The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-08

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| The Grand Army of tho Republic az i's
| twenty fifth annual encampment IN Detroi''
| now in session, can certainly lay claim 10 one
virtue, and that Is honest expression Oh feei-
ing. II has not only declared itself opposed
| to mingling with its black brethren OF inc
| southrsn States who wore the blue. BUTT mas
also expressed itself as opposed TO any af'iiia-
ton with the white men OF the South who
wore the gray. 1t was eminenuy h''lhg'
therefore, that the address of the commander
in-chief at the opening of the meeting should
have been introduced by tho song;
'Thore1l be no fusion OF tho Blue and tray
As we go marching on"
And il is not surprising that this sentiment
should have received hearty approval, and
been supplemented by the cry, No fusion in
ours"
The veterans Of the South. who have here
tofore on several occasions shown rather
doubtful taste in being 40 eager TO shake
hands with their late opponents who wore
the blue. will now understand more clearly
the actual state Of feeling against them, and
it is hoped that their self-respect and man
hood will in future prevent them from again
mAnifesting too great anxiety to bridge the
bloody chasm. In fact, to the average Con-
federate mind there has always been some
thing rather sbhorrent in these so-called fra
ternal minglings of the gray and the blue, and
we. here in Richmond, have assuredly had
more than one evidence OF their hypocrisy. 1t
II + IL, 10 A
ofinvited guests from Pennsylvania came down
here TO enjoy the hospitality of Lee Camp,
and although accorded hearty reception-be-
ing escorted up the principal streets with brass
bands which exchanged many musical courte-
sizes that from the North playing such airs
as Dixie" and that from the South such as
Yankee Doodle"-and althoughsf re-rockets
and red and green lights illuminated the line
of march. the first thing the visitors did was
TO raise a row against marching under Lee
Camps flag because it bore some resemblance
to the Confederate banner. And, again. 1t IS
we'll remembered how another post from
LYNN, who had few short days before enter
tanned Lee Camp, came down post haste 70
secure return of their hospitality and how,
although they fraternized, both solidly and
LOUDLY. with our men until it might have
been we'll imagined that they considered the
privilege of grasping q Southern hand tho
highest honor to be allowed 70 mortals. they
had hardly shaken the dust of our city from
their feet before they began denouncing us
all as rebels and traitors. These experiences
should certainly be sufficient to convince all
Confederate veterans of the South of the hol-
lowness of these so-called buryings of the
Ratchet and pretended determinations. II
they have failed in this, however, the cry of
no fusion" raised by the Detroit q. A. RS,
should remove all lingering hopes of the
dawning of the day of union and amity be-
tween the foes of quarter-century ago.
Let the gray, therefore, resolve henceforth
10 give the blue wide berth. and while they
go their way let us go ours. We have gotten
along very well without them for thirty years
and can get on without them equally as well
for thirty years longer, and by that time very
few on either side will be surviving. This
policy will be far more honest and self-re-
specting than shaking hands with smiles
screwed on TO the mouth, shedding few
crocodile tears over the horrors and
sufferings of the war, declaring everlasting
peace and brotherly love. and then parting
with smothered curses on the lips. AS bust
ness men we can meet our fellow business
men Of the North, transact our business with
them and go about our business. But as rep
resentatives of the various States which so
recently met I'm deadly hate the one against
the other" let us keep on our side OF the line,
and accord to our enemies the same privilege.