

There are worthy intelligent persons who cannot
believe that in restored" cty of the United States
after the exRebels had systematically and osentl-
tousy marched in procession to the cemetery to srew
flowers over the graves Of those who fell fighting TO
divide our country and subvert its Government, the
loyal portion of that same community were precluded
with the assent Of Army officers, from rendering Ike
homage, according to their humber ability, TO the
memory Of those who fell fighting for the Union.
Having seen the facts SET forth only in The TRIBUNE
they conclude that there must be some mistake about
them-at least, the grosse,t cxaggeration-that the
latter-day Unionsts would not dare TO impede such
an exhibition of unchanged loyalty and that even If
they did, officers Of the Union army must have inter-
posed and convinced them tina. they were going quite
too far To silence all cayil and remove any linger
ing doubt in the premises, here copy the account
Of the matter given by Rebel-sympathizng core
spondent Of Tie Uorid, who writes from Augusta
May 3D. as follows:
Speaking Of these Blacks i be said that they ne
generally behaving with toerabe decorum where away from
the oorrnpng OF the Bureau In the outlying dis
ricis they conienied aud do fair measure Of honest
work brt about tie and where the missionaries
reach them they tAeye rob idle dcbauch aad msuclaSe
generally Tie latest flore their account b one taking
place but few dave IN this city Ga ne th Of last
month tue ladies 81 Augusta n compliance with under
standing general throughout Georgia and the south met at
graves % those vho fom wounds or dsee ded u lAe hos
piia Of th, place willie ~ the military service Of the Con
ederae and here az all other points heard irom
tie celebration was most impressive day or 80 after IDS
stated tai tie nege proposed Ike decoration IN
inferred ~ 'ae CITY cemetery The matter berg looked
on as prompted rather by bad feeling than any
stood BY e ay the city authorities took steps % prevent
entrance by Blacks into the White cemetery which meh
dezyou. and being duy melted by some low creatures WHO
rofr fig
ssh v,oSu lp , ~ c MIN eevc1s Arrived AZ he
gates they informed by police there stationed that
the Bhs persons IN the crowd might enter but no Ire nat
ensucd great hubbub the ngeaders White loudly
bawng admission for the dusky After
discussion orders issued 70 allow those negroes
who had lowers 10 eater also Al this there was great
rush roing and and the push Of all to the entrances
became dscreda0e and umuuOus that the gates were
closed and all admance refused Hercupon great many
threats uttered and though nothing serious has
occurred there have not been wanting appreheons
trouble that may arise
Taking this statement as the truth, we ask a can
did public TO Judge if the facts admitted are not
thoroughly disgraceiul to country, but more
pecially to d" the military" who dscountcnanced
the loyal offering Why should this have been
pected to lead to a breach of the peace ?" The ex-
Rebels had been allowed to honor their dead without
disturbance or objection-nobody feared that their
pompous procession and bounteous offerings would
excite any riot How is it, then, that Federal
Military officers should have attributed a desire to
strew flowers over the graves Of Union soldiers to
" bad feeling" and gravely apprehended that it would
provoke a riot What have ue ever said of South
ern disloyalty so blasting this apprehension
1t here established that those who sought honor
our patriot dead were in part White-"low crea
lures" Of course if they had been anything else
they would have avished their flowers on the graves
Of the fallen Rebels--but low creatures" even
though Unonists ifWhite are entitled to rights
is our restored country. Yet they forbidden TO
enter the city cemetery" as well as the Blacks af
ter reluctant grudging permission had been granted
Hhy was there ga great rush, rotng and camor"
at the gate How came there to be aught "discred
liable and tumultuous" in the spectacle
There was nothing Of the kind at the Rebel fete-
there would have been nothing of ii at the Union test
imonal, if the Rebels and their police had simply
stayed away. They made all the tumult-nade it ON
purpose to have prctext for shutting out ALL White
or Black, who sought to honor the memory Of the
Nations martyrs. "Beggary" as was our array of
patry flowers, it was deemed too good to grace the
graves of Unionists who died for their country.
We respectfully call the attention Of the authorities,
and especially Of Lieut.-Ge Grant, to this matter.
ID ought not to be permitted to sleep, until day
future has been set apart for publicly honorng the
graves of Union soldiers in that Augusta cemetery,
with full permission to all who choose to walk thther
in procession and strew flowers on those humble
but not unforgotten graves We give fair notice that,
if something is not publicly, impressvely done TO
rescue those graves from the insult cast upon them by
the Rebel municipality of Augusta and our trucking
military authorities there, the Loyal Millions will in
sist on knowing why.