New-York tribune., 1894-06-04
FITR PLAY FOR ROSSER.

The echoes Of the Richmond celebration on
Memorial Day. whcrcat the Lost Cause was
decorated with rhetoric of the rcddcst and hot
test variety. have not yet died away Among
the generally harmonious rcvcrbcrations we de-
tcct an occasional note which. though perhaps
amiably intended 10 soohe the ear Of patriot
ism. is likely. we think TO give more pain than
pleasure TO benevolent souls.
Some persons. for example. are lntrusting 10
the brcczcS that sweep from the South mild
expressions OF dissent from the sentiments
which were emitted by General Thomas Iafa-
vcttc RosSer last Wednesday. In commenting
upon various incidents of the occasion we have
already expressed the opinion that large allow
ancc ought to be made for General EoSSer wh'h
he is engaged in the vocation of oratory. At
such times he IS accustomed 10 cut loose from
his intellect and steer entirely by the compass
Of his tongue. which is very curious and In
tcreSting instrument. hut liable to be dehected
bv its strong antipathy 10 everything this sihc
of Mason and Dxon's line. including necessarily
the North Pole This amIable though unrca
soning faith on the part OF General Kosscr il
well understood. however. In this part OF the
country, and even his widest alterations nave
ceased 10 excite alarm. Everybody says: Inc
General IS drifting again. but he will get bacR
10 his moorngS sooner or later and us All
right" When therefore. he told his audience
In Richmond that the Tnop soldiers were noth-
Ing but locusts that they were all killed. that
thc men who hired them as substitutes were
drawing the pensions. that he did not want any
more fratcrnnl visits from Northern veterans.
but that he expected another army or Yankees
70 ovcrrun the South and pull down lis monu
ments and compel him to shed their blood,
there were no chatterng teeth hcreaDouts. ana
business went right on as well as could he eX-
pectcd under a Democratic Administration.
II strikes us. therefore. that Southern gentle
men, who must know General Rosscr quite as
we'll rs we do. are putting themselves 10 great
deal Of unnecessary trouble In dlsclaimlng his
remarks There IL n suggestion OF indcllcacy
I'm their disregard Of his peculiar claim 10 I'm
munl,y; but leaving that point out OF cohsd
Grafton we cannot see why General Rosser
should be rcpudiatcd SO long as the Rev. Mr
Cave Is embraced Mr.. Caves reputation had
not previously escaped beyond the confines of
Richmond but. 50 far as we know he Is con
stanily I'm the possession Of all his faculties. AMI
when he expresses n strong dlsapproNal OF
Abraham Lincoln II is 10 b. accepted, We sup
pose. rs the conclusion of his best Judgment
and entitled 10 inst much respect rs his CON
vIciion that the Southern cavaliers had an even
better reason for taking up arms than the incn
who fought at Concord. Lexington and Bunker
Hill. Then there IL fhe Rev. Mr. Hogc. who
approachlng the throne Of grace not on his
knees. but on the most eloquent wings perhaps
ever borrowed for that purpose. Informed the
Almighty that the soldiers OF the confcdcracy
"fell I'm defence Of constitutional liberty" II
General Rosser l. to De- explained away or with
drawn for repairs We no reason why inches
I'm ihc Confederate Pantheon should d. appro-
pratcd without objection by the reverend
clergy
We had thought TO say word about the poets
of the day, but the Richmond papers containing
thoIr verses have arrived and We fOrbcar. Gus
tom orders that the Muse shall be wooed ON
such occasions. and those who try their best to
win her deserving Of compassion when they
fail No one who had not n bad heart would
wish 10 nggravatc their modification. Nor
would we have It understood that We cherish
any resentment toward the Rev. Mr.. lloge ana
the Rev Mr. Cave. our purpose Is merely TO
suggest the essential improprcty Of dscrim-
mating against General Thomas Lafayette tos
ser We are convinced that he not only meant
as we'll rs anybody else, but from the Richmond
point of view actually did a little better.