The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-06
Conquerors and subfccts.."E.et

as nave M-G&hcG-
Nashville Union and American.
Four years ago, when harsher feelings
were rife, the government found 1t had
made a blunder and shocked public
sentiment by driving back with the bay
onet of a sentinel, the women ana child
rem who wished to strew the graves OF
the Confederate dead at Arlington with
flowers. a band of politicians, associa-
ted as "The Grand Army of the Repub-
lie" sought to play the dirty political
card again, and few days ago issued
formal order declaring that an attempt
bv friends of the rebel dead to strew
flowers ON their graves Will not
be tolerated" This was regarded as the
most unmanly kind of resentment and
utterly unworthy great and magnani-
Nous people. Quatermaster General
Afeigs, having official charge of all cere-
monies concerning National Cemeteries,
is reported to have said on the End of
Nav. that the National Cemeteries are
national property, and that they are al
ways opon for free entrance TO well be-
haYed persons who wish to decorate the
graves of their friends. But it appears
that the politicians, the men whose ha~
tired of the Southern people is so bitter
and vindictiye that they cannot treat
even the turf that covers their dead with
kindness, were all powerful With the
authorities at Washington, and have Sc
cured the issuance OF the following or
der:
May p, 1S73-The Quartermaster General OF
the Arlny-Sir The national cemetery at
Arlington will, on the. 3Oth day of May, for
the purpose of strewing flowers upon and
decorating the graves OF the deceased I n
ion soldiers, be under the control of the or
ganization known as the Grand ARMY OF
fhe ReDublic and the cemetery will on that
day be reserved for that purpose.
All organized professions of parties de-
string to visit the cemetery for the purpose
of decorating graves other than those NAM
ed above, can be admitted on amy day sub
sequent toIthe one.above named upon.proper
edfent servant, WIZ. w. BELKNAP.
Secretary of War.
This display of brutal resentment has
no parallel in the history of civilized
nations, and ought to cover its per-
petrators and defenders all over with
infamy. For a great government, 1.-THE
hest government the world has ever
known" to exercise its authority to
prevent a widow, an orphan, or a friend
from dropping flower on the grave of
a Confederate soldier, possibly dear re-
lative, at the same time the graves OF
the Federal soldiers are being decorated,
is a piece of yindictiveness of which no
government, civilised or unciViliSed,
has ever before been guilty. We are
conjured to lay aside all prejudice, to
forget the bitter memories of the war,
and become again one people, and yet
the government through its Secretary OF
of War, tells us that we and ours are
not OF the conquerors that we are sub
iects, and that, as the Philadelphia Press
phrases it, sit was an impertinent thing
| i'm the friends of the Southern soldiers to
insist upon publicly testifying their APP
probation OF the services of those SOL
| diers on the day specially set apart for
the decoration of the graves of the I'm
| ion dead" Here are a handful of pO-
| liticans and bummers doing what they
| can to keep alive the resentments and
bitter memories of the war, and the
government Is aiding them. Did ever
a government affix on one portion of its
| people-an intelligent, law-abiding,
| brave and generous people-such d
| stigma as this act of the Secretary OF
! War has upon the friends of the Con-
| federate soldiers