West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-07-09

hope you will publish this letter.
JNo. BARTON PAYNE.
CHICAGO, ILL.,, June 5.-Rev. Her
rick Johnson-DEAR SIR: The Dai-
ty Ne,cS of the 9TH inst, contains an
interview with you in reference to
some remarks said to have been made
by you il. "a meeting of the Presby.
terrain ministers held in this city
some days since, in which you take
strong grounds against decorating the
graves Of deceased confederate sol.
diers. Among other things you say
Il am heartily opposed to the
whole mawkish sentiment which
causes their graves to be remembered.
If there is to be sorrow displayed let
it be in the dead soldiers family-but
let it end there. Unity is one thing
and prepetuat:ng the memory of
traitors is another, 1t is gush, moth.
ing more. The men who died fight
ing the flag should pass into oblivion
and nothing should be done to give
them glory. They don't deserve it,"
AS an individual, it is your pro-
vince to entertain such sentiments,
but when uttered by person profess
ing to be a follower of the Savior,
whose mission was peace on earth
and good will to men" they become
proper subject for comment. Until
you uttered this sentiment the public
had no OCCASION TO know whether you
had been soldier or a camp-follower
1t is now plain. The soldier of this
age, like the knight of old, is the EN-.
bodiment of truth, of nobility, of
courage, and Christian manhood.
This is true, whether he be soldier
of the cross, whether he lived with
the blue or fell with the gray. and it
has never been characteristic of
soldier, brave man, or Christian
to heap contumely upon the dead or
treat with disrespect a fallen foe.
Such sentiments only find Judgment
in the hearts of men who in times
of war followed the walks of peace
and in times of peace put on the garb
or war. To utter the sentiment at
tributed to you may crafty your
longing for cheap notoriety, but it
does not gain for you the respect Of
brave men nor the admiration ofloyal
men. The bravery, the integrity the
daring of the confederate is the her.
itage of our country. To have
achieved victory over such foe
sheds luster and honor upon the VIC
tor-upon American arms. If you
belittle the foe you rob the victor of
the ust measure of the glory of his
achievement. The undying glory earn
ed by the federal soldier, which will
last as long as time lasts, and which
is now spread over the entire world,
would not have been possible had not
the confederate soldiers-the confed.
crate armies-pOssessed such splen-
did courage and performed such deeds
of daring as to make the worthy
foemen.
This being true, the glory of each
is linked togetherd and is the COM
mon heritege Of the north and the
south. But l am not surprised that
you cannot appreciate a sentiment
now common to the soldiers to whose
valor we owe the preservation of the
union you now seek to destroy.
The sentiments you utter are not
new; no credit is due you for origin.
atty; like sentiments have been heard
from the men who hired substitutes,
and those
"Who fought and ran away"
And live to run another day,
Ministers of the gospel teach us
that the world is in rebellion against
God and that sinners are traitors to
his cause, but / do not remember that
for this we are taught that it was the
Divine wish that the yearning over