National Republican., 1881-07-15
Union and cN.Confcderatc Soldiers in
Onicr.


ONCE.
To the Editor orTHE RErUBLtcANi
Since the question Of OK. x.confederatos being ap-
pointed TO Office under the Federal Government
has been brought up II has trunspired that not a
few are strenuouSly opposed TO the appointment oI
ox.rcbcls Il will not mnce words, no matter what
they have been politically for the last fifteen
years, This is n question which the Ropub.
lican party may settle now. If the men, noir
Republicans, though once rebels, who have
lost their all, and have been ostracized
on account OF their devotion 10 Republican.
ISM. C., the principles for which the Union sol.
dicrs fought-cannot have their rights TO hold Of.
flee recognized by Republican administration
let them and the country know IL. The true Re.
publican, North or South recognizes the fact that
the cr. Union soldier should hare preference orcr others
The Southern Republicans have no sympathy
for the practices and methods Of the
Southern Democrats, the latter none for
the principles of the former; but II II
is Republicanism that both should be equally
prescribed In appointment TO once let the
country know it, If this is Rcpubicanisn let the
ReadIuster and native Republicans Of Virginia
know IT, so that they may drive the Bourbons-
into power! lfthis is Republicansm, let General
Mosby be recalled from China and n man like
Garcelon sent in his place. Revoke the commits
sion Of General Longstreet, who was once a
rebel, and appoint q man of the Montgomery
tial campaign, whenever Southern Republican
who may have once been n robel offers TO con.
tribute TO the campaign fund of the Republican
party, let 1t be spurned with contempt. And
whenever men like the late eN-Attorney- General
Akerman and x-Collector Atkins, ofGcorgia, who
were once rebels are found speaking for the Re.
publican party, rs they did during the campaign
in Ohio and Indiana last year, let them be silenced
with the taunt Of rebels" Mr.. Editor, If this is
Republicanism say so, and let us not burst in
IGNORANCE.
The question above discussed is one
that requires cool reasoning and gener-
Gus consideration. The writer, who is a
Southerner, comedies " that the eX-Union
soldier should have preference over
Others" That is all that ought to be
asked. Heiustly claims that "men, now
Republicans, though once rebels, who
have lost their all and have been
ostracized on account of their devotion
to epublicanism-i. C. the principles for
which the Union soldiers fought Ought
not TO be prescribed by those with whom
they are politically associated. Can any
fair man gainsay him? He is not
an eX-coniederate. He is young
man whose father was in the confederate
army. Shall we not welcome him
Would it not be hopeless Bourbonism to
erect barrier against those who have
been educated by civil war in their
duties as citizens, and who heed the
dreadful lesson? We go further than our
contributor, and contend that whoever
gives patriotic support to the laws of his
country, and defends the political rights
of fall-whoever stands for q free ballot
and a fair count-whether he has made
his battle within the Republican lines
or has fought rs Liberal
against Bourbonism in States where
straight Republicanism was in hope
less minority, such man is worthy of
all the confidence we give to those en-
rolled in our own organization. The
young Southerner who wrote the above
communication challenges the admira-
ton and disarms the preiudices of Union
soldiers when he says that "the Union
soldier should have preference over
others" Not that the "others" should
be prescribed or their personal pride
wounded, but that the post of honor
should be yielded o.not claimed by, the
veterans of the Union army.
We have admitted several commune
cations pro and con on this subject, in
tending to have our own say at some time
and give our own view. Here it is All
Americans-natiye born or naturalized,
Northener or Southerner, Unionist or
er-confederate, black or white, million
aire or humblest laborer-all Americans
who glory in their nationality, reverence
and obey the laws, uphold freedom for
all, and oppose the efforts of Bourbonism
to prevent the rule Of the majority, such
Americans are worthy political associates,
and names should not keep them apart
from the touch of each others elbows in
the grand march of Progress.
Look at Nirginia The mother of States
and Of Presidents. In October we shall
celebrate at Yorktown the surrender of
CORVALLIS to Washington. Less than q
month later the people are to vote
whether the Old Dominion shall be true
to the Revolution ofl776 or whether she
shall NOPE among the shadows of the re-
the weeds of mourning for lost cause
or put on the attire of the gay
world and lead her Southern sisters
to community Of interests with the
prosperous States of the North. Thou
sands sofex-coniederate there Drawing the
jeers and denunciation5 of recent associ-
ates, are ieadiRg the National party. They
are to succeed. With them are the en-
franchised negroes and the main body of
white Republicans. Their work will affect
the New World as the Reformation did
the old. What voice of discouagement
shall be heard in the North? What bat
tle-scarred soldier of the Union will not
say; "For this we fought. Hail, COM
rades Of the new era! Enemies no more"
Presidents, Cabinets, Senators, sol
diers--all must pass from the earth after
brief lives but the birth ofa New South
breaks down hindrances TO the worlds
progress, and will be followed by conse-
quences more important TO mankind than
the decay Of dozen political dynasties
or the immediate political fortunes of any
number of men.
Gratitude to our soldiers is sacred OBJ
legation. The Government should honor
and employ them-giving them the pref.
erence; but let us not accompany this
with words that may wound any political
comrade because he participated in re-
Ill - l. Il