Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-30
ON TO RICHMOND.
Colonel shepard Calls TO Arms to Destroy
Southern Epaulettes. Tunes.
aud Buttons.
Now York Sun.l

Nov York 5un.l
Colonel Elliott +. Shepard received this
letter wednesday from M. j. c. Richard,
son, q LAWYER and former Police Justice OK
Richmond, Va:
opinion that the Constitution orr fathers
made guaranteed citizens Of the several
States the enjoyment Of life and liberty,
but your recent editorial bre0thes or
threatenings and slaughter, and we quake
and tremble. We have thought That ID
pursuit Of happiness we would receive the
protection Of this great Government
but in seeking % promote our happl-
ness the all-potenJ Nal and Express H.
terposes its stern command to prevent as.
We hoped the favor would nave oeen
granted TO do honor 10 the memory OF our
loved ones, but the editorial dictator pro-
hibits Us from doing SO. We therefore ask
that YOU Will relent IN your wrath. f0ld Tue
eneanguined garment. realize that the war
il over. allow the hottest emotions OF
unity to find place in your bosom, ana
hermit u. the citlZons Of q common coun-
trv. TO obey the pTomptings OF LOVING
hearts and do honor 10 the memory OF
great and good man-GeneTaI hoDoIV L.
Lee.
- if this favor should be granted us, we
cordially invite you 10 be present; and, TO
show our gratitude, We promise you ail the
notOrietv you seek by publicly eXhlOltng
YOU before half a million of orr people as
the ONLY man in tins country who ever
conceived the thought that our sincere de-
sire to honor our dead meant disloyalty 10
the Union"
The letter was prompted. Of course, by
some of the articles that have appeared re-
Gently in the MAI and Express on the SUD
iect of carrying Confederate flags at the
of fLn ctafr,p 10 (apupTal Robert
L. Lee.
Colonel Shepard was seated in his senc-
tum in Park ROwyesterday afternoon when
n reporter of the Sun called. His silk hat
was tilted back on his head, and he was
gazing longingly into tureen OF conSOHnpe
that a clerk had just placed on his desk.
He offered some bread and crackers TO the
reporter, but regretted that he had no
knife TO butter them nor any spoon TO get
at the soup with.
seized at a piece of bread. and | guess
fingers were made before knives, so here
The reappearance Of the clerk with
knife and spoon saved the Colonel the ne
cessity OF demonstrating his democratic
II don't think anybody wants to go
down to Richmond in its present condl-
ton" he said between spoonfuls. but
Eve said all that / care 10 in answer to this
letter in the Ma! and L1preSS OK to-
night"
The reporter thereupon went ont and
bought copy of the Colonies paper. TINS
is what the Colonel says:
Tho conditions on which tho gentleman
TO whom the foregoing letter IS addressed
'bvASformer Police Justice of Richmond
Eeuld visit the Capital OF Virginia, would
be the burial OF the statue OF General
Robert l.. Lee in the same grave as his
perishing form, and the final entombment
|of all the Confederate insignia, flags, colors,
badges, tunes, buttons, epaulettes, swords,
cannon, songs, muskets, commissions, MS
tories, records. and paTaphernalla OF every
Kind.
He warns the celebrants Of secessionlst
plories that it is Just as true now as 1t was
Ia 1860, when Abraham Lincoln first pro-
nounced the solemn warning that a
house divided against itself cannot stand"
The people of Virginia then paid no at
tention TO the warning. The result was, "a
bloody war, entire victory al along the
lines for the Union of the whole house,
and a subsequent rekindling of the princi-
pies of discord by the minority white
ruling class" in that portion OF the house
inhabited by them. .,,
These principles will either burn on till
they produce another civil war or Will be
extinguIshed.
The first opportunity to stamp out these
flames of discord is afforded by the rebels
themselves. But if they refuse the oppor-
tunity and fan them still higher they need
not be surprised to find million patriots
marching TO put out the fire.
The glorious Union VIII be preserved AT
all costs and every hazard.
And the only flag that can wave within
il is the glorious Stars and Stripes.
And there is going to be unity of loyalty
throughout the whole length and breadth
of the Union.
The patriotism OF the country is no
longer TO be deceivedbY such speclous and
deceptive arguments Us are advanced by
MIR. Richardson.
The country sees the old rebel element
ORGANIZED, solidihed, and defiant IN the
rush of so many rebels TO glorify the de-
feated traitor Lee, and the dishonOred,
polluting Confederate rag. 1t is one of the
many WAYS used by the statesmen OF the
Southeast TO Fire the Southern Heart"
to prevent the spread Of patriotic repnbli-
can sentiments, to hold their hosts to-
gether till they WILL if they can, elect a
Democratic President, and then to make
him perform the same reasonable role rs
did President Buchanan, and sell the coun-
try to the southeastern white ruling class
when. good-by TO the Constitution Of the
United States, TO equality Of political
rights, to freedom. and everything for
which the war for the Union was fought!
To foresee these evils is to be warned
against them.
10 destroy them in the germ is to pre-
vent the bloody catastrophes that will fol-
low their living.
The way to destroy them in the germ is
TO do those things indicated above, which
will make Richmond place which can be
visited with self-respect and delight by u
patriot.
The text in last nights issue was:
Behold. the Lords hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save; neither mis- ear heavy,
that it cannot hear.