The Portland daily press., 1883-10-15
The National Union League.

Among the guests of the Middlesex Cub in
Boston last Saturday was Col. j. E. Bryant of
Atlanta, Ga, who spoke concerning the work
of the National Union League of which he is
vice president. He said the Union league
was organized in the darkest days of the war
by the Union men of East Tennessee, to assist
in protecting them from the prosecutions of
their enemies. The organization soon spread
throughout the country, and, at are time,
numbered more than 100000 members. 1t
rendered valuable service to the Union cause
during the war, and was powerful aid in the
reconstruction Of the Southern states. 1t has
been decided to aid the Union men OF the
South in an effort to overthrow Bourbonism in
that section. To that end, joint meeting of
the national and executive committees of the
league will be held at Atlanta in November.
To that me eting prominent Northern and
Southern men who are opposed to Southern
Bourbonism will be invited for the purpose of
consultation, thot policy may be agreed upon
that will receive the approval of the national
administration and the Republican press. The
Southern Bourbons Mr.. Bryant said, learn
nothing and forget nothing. They are
looking to vindicate and maintain the
principles tOf WHICH Ll6 confederate
leaders fought They are thoroughly organ
lied, and are actively at work to prepare the
Southern people for what they call the com
ing great struggle struggle to control the
nation by the men who fought to destroy it,
TO that end, confederate monuments have
besn erected throughout the South, and their
unwilling is made an occasion for teaching the
people to vindicate and maintain the prin-
ciples for which the Bourbons fought. There
are reunions of confederate companies, resi-
and hriUadaa for the mr.
Each year the graves of the confederate dead
are decorated with flowers, and in nearly every
hamlet throughout the South orations are
delivered by men of influence and ability
to keep alive a love of the lost cause" But
perhaps the most alarming feature of the
Bourbon effort is the introduction into
southern schools of textbooks teaching the
children the heresies that made the rebellion
possible, teaching them to hate the anti-slav-
cry men and Republicans of the North; teach
ing them that President Lincoln was guilty of
pertdy in sending reenforcements to Fort
Sumter, and that the confederate government
was justified in firing upon the fort and thus
inaugurating the war; teaching them that the
Southern soldiers were Drawer and more chival-
rous than those of the North, and that the
Northern armies were largely made up of
"hirelings" from Europe, while the Southern
armies were made up of native born Southern
men. Mr.. Bryant read from the History of
the United States" by Alexander 81. Stephens
tories, he said, are in general use in the public
schools of &c orgia and other Southern states,
and in all schools controlled by the Bourbons.
These Bourbons now control solid South,
with the exception of Virginia. In April, 1881
Senator Lamar said in the United States SEN
ate: "There is no solid South as factor in leg
isation, but there is one point upon which the
South is solid, and will remain 80. 1t is solid
for the defence and preservation of its own civ
illzation, its own society, its own religion"
The overthrow of this Bourbon power Mr..
Bryant holds to be patriotic duty, and to
this end the National Union League will labor
After MR. Bryant's address, the club decided
to send committee of three consisting of Pres
ident Bruce, Secretary Butler, and COL Walk
er to attend the convention at Atlanta.