The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-11
THE RECENT CONFEDERATE REUNION.

THE RECENT CONFEDERATE REUNION.
The Texas confederate reunion, held at
Dallas, last week, was great success, so far as
numbers and enthusiasm were concerned, and
in the general loye-feast that took place the
orators, inspired by the occasion, talked out
very unreservedly. For the most part, it must
be confessed, very generous spirit was mani
fest, and as a dress parade the entire affair
was reasonably acceptable. But it was ap-
parent enough that under all the glitter Of
i congratulation to veterans of either side a
very warm feeling prevailed in sympathy with
the strangled doctrine Of State rights as ex-
emplfed in the right to secede whenever it
may be deemed advisable Among those who
spoke on Friday was General Gano, who said
1--WE stand here to-day with no apology to
/ offer. We fought because we believed our
cause was Just, and we believe it to-day. Were
we placed there again, under similar circum-
stances, we would do so again. We have
/ nothing to be ashamed of, and we are not
ashamed. We fought for principle and the
same principles to- day are right The insti-
/ tuition Of slavery was lost by the result of the
war. We accepted it in good faith, and will
| ever abide by it. The bill of enforcement we
asked was not granted We accepted that in
the same faith and to-day we stand as true to
the government as any men in 1t, and
would defend it as warmly. But the
! great question of State rights was the one for
which we struggled. It is not dead, but lives,
and is most important feature in our form
of government
! What is the use of coddling this dead issue,
/ if, indeed. it be deadP The only right that
any State is denied is the right Of secession.
In everything else the individual States are
absolutely free. The great issue made in
| 1861 by the South was that that section, or
any other section had the right to dissolve
the Union at will The South fought then
because it thought its ''cause Csecession] was
! just, and, according to General Gano, it still
believes it was right in going into rebellion.
| The Generals words mean this, or they mean
nothing. So we are left to conclude that if
the issue could be brought about again Gen
eral Gano and his friends would fight again,
as he has now declared.
Elk Governor F. r. Lubbock, introduced as
tone associated with our honored President,
Jefferson Davis, during the war, said:
II don't want to forget the war. / don't
want our children to forget it. don't want
our grandchildren to forget the war. / am not
willing to forget. While the other party are
writing their histories, their books about their
great men, and teaching their chill
1 dren that they fought in great
and glorious cause, / propose to let the
thousands of people to come in after years
know that we were little right ourselves.
! By the Eternal when they come along with
/ their biographies and histories believe in
meeting them, as the lawyers say, in pali
passu. That's what they call it, isn't it2 /
want some Of our history told, too. Talk
about brotherly love, and all that thing. I'm
| willing to treat them respectfully, but they'd
better read little of our great men, little
about Jeff Davis little about Stephens, a
little about the principles for which we
fought"
The principles fought for by the South were
State sovereignty and slavery. You may doc
tor your textbooks as you see fit; but in the
end history will tell the story as it must stand,
and it will be written thatthe Southern States
| went into rebellion in 1861 because desper-
ate minority was not permitted to dictate to
the majority The impartial historian will
show that the slave States precipitated war in
defense of or for the purpose Of establishing
an independent confederacy whose corner
stone should be human slavery. 1.-THE divorce
asked for was not granted at that time, but
according to some, the case may be again
brought to trial at any time Continuing
Mr.. Lubbock said:
sYou know, I'm Treasurer. Now and then
a fellow sends me one of those old bills we
used to see, and wants to know if it's good I
sit down and write him: Yes, it's good. Texas
is great State, and rich enough TO pay all
her obligations. We'd like to do it. and we
would, but when the best government the sun
ever shone on [laughterl reconstructed us,
we were forbidden to. We'd like to redeem
it, but We can't write that way, and /
usually add, This is private; please don't pub
lish.' So say to the reporter, Don't publish
what say This is presidential year, and
we must be very cautious. We might offend
somebody up in Massachusetts,; so don't pub
4 lish it. :"
Perhaps itlwere well enough not to publish
such sentiments, especially since Gov. R B.
Hubbard, temporary chairman Of the late
Democratic national convention, supplement
ed this with the sentiment that
I'm the time to come the question viii not
be asked were they federals or were they
confederates, but were they American sol
dierso
This, in connection with the ambiguous ex-
preston Of the Democratic platform, which
declared in favor of q fund to defray the ex-
penses of the care and comfort Of worthy sol
diers disabled in the line Of duty in the wars