Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-03-12
WALKER

1t is very clear that General
Ivan N. Walker, commander-in-
chief of the Grand Army of the
Republic, does not represent all
the North or all the Union vet
Grams in his objection to the
proposed joint parade of Union
and Confederate veterans in New
York on the Fourth of July.
The New York Sun, in an editoe
aial recently, condemned this
exhibition of narrow and petty
sectionalism. Similar express
sions have come from other reps
resentative journal of the North,
Republican az well as Demo
cratic, and we are convinced that
General Walker has offended the
best sentiment both North and
South. Leslie's Weekly, in its
last issue, publishes as its lead~
ing editorial the following severe
denunciation of the apostle of
sectional hate who is at the head
of the G.. A. R.:
1.-The commander>in>chief Of
the Grand Army OF the Republic
is unworthy of the place he oc>
cupies. Certainly he does not
represent the dominant and pers
vading American spirit. The
great body of American citizens
have outgrown the resentments
and exasperations of the civil
war. They are broadly national
in their sympathies and ideas.
The Grand Army commander is
sectional, narrow-minded and
rancorous of temper and pur-
pose. This is shown conclu-
sively by his hostility to the pro-
posed joint parade in this city, on
the Fourth of July next, of vet
Grams of the Union and Confed-
crate armies.
1.-The suggestion that a parade
of this kind be held on the one
hundred and twentieth anniYers
sary of our national independ>
ence has been received by men
of all parties, in all parts Of the
country, with enthusiastic APP
proval. It is almost universally
felt that it would strengthen
greatly the sentiment of national
brotherhood and afford an evil
dence of the absolute unity of
our people which would i'm
mensely impress foreign nations.
But General Ivan N. Walker
thinks otherwise, and SO he
gravely announces that Grand
Army men cannot and will not
join any public demonstration
and march with those who fought
against the Union, clothed in t. !;
uniform of the Lost Cause.
1--WE must be permitted to say
that we believe General Walker
to be mistaken in this statement.
The veterans of the Union
army T not controlled by any
such feeling of sectional preju
dice or malignant hate as he dis
plays. On the contrary they
are encouraging everywhere the
spirit of fraternity. Down in
Georgia, a town established by
men who wore the blue, and
which has to-day a population of
ten thousand, has given to it's
streets, alternately, the names
of Union and Confederate Gen
erals. In Louisiana Union vet
Grams parade with Confederates
on Southern Memorial Day.
There and elsewhere the bloody
chasm has been closed forever.
AS a class, the survivors of
the loyal Federal host has not
forgotten General Grants pa
triotic example and counsels in
the direction of national rehabi-
litation along the lines of amity
and good will. They remember
that all the influence of his do
minating personality was cons
stantly employed for the obliter~
alton of sectional antipathies,
and they believe that if alive to-
day he would welcome eagerly
an opportunity to ride side by
side with Lee or jackson in such
a procession as that which is now
proposed. So believing, we are
confident that they will treat
with deserved contempt the eff
fort of General Walker to re-
awaken old anlmosities and de-
feat a suggestion which looks to
the deepening and broadening OF
that patriotic sentiment which
constitutes the basis of all ma
tional security.
1--WE repeat that GeneralWalk-
er has dishonored himself and
put a stigma upon the best
American citizenship by the use
he has made of a position which
should reflect only the highest
and noblest national impulses"
Leslie's Weekly is a pronounced
Republican paper, but it strikes
fearlessly at sectionalism in it's
own part of the country as well
as in the South.
General Walkers attempt to
re-kindle the dying passions of
the war period will have small
effect, but it exhibits its author
in a very coutemptible light.