Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-08
THE SOUTH AND THE UNION.
Northern People Beginning to Rea
lie what Our Position Really Wnz.


To the Editor Of the Dispatch;
What's the matter with our friends
on the other side. / wonder! You remem-
Der that on one occasion General Lee
was seen talking with poor man on
the street in Lexington. and then to give
HIM quite a liberal donation. and when a
friend made some remark about 1t. Oh
said the General simply, He was on the
other side, but we must not regard that
circumstance now" | am always glad
10 quote General Lee, and / know that
| am on the right road when / follow
him. So ] ask again. What's the matter
with our friends on the other side? Are
they coming out of the thick darkness
which has so long enveloped them and
otscured their vision. and entering into
the marvellous light which now over
spreads and ilumines the Southern coun-
ry. Sundays Dispatch gave US another
notable instance of the wonderful change
Of sentiment and opinion among the
northern people when II told us that
General Walker few days ago said H.
an address to a class Of students In q
Boston college: "In the future we shall
have to look to the South. rather than to
the Nor h, for our greatest patriots" Ne
most extraordinary admission, coming
from such a source-and one very ex-
pressive and significant. Verify. If this
sort OF thing goes on. we shall have the
statue TO General Lee on Boston com.
mon sooner than we could reasonably
have an icipated But General Walker
was mistaken when he prefaced that re-
mark by saying that the southern peop.e
had been the bitterest foes OF the Union
. In
have been properly and truthfully de-
scribed as foes Of the Union. They were
the first. and Virginia especially. to adj
vocate the establishment OF more
perfect Union" for the good OF all the
Colonies. and had been from the begin
ming the most earnest and active to pre-
serve and maintain II. and had vigor-
ously and successfully resisted for long
time all the efforts OF large numbers Of
people at the North 10 nullfy the laws
and ohstruct the operations OF the gov
eminent.
Their greatest statesmsn-Mr seward-
had openly proclaimed his adherence to
a law higher than the Constitution.
and heir chief aDostle-Wendell Phil
lps-had denounced II rs a "learre with
Satan and a covenant with he'll"
At last the southern people finding th8t
hey could no longer live In peace and
harmony with 'hs other sections If the
country. ard that thew could not nre-
vent the constant violations Of the Con-
sti 'ution. and that they could not main
tain their rights In the Union, deter
mined. sorrowfully and reluctantly. TO
withdraw from it-peacefullv. as thew
hopei-a RIGHT reserved TO them bv the
founders Of the government. and which
had been claimed by the leading mon OF
all political parties from the beginning
Senator LODGE. OF Massachusetts has
been lately reported 10 have said in
public address that "Tt cannot be denied
thai the South has the best ~ the argu-
ment on the question Of secession" It
Is very doubtful whether even In the fury
and passion OF the war there was
prevalent feeling OF bitterness or hos
'llitv 20 the Union. We reserved our
maledctions for those evil disposed poo
ple who had almost bv violence. driven
us out of it and robbed us OF our birth
right.
Mrs Lee nobly and patriotically ex-
pressed the feeling which was latent in
MANY hearts. when. In letter to Gene
raj Scott. giving an account OF the re-
ception Of General Lee In Richmond.
and the horora bestowed upon him
which General Scott had renuested-she
said that all these honors. both present
and prospective would weigh nothing In
the scale against the good Of the country
and that both she and her husband
would willingly lay down their lives II
they could thereby avert the impending
calamity
Our contention that the southern neo-
pie did not entertain this bitter feeling
is amply sustained nv the Willingness
and alacritv with which they came back
into the Union. and have become. as
General Walker well saws. its most ar
! dent and enthusiastic snnnorters
Truth is mighty and will prevail. though
hidden and obscured for time will
rise again and assert its dominion
LET US have peace"
Il. M. PARHAM