The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-11-10
NO RIGHT TO THE TITLE.
Men Who Served Against the Government
Have No Right to be Called General, etc.

| Men Who Served Against the Government
Have No Right to be Called General, etc.
| In a late issue saw an article headed "Toc
| Much Promotion" which decided me to write
| you about matter / have long had in my
| mind.
| 1t is we'll known fact that some men will do
| and dare anything to achieve notoriety; that
| there seems to be an inherent desire in the hui
| man heart to grasp after fame that will single
| out from the herd and perpetuate the name OF
| the individual through coming generations, and
| to give to that name a shining and living place
| in historic pages.
| Some men think that the best way to do this
| is to achieve title by which they may be dis
| tinguisbed from the other Smiths and Joneses
of the world, and some such men will do any
| thing TO accomplish this.
| Now il has occurred TO me that there may
| have been some who went into the rebel army
| for this purpose, and if there were such,
though the rebellion failed. their cause was not
lost If they won the title they aimed at and the
| world recognizes their right to it. If we accord
the honor we encourage others OF that ilk to
follow in their steps.
There were numbers Of men who, had it not
been for the rebellion would have lived and
died plain LIeutenants and Captains in the
u. s. Army, unknown and unheard of in his
tory, or who would have resigned and lived
and died plain, common citizens, indistingaish-
able from the common herd, who, through the
opportunities offered by that Goddess cause,
achieved the highest titles of military rank,
with all the fringe and gold lace thereto apper-
tanning.
/ repeat il, If such there were whose object
was to acquire a title regardless of the veal or
| woe Of the land, they won their cause in win
ming the title, provided we recognize it and
accord it to them.
Had they done SO in good, legal. and proper
A. al H. Id
them even though they failed in all else. Now
I don't intend to disparage their bravery,
their tireless energy and heroic endurance, nor
their right to those grand titles, had they
only succeeded. But we called their attempt
to found another Government Illegal and
wicked, and we refused to recognize it. We
do not and did not recognize jeff Davis as
President Lincoln was President, and We
have but one at a time. Whence. then. those
titles to honor and distinction? They did not
emsnate from the legal and recognized source.
In this view Of the case, if Lieut.. Jackson
won The title of General, 1t mist have been
spurious honor and no title 1t all il he failed
to win it legitimately, then he died common
Lieutenant, if he had not forfeited even that
title by engaging in rebellion against the Gov.
ernment he had soemnly sworn to defend,
and which, by educating him. had made it
possible for him to achieve fame in any way.
He certainly won no right to share the title OF
the hero of New Orleans, and to confuse and
confOund posterity as to who was meant by
Gen. jackson. My reasons for this screed are
These: have a little boy, five years old. By
and. by he will be asking questions. How shall
/ answer him2
allow did the immortal Logan come to be
q General2" That's easy enough to answer.
"He won the title in the defense of the Gov
eminent and fag-bravely defending them
against the traitors who attempted to dishonor
and destroy Them"
"How did Lieut.. Hood come to be Gen.
eral?"
"He won the title in fighting against and
trying to destroy the Government and flag
he had sworn to defend and then deserted in
time of their greatest need"
"Well, but, papa, don't see why one should
DO made General for fighting for the flag,
and another for fighting against it"
well, my son, you see it's this way-um-
um-um"- history and the press are against
me. and I might as we'll give it mp. That's
nice hole to put a father in, isn't it?
If our histories and papers would ignore
those illegitimate and fictitious titles, it would
make it easier for me. And why not? They
emanated from source we declared and still
declare to be spurious and incompetent. Why,
then, should we now acknowledge the source
by according the titles &c.