The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-05-24

CONFEDERATE REUNION.

The reunion OF confederate Vetor-
ans at Houston, Texas, now in pro-
gress, is indeed an important affair,
and the presence of the commander
in-chief of the United States army lie
quite sufficient guarantee that moth
ing indelicate, reasonable or un-
seemly in the eyes OF the restored
union, will occur. In the past years,
since the close of the war, histories
have been written, some bad and i'm
perfect, some by-narroW and illiberal
men, by prejudiced and untruthful
men, by accident or design-but none
excellent. 1t is little palling that
these histories are sold in the south
and descendants and survivors of that
wonderful struggle on the side Of the
south, bitterly resent expressions such
as "traitor" which are literally ap-
piled to men whose honored names
and fame is considered a priceless her
itsge by the children of the solth. The
Southern Historical society embodied
these things in report to the meet
ing, and that report is receiving some
criticism by northern papers. If all
the facts in the case we're well under
stood, we feel sure that but little adj
verse criticism would be made. There
are many cogent reasons why history
should not be written by those who
made it or participated in the events
treated of. Such history cannot sat-
isfy, but still the children OF this day
ought not to be deprived of the knowl-
edge of the great events of the last
thirty-fve years. simply because of
slight inaccuracies, Or even great mis-
takes by the authors of the histories
written. Therefore, while we are of
the opinion that the Southern Histori-
Cal society is by far too sensitive in
this mat ter, yet its natural, If ill-ad-
vised growl, is rather too severely crit
icised, especially is this the case by the
Deseret News. Its general article does
honor to both its head and its heart,
not to speaR of its patriotism, but ii
makes rather too much of this growl
from the Southern Historical society.
Utah ought to be able to sympathize
pretty freely with the south in this
matter of falsely written history. The
history of her own settlement, her peo-
pie, her leaders and her church, as
published at the east, is not such as
TO cause her to want to hug
and kiss the writers. Yet the
eastern school histories on the subject
of Utah are not more inaccurate than
those histories written in the east of
the great war of the rebellion and the
causes leading up to one of the blood
lest and greatest wars of all the past
history of the world.
We must have little patience with
the south. She has not yet fully re-
rec yVered from the effects of the war.
H. -ich men of that period are now
poo, ind besides this, she gave up,
or Dat by it more than $4,000, 600 900 of
". 1t is but natural for her 10
re "a little Of her bad feeling.
TO jGCg ge of the thoroughness of her
recJnsy n, in the main, it is only
necessary 10 tate plain and obvious
fact--AeT readiness, the readiness Of
her warrior and citizens generally to
fly to the net 5ual standards whenever,
and by wh0msoever, the rights, peace
and honor OF the nation is assailed.
Indulge her a little. Suffer her to ar
Yaign The makers of premature history,
to pet her dead, build mon uments to
them, love the children of her cad
leaders, and TO do all these perfectly
natural things, and rest satisfied in the
great truth that the men of the south,
old and young, would be among the
first to fling themselves into the breech,
were the nation assailed, and be found
among the last to. count the noses of
the foes Of the government, which has
certainly, by its liberal treatment of
them, fairly won their eternal tealty.