The National tribune., 1891-12-17

Wt me space to reply.
nv Why ComTade zee
NJ should have made my
n article personal mat
y tar / cannot compre-
hend, ms / made no at
tack on him whatever; it was only on the
principle Of exhibiting TO the world. as higher
| than honored guests, a body of people who in
sist like their late leader, Jefferson Davis. that
| the Confederacy still lives.
MIR. Lee saw proper to write me letter al
most identically the same as the article you
| publish, but added in il he would have moth
/ ing to do with any organization that i might
be IN command Of alluding 10 the Comrades OF
the Battlefield. paid no attention to his let
/ ter, supposing, Of course, that he would follow
4 IL up with his resignation, or request that i
resign. As he did neither, felt it my duty TO
send copy OF his letter to the Executive
Council Of the G. of B., that it might take such
action as it saw proper. know nothing about
what has been done behind the scenes but / see
on the face that the Blue and Gray was very
suddenly dropped after his appeal for financial
aid also. that he resigned his position as Mus
| tering Officer ia the GAR. for Illinois. aud he
has also resigned the two positions which he
held IN the g. Of b., and has written me that l
kicked up the devil
That is all l have 30 do with him. and IL is
unnecessary for me TO deny his false accusation.
But rs before said, it is INSISTED by act and In
words that the Confederacy still lives; aud as
| long as it does that long il Is necessary and
proper that those loyal 10 the Republic should
do all in their power 10 shorten its life, not by
the use of expressions calculated to increase
any enmity that may be felt toward those who
saved the Nation by those who attempted to
destroy it, but il should be done by appealing
TO them as American citizens, as they claim 10
be, in a calm and dispasSonate manner. None
OF them will acknowledge that they committed
crime in their attempt at the destruction
Of the Government, and one Of our leading
local papers, supposed 10 be true blue, in allud-
ing TO some remarks recently made by prom
inent geutlemaH-or, some say, that the
remarks were made by liqu0r-about the Con-
federate flag being an OdoriferOus fragment of
a piece of cloth, "The - orators who talk
so ferociously Of treason in the South, need TO
be informed that in the United States OF
America there can be no such thing as treason;
only autocratie. centralized Governments can
find that flower in their territory"
The best authority have at hand on the
subject Is Noah Webster. He says: Treason
the OHense Of attempting 10 overthrow, or be-
tray the Government Of the State to which the
offender owes allegiance; disloyalty; tFeacheFy.
In the United States treason IL con-
fined 10 the actual levying Of war against the
1 United States, or in adhering 10 their enemies,
giving them aid and comfort"
With that definition am forced 10 tho con-
! clusiOn that those who from '6l to '6J were in
arms against the Nation, committed treason.
/ They were therefore traitors. Their flag was
tho emblem Of treason. IL is just as much the
emblem Of treason to-day. whenever exhibited
/ as a subject Of their wOrshipOr reverence. as IL
was then. They know that. aud always ac-
knowledge it when talking on the subject dis
passionately. They are teaching IL TO their
children, they are teaching il in their books,
4 they are teaching IL through their papers, aud
although they acknowledge that there is no
| likelihood Of their again attempting 20 disrupt
the Government, at the same time they also
/ acknowledge that such teachings are an injury
/ TO the whole Nation aud 10 themselves, as it is
keeping alive an anim0sty that can but result
in an injury TO the whole family, aud especially
90 TO the part which is the weaker, aHdaWleIe,
Il il is taught.
They also acknowledge that IL is establishing
a very dangerous precedent. They ackuowl-
edge that the war cannot possibly prevent a
1 future attempt At dissolution. That may occur
az any time when any considerable portion of
the country becomes discontented or feels itself
inflated TO an extent where il thinks that by
4 its own strength and that of assistance which
4 ii may get from the outside world, il can safely
I attempt 10 disrupt the Government. They also
acknowledge that it is inconsistent with their
claims OF present loyalty 10 retain the name Of
] Confederate" not EE-C fedeTate y; alEo n
consistent 10 continue to exhibit aud land the
/ Confederate flag.
They all know that they were criminals.
! under the law Of nations, as great as cOuld be-
aud that they exist to-day only as pardoned
criminals; but they will never acknowledge
| such, but contend that they committed no
crime. ] have as yet, however, not seen any
thing from any OF their pens nor heard any Of
them say how they reached such conclusion.
I III they are loyal they will show 10 in word aud
act. IL they are loyal they will never exhibit
the emblem Of dislOyalty. never will they erect
monuments to those who were disloyal in
honor Of their dislOyalty. Not Que OF them
will contest this position.
L. T. Lee asserted that they did not intend
20 visit the Worlds Fair with anything about
them 10 indicate that they were ever in rebel
lion against the Nation, as that is now n thing
Of the past We OF course, cannot say, we can
only judge Of what they have been doing. and
are sill continuing. They have established a
ladies' branch OF their Confederate organization
mark we'll that they never use the prefix +" eX ["
10 the word Confederate % which they call
the Daughters Of the COnfederacy"
They are about to have n very nristOcratic
ball in this city for the purpose Of raising
funds with which 10 care for the needy ex-
COnfederates in Missouri Very many promi-
nent men who wore the blue during the war
took very active part in promoting this ball.
Everything was going on very smoothly until
the invitations were sent out, when. behold, on
the card WAS the Confederate flag! Then there
was a spntter and very properly, too; but the
men who wore the blue should have known
that the flag would have been there, notwiLh-
standing the frequent assurance in the papers
that it would motor rather they had asserted
that there would be but one aag.
The war should have ended when the last
musket was stacked in 1865. The crime OF
treason that had been committed was condoned
by the Government; those who had been in
arms against the Government, who were will.
ing 10 accept the situation, should have at once
| proceeded TO act as loyal American citizens
and 10 promote the welfare of the whole Nation
aud every part OF ID, aud those who were moi
cOntented with our Republican Government
should have been honorable enough 10 have
taken up their permanent abode In some Other
> Nation.
Ii those now with us are loyal. as they claim
10 be- let them cease 60 talk disl0yRlty, or q
say do anything in honor Of treason. lie
! them prove, in other words. by their acts tina
Z they are loyal Let them teach their children
: loyalty instead of honoriug treason Whet
! they do that then there will be no further oc
. casion for unpleasant remarks on the part O
: anyone who wore the blue la reference 10 thei
present or future, aud few will be found 10 un
pleasantly remind them Of the past.-GEo
! DoLToE, st. Louis, No.
' Seizins Ills Opportunity.
q THE Arg0Ratt.l