Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-06-08

paper. would have to saw ABOUT Ihursohy
demonstration in Richmond, we visited
three of the leading newspaper,sta''us IN
the lower part Of the city and were IN
formed at each that they didn't handle
the Moi and Efpryss. We then doter mined
10 follow il up. and visited three of the
leading stands in the upper portion 81 the
city. from two OF which we received the
same answer I'VE don't handle IT," Inc
third said their copies were exhausted.
handled bv one out of six of the leading
newspaper dealers in the national capitai
1 couldn't be OF much account, and we aban-
doned the chase.
THE PAST NOT TO By FORGOTTEN.
Twllkesbarro (Pa-) Record, Republican,
The streets OF Richmond yesterday
! echoed 10 the tread of men who quarter
OF a century ago were in arms against tho
nation. Their cheers of yesterday were
! like an echo of the rebel yell" Inc
/ buildings wcre decorated with gay bunt-
! ing, but unlike twenty,six years ago the
Stars and Stripes mingled with the stars
and Bars. There has been far too much
made of the fact that the rebel flag was so
conspicuously displayed. To expect the
southern people to forget the past is 10 as
sumo that they are more than mortal. To
expect them to assume the attitude aud as
pect of humility on such an occasion as
yesterday is expecting more than can ever
be fulfilled Right or wrong IL is but hui.
man for them to reverence the memory OF
their great leader. Such events arouse an
enthusiasm which will find ample vent,
even through the display Of their old-tlme
standard. They did all that could be ex-
pected of them when they gave the stars
and Stripes an honored place.
HENRY GEORGES vIEw.
rho STANDARD, Henry Georges paper.l
II is entirely natural that the men who
fought in the southern army should desire
TO honor the memory of their great leader,
General Robert L. Lee. They fought he
roically on tho wrong side of great con-
test that probably had to be fought out be-
lore the slavery question could be settled.
In the light of subsequent events an enor-
nous number of them confess that II is
better for them and for our country that
the cause they fought for is now lost
cause Naturally. however, there are
many among them still filed with
passionate regret over blasted hopes
and the bitterness of terrible
defeat. and some of them seem
always to he melted by the revival of old
memories to utterances that provoke strife
and retard the real union of the American
people which is essential TO the general
welfare The number of such, however,
is small. and their influence IS almost I'M
felt. No man doubts that to-day MAORI
tv of the people in the southern States
would promptly vote against any proposal
TO disrupt the Union. and that the men of
those States would respond as eagerly TO
any call for n defence OF the rights Of our
common country as would the men OF tue
North. Under such circumstances the
iudicious can afford to smile when hot
heads make fools Of themselves.
We have a precisely similar class in the
North, who have not the excuse OF defeat |
for the perpetuation of their malice. They |
are generally -comhatants, VINO failed |
to take advantage of the opportunities for |
"wading knee-deep III gore" presented by |
the civil war, and who now propose 10 |
make up for their neglect by the intensity |
of their warlike spirit displayed quarter |
of q century after the battles are over. |
The Mel and h[DreSS; SILLY New 1orK
newspaper published by man who is the |
butt and laughing stock Of the city in |
which he lives. has chosen to constitute |
itself the special mouthpiece and organ of |
those who are bloody minded soldiers IN |
times OF peace and peaceful citizens IN |
time of war.
The great majority of the American peo-
pie would doubtless be entirely content |
that the mourners for the Lost Cause on |
oneside and the northerners who are still
demanding that traitors shall be hung"
on the other. should fight out their battle |
if they so desire. Before we steal the re- |
naming land from the Sioux Indians and |
establish civil government on II perhaps 1t |
might be well to invite these belated bel |
ligerents to take advantage of the absence |
of courts and coroners and fight out their |
battles with sword and bayonet instead OF |
tongue and pen.
WILD WESTERN VIEW.
Chicago Tribune, Republican,
monstrations which attended the unyeil-
ing of the statue of General Robert f. Lee
at Richmond Thursday last were temper
ate, dignfed. enthusiastic, and free from
that offensive ctfusion of dlsloyalty and |
glorifcation OF the Lost Cause which 1t was
feared such an occasion might provoke.
The orator of the day, Colonel Archer An
derson, acquitted himself with good taste
and judicious restriction in the matter of
his utterances. The general tone of the
entire ceremonial was Father that of eulOgy
Of the character of General Lee as a Viz
ginan than panegyric of General Lee as
southerner and the representative of tho
dogma of secession. The Richmond Times
indeed, which has always been a conspicu-
Gus defender of the Lost Cause. the day
before the ceremonial clearly conveyed its
meaning in the following words
The explanation of the prevailing de-
butte of respect TO the memOry'of Lee is to
be found in part In all these things, but
perhaps it is chiefly to be looked for in the
feeling of the southern people that in the
character Of Robert f. lee the southern
civilization had attained its most consum-
mate expression, an expression which all
men. however hostile to the South. could
not fail to recognize in its full significance.
His career was sublime in the greatness of
the qualities which it illustrated, although
it ended in hopeless disaster. He
is a personal type IN whose lofty traits q
whole people take pride as the highest ex-
preston of their own aggregate greatness.
his career, but what are they beside the
shining victory of his character?
How far this criticism of the nature Of
the proceeding would have been correct
had the statue been that of jefferson Davis
instead of Lee is. however. predetermined.
There was very little in the career or in the
spoken sentiments of Lee to iustifya glOri-
hcation of secession, hence the southern
ers would have been inconsistent had they
done so. Ii was TO have been expected
that tho now ipnocuous and unmeaning
Confederate flag would be made consDicu-
Gus, but in so far as il typifed justification
of secession or menace to the Union |
there can be little doubt that Gen.
eral Lee would have been prompt in de-
uOuuclER It's uiSpldN ndu ne Detn living. |
Equally, there can be little doubt that he
was forced into the struggle. the necessity
for which he never clearly recognized. He
was opposed TO secession from the first and
had no sympathy witha Of the f0llacious
arguments of the various States as to their
rights TO leaveth Union. 1t was only when
Virginia had seeded that his views on State
rights. emphasized by public pressure, led
him 10 takeup arms, at first only torepel the
invasion of his own State. and ultimately to !
array hiInselfagainst his Government asst the
leader of the Confederate forces. In one of
his letters. written in 1861. he regretted that
the South had decla,ed war and adds:
- Yet in my own person had to meet the
question whether / should take part
against my native State With all my de-
votion TO the Union and my feeling of low
atty and duty Us an American citizen
have not been able 10 make up my mind to
raise my hand against nv friends, my rela-
tiyes. my children, and my home" And
when that war was finished and Lee had
his sword to General Grant at
Appomattox no man in the southern army
more cheerfuly OF manfully accepted the ,
result. Between such man as this and
Jefferson DAVIS there is wide diff
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