Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-05-03
appointment Of Ex-COnfederates In
tho ArmV

LuC
On Monday last an excellent oppor
tunity was afforded the narrow minded
maliqnants of the United States Senate
to display their hate towards this Sec
ton, the occasion being the discussion
of the bill to repeal Determinations
against the appointment of ex-Confed-
crates in the army of the United States.
As was to have been expected, this OPP
portunity was promptly taken advantage
of, and Mr.. Edmunds, the aged stalwart
Bourbon of Vermont, was especially
venomous. He bitterly opposed the bill,
and declared that he wanted ito see
perpetual monument in the statute books
to mark the distinction between the
right and wrong side of the rebellion. )"
1t is by no means singular that old
moss backed stalwarts of the Edmunds
stripe should indulge in this sort OF rho
domontade whenever they are provided
with the slightest pretext for so doing
They have grown so old in the cause OF
sectional hate and malignancy, and have
so long been accustomed to use the re
bellion" SIS the means Of successfully
firing the Northern heart, that it has be
come second nature to them. and they
lose sight of the very important facts
that the world does move, and that the
people of the country are fast arriving
at the conclusion that it is neither
profitable nor patriotic to array
section against section. 1t is very
natural for Edmunds and those of his ilk
to desire to shut their eyes to this fact,so
displeasing to them, and strive with all
their power to prevent the restoration OF
good feeling in the country. since such
restoration simply means the downfall
of their party. The moment all monu-
ments to sectional hate and prejudice
which Mr.. Edmunds with characteristic
recklessness, and unmindful that the
South during the war was as earnest in
its belief that its side was right
as was the North, calls monu
ments to mark the distinction
between ''the right side and the wrong
side of the rebellion" destroyed, that
moment the party of hate will lose its
chief foundation stone, and must crum-
bic to ruins. This Mr.. Edmunds and
his fellow Radicals well know, and, &C
customed, as they have ever been, to
always sacrifice the welfare of the coun-
try to their party, it is no wonder they
strive with desperation to keep alive the
spirit of discord, so that they may con
tinue to live.
In pleasing contrast to the puritan mar
row-mindedness of Edmunds were the
liberal and patriotic utterances Of Sena-
tors Call, of Florida, and George, OF
Mississippi, on this subject. The former
gentleman rightly expressed the feeling
Of the South when he declared that he
wanted no monument to legislative pro-
scription; and that the only monument
that should be perpetuated was one to
union and fraternity, while Mr.. George
was equally happy when he said that no
where in the country was respect for the
Union more decidedly manifested than
in the Southern States. The statute in
question was, he admitted, irritable to
the South. Not, however, because it
excluded a number of Southerners from
the army. That was q very secondary
matter. But because it was an imputs-
ton upon the honor of this section, and
implied that Southerners could not be
trusted to defend their country. This is
the imputatlon which Edmunds wished
to cast upon the South, and liberal
minded men everywhere will applaud
the promptness with which these South
ern Senators FASTENED to repel it.
Fortunately the spirit of petty partisan
ism and sectional bitterness displayed by
Edmunds on this occasion is not shared
by the country at large. The vast ma
jority of the people sre beginning to
realize that the mere fact that the North
was successful over the South in the late
war, because of vastly superior numbers
and strength, did not settle the
principle of right and wrong
between the belligerents, but it
merely settled the fact that might is
able eventually to triumph over weak
ness. Besides this, all brave men every.
where appreciate and admire the valor
and bravery of the Southern people as
displayed in the conflict, and all true
patriots would gladly see that valor and
bravery utilized, if necessary, hereafter,
in defense of the Union against for
eign foe 1t is safe to infer, therefore,
that the failure to pass this bill will
not meet the approval of the country,
and that Edmunds and others will not
gain much applause from their fellow
citizens from their display of the small
souled desire TO forever prescribe a sec
ton which would today make more sac.
Iifices to preserve the dignity, integrity
and honor of the republic than would
all the narrow-minded constituents of all
the stalwart Senators of New England
combined.