The National tribune., 1886-05-06

together all the gold and silver that had
been wrung from the wary wasted South, and
began flight for foreign lands. When he
was brought to bay by Union troopers in.
stead of dying as a manly-minded man who
had brought great misfortunes upon his
people would have been glad to do, he tried
to sneak out by his guards disguised as an
old woman.
Every nameless horror, every offense
against humanity, every resort to barbarian
ideas and methods in the rebellion is closely
associated with his individuality. His own
signature attests how nearly he was con-
nected with the hellishness of AndersonviIle,
with the barbarous executions of Union men
in Richmond, in East Tennessee and where
ever else man dared to assert his loyalty to
| his country; with DR.. Luke Blackburns
infamous plots to burn Northern cities and
to set pestilence Of smallpox and yellow
fever raging among our people and our
| armies. The archives Of the Southern Con-
federacy show that every proposition to 60
outside the usages of civilized warfare and
adopt savage and revolving methods found
in him ready listener, if not an active sup
porter. When the real history of the war is
written he will be pictured in it as as cold
and fiendish a man as ever was at the head
of great people.
1t is almost impossible to understand why
man of such character and history has re-
ceived such an ovation. The only explana-
tiOn is that he was the official head of a
movement to which hundreds of thousands
of men gave their lives and millions more
their limbs, health, strength, and worldly
possessions. They, in the perversity of
human nature, forget how this man and
those whom he represents tricked and duped
them into making these sacrifices, and only
remember that he was one of their leaders
when they fought with unsurpassed gal
lantry and sacrificed with equal self-abnega-
tion for the very worst cause that ever men
fought or sacrificed for.
His speeches at the various points show
how little remorse and regret-how little
repentance there was in his mind for all that
his selfishness had inflicted on his people.
At Montgomery he said:
My FRIENDS: It would be vain If 1 should at
tempt TO express to You the deep qualification
which feel at this demonstration. But know that
it is not personal, and therefore feel more deeply
grateful, because it is sentiment far dearer to
than myself. You have passed through the terrible
ordeal of war. which Alabama did not seek. When
she felt her wrongs too grievous for further tolera
tion, she sought then the peaceable solution.
That being denied her. thunders of war came ring
ing over the land Then her people rose in their
majesty, gray-haired sres and beardess
boys eagerly rushed to the front. 1t was
that which Christianity alone approved
"a holy for defense. Well do / re-
member seeing yocr gentle boys, so small-to use a
farmers phrase, they might have been called seed
corn-moving on with eager step and fearless brow
to the carnival of death; and 1 have also looked
upon them when their knapsaclks and muskets
seemed heavier than the boys. and my eyes partak
ing Of mothers weakn filled with tears Those
days have passed. Many of them have found
nameless graves; but they are not dead. They
live in memory. and their spirits stand out the
grand reserve of that column which is marching on
with unfalterng steps toward the goal of constitu-
tional liberty. [Appause 1t in vain ifI should
attempt, as l have already sad to express my
gratitude to you. am standing now very nearly |
on the spot where / stood when took the oath of
office in 1861. Your demonstration now exceeds
that which welcomed me then. This shows that |
the spirit of Southern liberty is not dead Long |
and continued applanse Then you were full of joy
Gus hopes. you had every prospect Of achieving all
you desired; now you wrapped in the mantle of
regret And yet that regret only manifests pro-
foundly and does not obliterate the expression Of
your sentiments felt last night as Iapproachedthe
Exchange Hotel from the gallery of which your |
peerless orator William l.. Yancey, introduced me |
to the citizens Of Montgomery and commended me |
in language which only his eloquence could yield.
and which far exceeded my merit; felt, i say |
again, that was coming to my homecoming to |
land where liberty dies not and serious sentiments
will live forever. fApplause.l have been prom
ised, my friends, that should not be called upon |
to make speech, and therefore will only extend |
to you my heartfelt thanks. God bless you. one |
and all, old men and boys. and the ladies above all
others, who never fatered in drest needs.
Long continued applause.
In no other country than this did such a
thing ever happen. In none other has it
been possible for it to happen. Never be-
fore has the head and front of great rebel
lion, which was crushed at enormous cost of |
blood and treasure, and the crushing of |
which received the enthusiastic approval of
the right-thinking world, made triumphal
march years after his overthrow, and been
the subject of extravagant ovations by those
whom he led to ruin.
The worst feature about this Is the effect |
it will have on the rising generation. Moth
ing can be worse in its effects upon the |
minds of the young than this glorification |
of treason in the person of the most odious
of traitors.
THE PENSION OFFICE.
That the present Administration of the |
Pension Office is fruitful in results, no one |
can honestly or truthfully deny.
We have noticed on several occasions the |
fact that with reduced force more pensions |
were granted during the past year than ever |
before in the history of the office. The |
methods of CONDUCTING the vast business of |