The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-07

Tho great Confederate reunion was not
success for Richmond and tho South
orn States only. 1t was a great success
for the whole country as well. We have
heard but few discordant notes from It's
harmony. The whole Union has felt
tnat We had right TO make much or
| tho heroism Of the men VINO fought our
battles. and tho whole Union has stood
| good hrmorcdly by and has seen us shake
our hands and tell each one Of rs what
a gallant and good fellow he was with
rev words Of resentment or protect from
the Fedoraists. This applies, OF course,
20 tho whole Union. though II does not
! apply 20 sorohoads OF the North. There
| never yet was great struggle whore
brave men willingly took the choice be-
tween death and their object that the
adyorsarics failed in men who stood out
10 the last that their side was all right
and the other ought 10 be oxtcrminated.
| Iut these extremists never yet leavcned
| the whole lump. and they ought not to 40
a.. Life IS made zap OF arrangements, and
concessions. and adjustment Of views.
We recently called attention TO what
Burnside Camp OF the Grand Army Of
| tho Republic had done in the way Of
| condomuing our reunion. a number Of
| other Grand Army camps have since re-
| pcatod ia substance what Burnside Camp
NO. ala. But we cannot fan TO submit
q word or two on what "W. s.. Hancock
/
J 1t has adopted a set Of resolutions which
declared that carrying the United States
flag 81 a procession designed 10 honor
| the memory or the President Of the Con-
federacy was a gross and offensive de-
parturc from The proper uses Of that
flag that IT is inconsistent with the
pledge We made at Appomattox for Con-
foderatcs 20 declare now that they sull
believe the Southern States had the right
10 socede from the Union. and that it is
an absurdity for Confederate soldiers TO
decorate their persons and their parades
with embiems OF an mdivisibe Union
ana at the same time to bear aloft the
| banner OF secession.
| Inc action of this camp and similar
action by others is possibly not worthy
Of the notice we have given and now
give 10 It. We feel perfectly satisfied
there is very little of the sentiment rep
resented by It now remaining in the
North The great body OF the Northern
people have become entirely satisfied that
the people OF the South made q bona
nde surrender Of their cause al the end
OF the war; that there is not the faintest
/ gnmmer OF q purpose here ever TO revive
1t, and that there are no citizens OF any
! part OF the Union more loyal 10 il than
those Of the South to-day. Hancock Camp
is. therefore. merely threshing over old
and rejected straw when il lashes itself
into fine frenzy over our reunion. and
We are possibly wasting energy when
We comment upon its action.
But we feel called upon TO make just
one remark. The resolutions Of Hancock
camp mean, logically. that any meeting
| OF Confederate soldiers ought 10 say that
they now believe the Southern States
had no right TO scccde from the Union.
But n Hancock Camp would only reflect
lttlo +, would be compelled TO admit
that this is an unreasonable demand. The
Confederate soldiers believed honestly and
sincerely In 1851 that by the terms Of the
| Constitution they had the right to secede.
/ There mas been no new light thrown
upon tho argument since 1861. 1t stands
to-day where 90 stood then. 1t is true
the Confederate soldier was shot and
| pounded and starved until human endur-
ance gave out and he agreed that If the
Union soldier would stop pounding him
| ne would never again assert the right
! OF secession. and would consent that from.
that day forward the Constitution should
be- considered TO bo so amended as to have
the right or secession stricken from il.
| This new agreement estOps him 30 say
IN the future that there IS any right Of
secession IN The Constitution, but It can
have no possible bearing upon the ques-
ton whether the right existed in 1861 as
tho Constitution then stood. IT, then the
confederate soldier believed IN ISL that
the Southern States had the right to
seccdc. Hancock Command calls upon him
TO pcrure himself when II demands he
shall now say he does not believe those
States .hcn had a right TO scccde. II
Hancock Command would think calmly
and deliberately over this matter it would
be- compelled TO admit that it IS making
an unreasonable demand. il has "a right
TO demand OF the Confederate soldier that
hd shall rot say tho Constitution has
contained the right OF secession since
1863 bat il has no right TO require him to
say it did not contain that right In 1864.
me confederate soldier behoNod then
that It contained that right, and no new
light has since been thrown on the case
to make him change his opinion. Han
COCK Command should reverse its a.
ton.
|
CAN THESE THINGS BE?