The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-10-20
THE LOWERING OF THE FLAG.
Il. "A

1Bnk LOW HsAAN0 Of THE kAAA6s
The employees in the Custom House at
Savannah, Georgia, hauled the Stars and
Stripes down half mast to show their appre-
citation of the National grief and loss upon
the occasion of the death of Gen. Il. E. Lee.
The loyal heads of that governmental bust
ness establishment ordered the flag to be ele-
waited to its proper place. Secretary Bout
well and the whole administration, We have
no doubt, seconded the motion, sustained the
leading officers of the Custom House in their
action. Whereupon the lachrymose Democ-
racy of the country begin the heartrendring
indulgence of shedding oceans of sympathetic
tears, first over the bier of their dear, grand
old General and Statesman, who did 60
much, made so many sacrifices, gave the
force Of such a splendid Napoleonic mind to
the business in the late rebellion Questioning
the nation and building up the Democratic
party; second over the heartlessness of those
narrow, Ainty-souled officers who represent
the Government, and who had the meanness,
commitment of the Government to Nation
al display of the evidences of grief and res
pect over his demise. This exhibition is in
perfect keeping with the wretched, unpatri-
otto, disloyal sympathy and criticism indulg-
ed by the writers and takers of the Demo-
cratic party ever since the opening of the
rebellion. Nobody ought to object to any
amount of tear-shetiding, any extravaganza
of obituary composition, on the part of the
rebels in Virginia, and of their friends
throughout the country, the Democrats, over
the death of Robt. E. Lee. Hardly any one
who knows his history, the record Of his
deeds, will fail to recognize the fact that he
was a man Of uncommon mental force, and
the possessor Of great genius for the military
profession. and that he gave his best po,cers,
his mighties energies, to the organization,
direction and the hurting of the rcbd
army against this grand temple of Freedom,
builded mainly by the genius, blood, self
sacrifice and never tagging patriotism of his
tWWeu"e uuoN"Ss 40
the Government, which he strived with such
fearful energies to destroy, having conquered
him in the battle field, showed its magnifi-
cent magnanimity, its unparalleled humanity
in saving him his life, and the yielding to
him the liberty, the privileges, the protec-
ton OF full citizenship!
Shall it haul down its glorious colors-
the stars and stripes-in token of the ma
tional grief and loss over his death? For
shame! Let Robert E. Lee die like other
men, who have no right to such glorious,
significant respect-with his near friends
around him, and those with whom he cast
his fortunes in the terrible war inaugurated
by the slave oligarchy against Government
of liberty-the only real one on earth-show-
ing such grief and respect As Is fitting to their
relations with him. Bet let the Nation, in its
Governmental character, beware of such =
prostitution Of its symbols of sorrow and re
spect,-which have grown into an institu- |
ton, because of the wide sympathy and deep
regard of the people for such great charac- |
tiers, who have won their right to such re-
gard and love, by their great and patriotic |
deeds, as Washington, Clay, and Lincoln.