The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-10-14
WAYNE COUNTY, INDIANA, OCT. IA,

tution. the laws, and the territory of
the Republic. How senseless. then.
is the proposition for the organization
OF society bearing aloft two banners,
the one standing for freedom sustain.
ed, triumphant, and the other for slav-
cry crushed, banished! How mon.
strously absurd for the ex-Union SOL
der, who periled his life to plant the
stars and stripes on every stronghold
OF the Union, to go laboriously
through the solemn mockery of march
ing under the folds of the stars and
bars!
The theory of the society is suppos-
ed to be Cancellation" The ex- I'm
ion soldier consents to bear the stars
and bars upon the consideration that
the ex-Confederate soldier shall bear
the stars and stripes. But the philos-
ophy of the spectacle is the recogni
ton Of the rsssl sse as lhf esIeba3tf #
thatfof the Union cause symbolized
by the national flag. The very exist
ence of the Order of the Blue and
Gray is, therefore, confession of
the disloyalty of the Confederate
soldiers who constitute it's gray
membership. Hence we have, as the
logical outcome Of the organization,
the following conclusive evidence Of
its reasonable character:
HEADQUARTERS vIcKsBURG ENcAMPMENr)
ORDER OF THE BLUE AND GRAY,
NICKsBURG, Miss, Sept. II, 1874.
"Be Beitresolvedb by this Encampment,
That We deeply sympathise with the
| people of Louisiana in their efforts to
rid the State of the unjust usurpation
of their government by the force OF
arms, and We hereby rejoice that they
have shown their manhood and cour-
age in the manner in which they hurl-
/, ed their oppressors from power
The President of the United States
long ago pronounced and recognized
the Kellogg government rs the legal
government of Louisiana; the Con
gress Of the United States acquiesced
in the Executive act, even when ask
ed by the President to review his de-
cision But when, without the shad-
ow of legal right, an armed mob as
sails and by force of arms temporarily
ovcrthrows the government ofa State,
the order of the Blue and Gray deep
ly sympathizes" with the revolution
lists, and denOunccs as usurpation
that government which is pronounced
by the proper authority the legitimate
government of Louisiana The Order
of the Blue and Gray, therefore, is a
political organization. hostile to law
and order, hostile to peace, and hos
tile to the Federal Government. The
real flag of the 'Islue and Gray is
the flag of the stars and bars, and the
flag of the stars and bars is the flag OF
the defunct Confederacy If there are
to be two flags in this country, regard
, ed with equal homage, there will soor
, he two debts-the Union and the Con
fe1erate-to be regarded as equal,
, sacred and to be provided for by equa
J taxation, Notwithstanding the consti
; tutional prohibition. The cx-Unio,
, soldier who is willing to wrap himsel
: in the Confederate flag may as vel
plaster over his person with Confed
1 crate bonds aud go to the polls pre-
5 pared to vote for their payment I
there is no difference between tn
l stars and bars and the stars and stripe
0 there is no difference between tn
e Confederate bonds and the nationa
: debt. If the flag which represente
d the sacred character Of property i
: man is a thing to be worshiped, the
e the claim of the ex STAKEHOLDER for tn
!. value of his chattel is binding obi
S CATION upon the government. Their
n is no doubt that the Southern 'pee
l. pie" (meaning the ex slave owners
may be conciliated by paying them f
t. their slaves and by the incorporate
k with the national debt of the ConfeC
II crate bonds. This eminently cOncil
n atory arrangement will satisfy tt
y Southern whites who sit idly in the
parlors, Offices, and in the neighbo
ing bar-rooms, anathematizing
lazy and worthless" the black me
~ they formerly owned. The Order
70 70 the Blue and Gray is sham. 1t is
g 3 fresh attempt to make the worse a
10 pear the better cause it is cowar
Of y effort to rob the surviving soldie
40 of the Union Of the just need Of pa
ts riotism; it is base conspiracy to co
;, found right with wrong, and to bril-
Sc the Republic into contempt-1nte
3 Ocean.