Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-06-17
Blair's Thirty Thousand Confederates.


vile, Tenn, died suddenly Sunday at the
Park Avenue Hotel, New York.
BIair's Thirty Thousand COnfederates.
One of the organs of the Tattooed Man
says: "Col. Blair, distinguished Exon
federate officer, pledged thirty thousand
Confederate soldiers for Blaine and Logan."
The distinguished "ColoneP' alluded to
here is none other than Mr. Blair, Malone s
Attorney General. AS we understand his
speech, he proposes to lead these thirty
thousand Confederate soldiers to Blaine and
Logan. They will vote for Blaine because
Blair so directs them, and will vote for
Logan because he represents the military
element-because he was their Hgallant
enemy"
In the first place, the possibility of ex-
Confederate soldiers voting for Blaine at
Blair's dictation is too absurd to require
consideration. In the second place, all
true soldiers admire brave, frank, court
eous and honest foe, They admire man
| whose opposition has been manly and out
spoken and whose conduct to the fallen enemy
has been tempered by consideration for a
wounded, yet unbroken spirit. 1t is indeed
here that the real soldiers best qualities
are displayed; it is here that the great VIC
| torious generals Of the long past have gain
ed their encomlums; and it is here that the
muse of history resting from the momenta-
ry excitement and the tense attention of re-
cording battles has traced with tender emo
| ton the tribute to the conquerer who spar
| ed the feelings of the conquered, of the
conquerers who when the fight was won re-
membered his relation of brother-man to
the fallen adversary.
It may therefore be as we'll understood
now that the absurd attempt to gull the ex-
Confederate element in Virginia with the
name of Logan is regarded as an insult by
brave men, who, remembering that the war
is over, are glad to clasp hands with kind
and magnanimous adversary, but who will
never look upon Logan in this light. The
people of the South have memories which
often bring up time of bitter humiliation,
time when word of sympathy from those
against whom they fought, would have been
like balm upon painful wound. They
remember the years soon after the war when
they were defeated and despoiled of all
their possessions and when returning to
wrecked homesteads the struggle for bare
sustenance began. 1t was time of grief
and humiliation; it was time when thou
| SduOS vi WluOWo duu ldUuCllCoS CulUIOu
were suffering for bread and shelter, and
their situation, added to the already vast
accumulation of care, well nigh crushed out
forever the spirit of the broken-down, fam
ished and ragged Confederate survivor, who
returned often manned and with his strength
decimated by sickness to fight against star
walton as he had fought against overwhelm-
ing odds This was the time when his condi-
ton excited the deep sympathy of the whole
world. The hardships of the war were
nothing compared to these years of mis-
cry. If ever men deserved sympathy then
ex- Confederates were the men when they
began life over again after the war.
They have not forgotten those who spoke
a kind word then. Such words were oil to
a bruised spirit They remember and bless
those who stood up for them and attempted
to ameliorate the condition of a brave vel
unfortunate people.
There are also men they have not forgot
ten-men, forgetfulness of whom, would be
to heap dishonor upon the graves of every
fallen Confederate; would be to brand with
execration the names of Lee and jackson
would be to insult the widow and children
of an unnumbered host of soldiers who died
for them.
i In the time of our greatest distress, when
the broken-hearted soldier, living alone fol
his suffering family, was struggling to ward
from them some of the suffering which en-
comprised them, when gentle women, I'M
used to the toll of the field, when delicate
children were without food and raiment
when the wreck of old homesteads was al
that remained to those who returned with
broken hearts and broken swords, there
were men who in baseness of spirit I'M
known to savages, tainted and attempted
to still further crush the manhood of the
Confederate soldier, and who attempted tt
bind him with chains, and who attempted
to influence the North against the defeated
tfoe. Had these creatures the vestige O.
real manhood in their breasts? Did they
know the meaning of magnanimity Die
they know the anguish of a fathers hear
when surrounded by a famished family
Could they appreciate the price of brave
people? And can the ex-Confederates for
get these men?
First, loudest and most pitiless of those
whose infamous eminence was gained by
this mean oppression of the South were
James G. Blaine and John A. Logan
First. loudest and most pitiless they led ane
fostered sentiment which had for its OBJ
ject the complete subjugation of the South
LOT all llIQ0, tsuu uOW tuttt tuo OOuGu Is Do
ginning to prosper without them and des
pite them, we are told that thirty thou
sand ex- Confederate soldiers in Virginis
will be led to their support" This is al
Infamous slur upon the good name of every
Confederate soldier, dead or living. 1t is
falsehood; it is an insult to the honor anC
the manhood of men who cannot be led by
traitors into the fold Of political adventur
ers and traitors.
The ex-Confederate has admiration fol
his brave and manly enemy. He greets
with sincere affection men like Corpora
Tanner of Brooklyn, who left both legs OF
the battlefield, and who has stood up fol-
the South against bloody-shirt waivers like
Blaine and Logan. But he repudiates with
honest scorn any insinuation that he can be
led to men who attempted to tread upon
him when he was down; who made capita
out of his suferings, and tainted as lies
his oaths of citizenship TO the reunited
country.
In one respect the utteranoes of the or.
gans of the Tattooed Man are right. sThe
military element in Virginia will remember
John A. Logan" -Rich. State.
When Gen. Early was informed that Mr..
Frank Blair, Of Tennessee, (by the grace
of Malone, now Attorney General for Vir-
ginia), had pledged IN the Chicago Conven-
| t;on the SI1nnOrt of thirty fhou cond Oonfod