The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-29
TIE soUTH'S WAR MEMORIES.


and to-day Jefferson Davis Is at Mont
gomery, and on Friday and Saturday will bein
Atlanta. At thought of old times, and of
perpetuating the memory of the Southern
dead, the Atlanta Constitution INDUCES some
very enthusiastic expressions. Speaking of
the memories of the Gays of 81, when the
South went into rebellion against the Union,
the Constitution says: Every precious they
are to us. More precious will they be- to our
children, in whose hearts, pray God, they may
ever be kept alive. This lesson we must
transmit to our children, and our children's
honor and glory, Lee stands side by side with
Washington and that their love and pride
must invest alike the men who surrendered
at Appomattox and the men who suffered at
Valley Forge" This is rating the heroes of
the Rebellion very high, and it would be inter
esting, in this connection, to know in what
light the Constitution would regard the men
who, up to Appomattox, had spent four years
in killing and being killed by the men who
surrendered there. The Constitution goes
even further in its panegyric, and says: This
lesson is sinking deep into their 1.-THE Southern
peoples] hearts, and will abide there forever.
The old grey coat will be an heirloom in the
Southern cabin when the continental buff is
forgotten and the sword Of the father who
followed 'Stonewalr will be the badge of hon
orable ancestry 1t is hard to say just what
the Constitution means, unless it means that
the ''cause" for which the South fought was
an honorable and patriotic one, in which case
those who fought for the Union were invad-
ers and murderers. In an issue wherein men
Systematically kill each other it is impossible
that both sides should be in the right. If the
South was right, the North was wrong If the
Southern dead were patriots the Union dead
were something else. Lovers of the same
country do not kill each other, or if they do
there must be some very good reason for it,
They cannot be induced to kill each other be
cause Of the great love each bears the same
government. Notwithstanding this, the Con-
stitntion declares that 'no living man will
see the time when the monuments that mark
the graves of her confederate soldiers ana pa
triots will not be the rallying point for her
1.-THE South's] true hearts and the center of
her noblest emotions" It will be observed
that the South puts the confederate soldier
who tried to destroy this government, above
even those who so laboriously built it up
We could understand how the bitterness of
the late war would keep the confederates from
admitting the patriotism of the victorious
Union soldier, but if these men really are
patriots, and if they have the least love for
the country that is still intact, we cannot
comprehend how they can dishonor the mem
ory of those men of the South who did so
much that Americans might enjoy free
country. There is barely one hint that the
South reveres the memory Of the Revolu-
tionary heroes. Then all is tra;led in the dust
to do honor to the memory of the men who
with "S.onewalr' and Lee, did so much to
scatter the heritage left by the men who SUI
fered at Valley Forge.
Touching on the feeling Of patriotism that
the memory Of these dead confederates will
inspire, the Constitution continues: ut is a
blessed dispensation that this feeling grows
stronger with each succeeding generation"
We do not believe that it can nor
that it will. The sons of the Southern
dead who fell in the Rebellion have every reason
to revere the memory Of their fathers as brave
determined men, In that sense they were
heroic, and even the North has respect for
those qualities of which all Americans are SO
pardonably proud. It has respect, also, for
the feelings of the South over the loss of its
heroic dead. For years it has mournad with
the South over the graves of men who should
have been brothers indeed. 1t understands
how the South feels over the awful slaughter
that was forced upon this country. It has
never Knocked at human anguish nor sought to
strip the laurels from the brows of brave men
and Of loved fathers and brothers. Eut the
North would like to see the day come when
the South is ready to confess that the Union
is better than divided country; that COM
mon country is blessed heritage to hand
down to our children. We hope to see the
day when the South will realize and admit
that the preservation Of the Union was the
grandest thing for the South that ever was
granted her: It may be that you can per
petuate the sentiment you express, 50 hostile
to every idea of a perfect reconciliation. but