The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-10-11
MORE REBEL IsrPUDENCE.


The visit of the Philadelphia Brigade to
Richmond to attend the unvailing of the
statue to Pickett, has been made the occa-
sion of another exhibition of unrepentant
and blatant rebelism such as seems to be
inevitable whenever that organization and
the organized survivors of Pickett's Division
meet. 1t will be remembered that it was at
the meeting of these two on the field of
Gettysburg that the orator of the rebels
brazenly demanded that it should be left
for the future historian to decide who was
right"
A little later, when the brigade was being
entertained in Richmond, an orator, extoll-
ing the valor and devotion of the rebels,
insolently proposed to quarter the rebel flag
on the Star-Spangled Banner. The hearts of
comrades everywhere swelled with indigna-
ton that there was found no man in the
Philadelphia Brigade to rise and protest
against these utterances in the name of
his comrades who had died indicating the
righteousness of the cause and the stainless
ness of the flag
The failure to do this seems to have en-
boldened the Richmond rebels to still more
insolent assertiveness. The following tsle-
gram tells of an incident that occurred
during the visit of the brigade last week:
There episode during the day which is
the sole subject of conversation tonight The Con-
federate veterans unfurled the Confederate flag
the Philadelphia Association refused to follow it to
the grounds from the Capitol Square because their
banner. they said, had been presented to them with
the understanding that it should never be raised
| where the rebel flag was in sight. A compromise
was effected and the Philadelphians laid aside their
! banner and were furnished with an American flag
by Lee Camp Confederate Veterans, under which
| they proceeded to the cemetery.
1t must be confessed that the Philadel-
phians do not appear in pleasant light
throughout this whole affair.
In the first place, what business had they
with the unwilling of monument to George
E. Pickett? A monument to a man whose
only distinction was gained fighting the
Government which had educated him; which
supported him 20 years, and which he had
solemnly sworn to defend, is a fragrant
offense which no loyal man-much less an
old soldier-should countenance in any way.
Whatever may be thought of social frater-
nization with associations of ex- Confeder-
ates, there can be no two opinions about the
wrongfulness of Union veterans joining in a
public demonstration in honor of the mem
DRY of man conspicuous only for his efforts
to make treason successful. All this public
laudation of prominent rebels is criminally
dangerous. It is instruction to the rising
generation and the generations to come OF
the praisewOrthiness of rebelling against the
Government and disturbing the peace of the
land with murderous war.
In the next place, the parade of the rebel
flag at the head of the procession was exceed
ingly offensive, and the tameness of the pro-
test of the Philadelphians humiliating and
irritating. The public display of the flag Of
the rebellion-the standard of treason and
bloody domestic warfare-is crime, and
should be treated as such. That it has moi
been legally declared such and prohibited
under severe penalties has been grave mis-
take. No occasion can justify its being faunt
ed in the face of the people to taunt loyal mer