The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-20
THE REBEL FLAG.

THE REBEL FLAG.
How the Citizens of Richmond Insuited
Loyal Sentiment.
Just now the South is making a great
parade Of its pretended respect and rev
erencs Of the memory of Robert E. Lee.
As we judgesa tree by its fruit so do We
Judge the hearts Of men by the deeds Of
men; and by that rule it NAV be de-
clared that secretly the South holds
Lee in contempt, and only affects to
honor him because. through the one
great error Of his life, he became the
leader of rebellion. In the name of the
Confederate army and in behalf of the
South General Lee flung down the
sword of treason and gave the parole
that returned thousands of surrendered
soldiers in peace and security to their
Southern homes The entire South ac-
quiesced in the action of its chief mill
tary representative at Appomattox. 1t
laid down it's arms and lowered its flag
to the supremacy of the forces and
cause arrayed under the stars and
stripes. In accepting the clemency of
the United States Government and in
going to their, homes as citizens instead
Of to prison as captives, the ex-soldiers
of the South morally and in the honor
of manhood pledged themselves to abide
by the decision of the court of war to
which they had submitted their case.
Instead of being held strictly account
able 10 justice they we're treated with
unprecedented generosity and indul.
gence. q 81 = b - hHN
Thousands of them were sincere in
their acce ptance Of the terms: and Gem
eral Lee evinced the deep honesty Of his
character by applying, within two
months after the settlement of the war,
to be reinvested with the dignity of
American citizenship. He pledged his
allegiance to the flag of his country, and
to the hour of his, death never again
swerved from the strict line of his duty
and honor as a citizen of the United
states. But men less honorable than
Lee, men who are more bloviant but
were less honest in their devotion to the
Southern cause, have not hesitated to
break the pledge made for them at APP
pomattox, BY fiaunting the rebel flag;
and now the people of Virginia dishon-
ored the memory of Lee and impeached
the sincerity of, his professions by wav-
ing the ex-Confederate flag at the I'M
vailing of a monument ostensibly
reared to his glory. Richmond might
as appropriately let fly the red flag,
which belongs as much to the loyal
spirit of Americanism as do the stars
and bars. The stars and bars are lnem-
orable of hideous experience born of
horrible mistake, in remembrance of
which the South, has no reason to exult.
There is but one flag for America or
for the American, and Rev. j. Coieman
Adams most eloquently and beautifully
characterized that flag when he said it
was 'never meant to wave over the grave
of memory and the glories of theApas
Its place is in the van where freedom
moves and equality under the law. Fol-
low it toward larger opportunity and
life! 1t is the worlds hope. 1t is ours
to see that hope fulfilled, not disap-
pointed" We believe Robert e. Lee,
were he living, would say amen with
heartfelt fervor to these words which
should find a response cordial and SYM
pathetic in the heart of every American
North or South, East or West.
The South has no better reason for
draping the ex-Confederate flag about
the statue of Lee than it has for sus-
pending from one of the hands o. that
statue bull-thong whip and pair of
broken shackles; nor has it reason to
be prouder of the one symbol than of
the others. We do not utter this with
acrimony nor with any disrespect of
the brave soldiers who fought CALAMITY
and with splendid courage under the
shadow of that flag. But the stars and
bars lowered at Appomattox have no
more place in American sentiment:
and their display is as much in con-
tempt of this Government and what it |
as would have been in con-
tempt of the first constitutional Con- |
gress the unfurling of the British flag |
by Tory sympsthizers in the streets of
New York. The stars and bars were |
the winding shroud of political and
moral Lazarus that no voice will ever |
from the grave of ignominy. |
That shroud is an offense to the nostrils /
Of living loyalty-not because it is the
symbol of sentiment, but because it is
the sign of regret that is vicious
Chicago Inter Ocean.