The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-01-23
BOTH GRAY ANDBLUE
PROPOSAL FOR A MAGNIFICENT PA
RADE ON INDEPENDENCE DAY.

Colonel Garnett's Suggestion For Re-
un;on In New York on July A. 1S96-AP-
proved Heartily by Southern Veterans.
A Spectacle That Will Be Worth Seeing.
We are pleased that our patriotic fell
low citizen, Colonel Garnett, once
Confederate soldier, has taken up our
suggestion for the holding of a grand
parade of veterans in New York. We
accept at once the amendments to our
original suggestion which Colonel Gar
nett has made He would not confine
the parade to the veterans of the Con
federacy living in the city, but would
bring here from the south as many OF
their brethren as would like to join the
grand march This is larger and finer
thought than that which we had Ill
mind. Again, instead of making the
parade one of Confederate veterans on
w. he would unite both Union and Con
federate veterans in it. This is a most
patriotic and noble conception; it is an
inspiration of the new Americanism
We can but trust that his ideas will be
realized Perhaps it might be a fine
thing to put the Union contingent un
der a Confederate officer, General Long
street or Colonel Garnett, for example,
and the Confederate contingent under a
Union officer, General Daniel E. Sic
kles, for example. What spectacle that
would be for Broadway and the Bow
ery, for Avenue D and Fifth and Sixth
avenues! Let the veterans rally on the
Battery, from which the British troops
took their departure l12 years ago; let
them encamp on Harlem heights, asso
ciated forever with the name of the i'm
mortal Virginian,
Colonel Garnett thinks that the parade
of the gray and the blue, vanqulshed
and victors, should take place Oh the
Fourth of July next, a day that knows
no north, no south, no east, no west. Ii
is choice of which we fully approve
That parade upon Independence day OF
1896 would be a novel and glorious epi
sode in the history Of New York.
We should like to see The Sun sug
gestion, as wisely amended by Colone
Garnett, taken up by the city govern
ment, the regiments of the national
guard, the chamber of commerce. the
board of trade and all the great patriot
ic and business organizations i'll the
city If they do their duty in this case
the parade will surely be held. parade
of unity and honor, peace and Amer
canism, that will thrill the soul OF Ou'
country
We learn from Colonel Garnett's let
ter in yesterdays Sun that he has taken
the pains to ascertain the sentiment OF
the Confederate veterans in the south
upon the subject, and that their judg
ment is wholly favorable 81 beg leave
to say" he remarks in his letter pub
lished by us with pleasure yesterday,
"that the idea has met with the most
unqualified approval in all directions. y
This being the case it is time to be-
gin to make preparations for the grand
and suspicious event, the more especial
Iy as the business of preparation must
extend over the whole country.
What, then, is needed at this tlmei
Colonel Garnett has answered the ques-
ton, "The thing now wanted is the for
nation of a committee to arrange the
details of the demonstration. This
suggestion is the right one. We say that
the committee ought to be municipal,
military and commercial; there ought
to be both Union and Confederate vet
Grams from north and south among its
members.
The occasion is one which may well
enlist the interest of Governor Morton,
Mayor Strong, the national guard, the
chamber of commerce and all patriotic
citizens.
1t will be a spectacle for the world
that will be seen here next Independ
ence day, if New York does her duty,
and that with American energy New