The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-03-08

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tests began to accumulate in earnest.
The Richmond State was one of the first
TO voice Southern opinion. Among other
things, the State said editorially in late
issue:
OPINION OF A SOUTHERN PAPER.
"To set up Libby prison in a northern
city and to have thousands of people
inspect it under the guidance of mercs.
naries whose daily task will be exagger.
alton, is to contrive new means for
intensifying whatever remains of hostil.
ity to the South. The Southern people
have heard many a recital of the suffer.
ings of Point Lookout and Johnson's
island, but they want none of the
reminders of those prison pens set up in
their midst. They have no desire to
perpetuate animosity and unforgiveness
toward the people of the North.
"If it be not too late-and re trust
that tits not-let steps be taken at once
to prevent the removal from this city of
an object that should have been razed to
the ground long ago-a removal that can
result in no good, but on the contrary, is
fraught with an evil to the coming gen.
erations of our common country. No
project that could be conceived by the
worst enemy of the American people
could be more dangerous than the
rebuilding of this old and crumb]ing
prison as temple of South hate"
In another issue the same paper said
"The objection to the removal of Libby
prison may be said to come from senti-
mental idea. To set the building up in
Chicago, to put wax-igure sentinels in
gray uniform about its doors, to placard
here and there cell to tell story of
brutality, will be still further in keeping
with the scheme, for there is no senti.
ment about this. 1t is confessed that it
is for cool cash. There we're daring
raiders on the Northern side whose fervid
Imagination schemed the capture of
Libby prison, the release of the prisoners,
and the demolition of the structure.
But they could not take it down. 1t still
stands. Yet now ne are to have a
demonstration of The power Of q few
thousand dollars, greater than the valor
that through sentimental promptings
resisted this removal, and we, of
Richmond, of the South, are asked to
bow down, grin acquiescence, and dis.
carding sentiment, hail the enterprise
that will make part of the furniture of
the lost cause drawing card for q show,
while fabbles, for only ten cents, can see
the exhibition and 60 away with a full
appreciation of how lost indeed is that
cause when. its very public buildings are
carted off a thousand miles and set up
for sport or jeers."
UNION MEN AGAINST THE PROJECT.
The protests are not all, however, from
sympathizers with the lost cause. Here
and there union officer, whose memo
ries of Libby are principally those of per.
sonal suffering, has Joined in the protest,
The ground taken is that Libby prison is
one of the saddest memories of the entire
war. To turn into a museum for. the
sdelectation of the vulgar crowd build
ing sacred By reason Of suffering and
martyrdom for the hottest of causes
would be wrong, is the plea of the North
ern officer who doesn't want to see Libby
prison moved. Here is what Captain
James Stewart, of Pittsburg, the last
union officer to evacuate Libby, says in
recent interview:
aTo take it now and turn it into 3
money. making show would be an insult
to the South and degradation to the
North. I saved the old building once
from being destroyed by fire, but if it was
only for a museum that saved it / am
never going to claim any honor or credit
again for the act.
ssThere was a lot of suffering in that
old building. Thousands of soldiers in
this broad country were made old men
before their time, and almost as many
more gave up life within those four walls.
The memories of that time and of those
horrors are dead, even though they never
can pass, from our minds, and to take
that prison up to Chicago and turn it
into a war museum would surely create
bad feeling and open up old wounds.
The citizens of the South are against it,
and surely the North should not encour-
age it"
In letter to the mayor of Richmond,
Captain Stewart also says: "Few, I will
venture to say none, of those who are
concerned in. the scheme, had anything
to do with old Libby during the time it
was used as prison. l am we'll
acquainted with large number of men
who were confined within its walls, and /
do not know one who approves of its
removal It would be no longer Libby
prison. There would be no James river,
no Belle Isle, no other landmark.
Neither the remains of 'Pemberton' nor
Castle Thunder would form the associa-
tions that were wont to greet our eyes
when inmates of far. famed Libby The
prison without its associate surroundings
would not be Libby to the boys in blue
who were from time to time confined
within its walls. 1t might serve to col
lect dimes and dollars as ghastly circus
exhibition to fill the pockets of sharp,
unprincipled speculators-men that have
conceived the selfish and despicable idea
of violating the sanctity of the soldiers
sufferings and to many the very spot of
their DEATH"
A UNION VETERANS OPINION.
The oldest ex.prisoner of war in Chi.
cago is Mr.. Lee Mayer of l.. Simon &
Co., Monroe street. Mr.. Mayer, has.been
for the last four years vice-president of
the Veteran Union league. He is one of
the very few union officers now residing
in Chicago who were imprisoned in
Libby, and his. incarceration in that
prison was one of the longest namely,
eleven months. He spent twenty
months, all told, in various prisons.
He belonged to the Twelfth Penn.
sylvania cavalry, was wounded and
captured at the battle of Winchester, and