Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-10
General Rosser Speaks for Himself.

General Rosser's letter In Fridays Dis
patch places him before the country as
ne would have himself appear to his
fellow-citlzens. The Chicago Tribune had
been disposed TO deny the loyalty Of the
people Of Richmond to the national flag,
and had quoted loyal paragraph from
the Dispatch. and attempted 10 show that
our professions as citizen were not
borne out by what the orators OF the
day said here on the occasion Of the
unwilling of the statue on the 30th ultimo.
The Tribune quoted the Dispatch as fol-
lows:
1T Is a crying shame that Twenty-Five
years after the end OF the war between
the States there should still survive In
the hearts OF northern soldiers feelings
so dscreditable 10 them. The southern
people are just as loyal to the govern
ment as the northern people. They would
be first to march to the front II volunteers
were called on to vindicate the honor Of
the nation. The leading Republicans OF
Pennsylvania know as well as we OF the
South that such is the fact, yet In order
TO gain IL victory over the Democrats.
they are willing to countenance an I'M
justifable and totally false statement.
when will the war endy'
We have heretofore tried to explain
that what we said In the above para
graph was not inconsistent from south
ern point OF view with what Mr.. Cave
and General Rosser said on Memorial
Day. Now, General Rosser endorses in
substance what we have said, and de-
clares his loyalty 10 the flag, and his Will
ingness to follow II upon any battlefield to
which his countrymen might be summoned
by their Congress and their President.
We need not reproduce General Rosser's
letter in full. Suffice 1t to say that he
explains the circumstances under which
he gave utterance TO the remarks which
have been so much censured in the
North; tells how he had in mind the
mercenaries who have made the pension
list roll OF dishonor, instead OF "A roll
of honor; claims that he surrendered at
Appomattox Courthouse only the right OF
secession, and says in eloquent words
that he is as good as and no better
than the Federal soldier OF the war be
tween the States and then winds up with
the following words:
1--WE are now living in times OF peace,
the American flag is as much mine as 1t
is yours, or the property OF the Grand
Army OF the Republic. and | suggest to
you that the southern citizens OF this
country are neither "rebels nor traitors"
and the citizens of Massachusetts are not
more loyal to our common country than
those of Virginia and the other States OF
the South"
Is not that utterance proof positive
that General Rosser, like all other south
ern men, though he is ready always 10
maintain that he fought on what seemed
and seems to him to be the right side.
is, nevertheless, as true to the flag of the
Union as any man who fought on the
other side?
VIII the Tribune join General Rosser In
saying: Forever float that standard
sheet?
Has not General Rosser. like all other
good Confederates, the right to claim that
he is as honest and sincere In his pro-
LESSONS of loyalty to the nag Of the
Union as he was from 1861 to 1865 in his
professions of loyalty to the Confederacy?