The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-19
THE NORTH AND SOUTH.

Davis the Cause OF Every Ex-Confederate, .
the Charleston News and Courier says:
cit were better, 80 far as the Southern
States are concerned, that the Democratic
party should remain out of power and without
! Office from generation to generation than that
the -confederates should dishonor the mem
cries Of their mothers and the graves of their
fathers by allowing it to be said without con-
tradiction that Lee jackson, Stuart, Rhodes,
Cleburne, Bee, Barlow and the army of gal
liant soldiers who with them, have gone over
to the silent majority, were conspirators and
traitors, saved from the hands of the hang
man by the weak generosity of their exultant
! conquerors."
Your solicitude respecting the memory of
your dead is commendable, and is but an ex-
hibition of one of the most honorable traits of
human nature. The man who has no impulse
to come to the rescue Of the honor of his dead
relatives, however blameworthY they may
have been in the eyes of others, is no man
at all. The mother of jesse James
doubtless believes that cher boy" was more
sinned against than sinner. 1t is the moth
erly instinct that impels that belief, and is one
of the most natural things in the world.
But few will agree with Mrs. Samuels in her
estimate. of Jesse, nor will history award him
the same place that she does. We do not
mean by this to compare the confederate dead
to the Missouri bandit, but simply to show
how widely mistaken we are apt to be in our
estimates Of our beloved dead.
The loyal North has no desire to discount
the valor the abilities nor the personal worth
of the men who fought so heroically in the
late struggle for the independence of the
South. Nor is the loyal North narrow enough
to think that many of them were not sincere
in going into rebellion; but that does not
erect their act into righteous one nor save
them from the blame for the mistake of judg-
ment The Socialist argues that he has the
right to go in and dispossess the millionaire;
he believes that property should be held in
common, and, without having con-
tributed to the. earning Of dollar
of it, would insist on an equal division The
work of society is to establish mutual protec-
ton against such dangerous theorists, These
result. Is society satisfied with the specious
apology that they are sure they are right in
their theoryf
The error made by the News and Courier,
in common with Southern men in general, is
in installing sentiment for principle.
The sentiment that took the South
into rebellion cannot be accepted as
a correct and enduring principle.
If it is-if the South was right in setting up
rebellion-then is there no safety now for the
Union, save as may be conceded by the South,
or any other section that may choose to set up
for itself in defiance of the common govern
ment. 1t is this that hurts, and that the
loyal North cannot bear with patience.
When the News and Courier declares that the
cause of the South was an Immortal princi-
pie" the question at once arises: When will
this principle again be championed by force
of armsg An immortal principle can
not perish, nor will any patriotic people allow
it to perish, but will renew the struggle in
its behalf whenever opportunity offers. What
the North would like to see is an honorable
admission that the brave men of the South
who fought and bled for secession were mis-
taken; that, while honest in their convictions,
they were in error. A confession Of that
kind, and the declaration that rebellion shall
be no more because rebellion was wrong,
would forever seal the question from discus
sion, and our Union would be in truth what
it now is in theory-a government of one peo-
pie, united in the love of one country and one
flag
Another error is to place all who fought in
the confederate armies on the same plane with
Davis and his like. The former were brave
! men, respected for their personal worth, North
as we'll as South. The latter were as we
maintain. traitors and conspirators. It is an
impossible thing TO draw them out of the cul
pability which they brought upon themselves.
As officers of the United States they plotted
secession, dishonoring their official oaths to
support, maintain and defend the Consttu
ton, and resigned at the last moment
to 60 into war; but not until
they had prearranged for certain fellow
conspirators to remain in Congress for
the purpose of impeding legislation looking to
the protection of tho Union. If that be not
treachery and treason without qualification,
then are treachery and treason unknown.
For such as Davis, Floyd, ct al, the North
has nothing but contempt and distrlst; fol
the erring but honest men the North has NO
bitterness, and never had The South needs