The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-07-08
THE MAIL AND EMPRESS HAS
SOIIfNID.


one Of the most surprising things Of
late years is the change in the tone
OF the New York Mail and Express
towards tire people and institutions OF
the South. But a few years back it was
one Of the bitterest Of the partisan Re
publican papers which could find no good
whatever south Of Mason and Dixons
line. and which thought a force bill. that
should compel the white people Of the
South 10 submit TO negro rule. was the
most suitable lot that could bcfall them.
All this has changed of late. The Mail
and Express has begun to find out that
there are very worthy people living on
this side of the Potomac. and IL not
infrequently now says things about us
that are not only just. but kind. We
don't know where the Mail and Express
got its new inspiration, but it certainly
has got it.
Discussing the report Of the History
Commute Of tho United Confederate
Veterans Association. the Mail and TX
press is very far from deprecating the
attempt 20 have Southern children taught
the history Of the war and its causes
correctly but It rather intimstes that
IL would be we'll 10 leave out Of our his
tories the arguments that went to prove
that the South had the night TO seceda
from the Union.
No Southern writer. in preparing
Southern history Of the war would think
for one moment Of acting upon this sug-
gestion. and the Mail and Express ana
an other Northerners who advocate 1t
should reflect further upon it. If they
did So we believe they would drop the
suggestion.
II is not 10 be expected that the men
who fought as Confederate soldiers will
wish their children TO believe that they
were traitors and rebels. Nothing could
be more unnatural than this. They nat
urally want their children made to under
stand the actual situation, just IS 1t ex-
listed when they carried their States
out of the Union and shouidersd tn-ir
muskets to make good the secession. They
want their children 10 understand. not
only that they believed they had the
right 10 do what they did but that
they actually did have the right 20 GO
it. and that by 10 possibility can the
stigma OF treason and rebellion he fixed
upon them. 1t is only natural that
the surviving Confederate soldiers should
have this desire. and it would be most
unnatural n it we're possible Tor them
10 have any other
Nor would the Mail and Express be
laying the foundations for very elevated
citizenship i'm the South If IL could have
future generations here taught 10 be-
leye that their ancestors were the de-
graded characters partisan hatred 10 the
North assigns to them. Se- assion. as
an active principle in our institutions, is
dead never to be revived. and no
amount OF teaching that the right TO Sc
cede existed IN 1851 can tend 10 make
new school Of advocates Of secession.
But it must necessarily tend 20 make "a
degenerate race in the South To teach
rising generations that the southerncrs Of
the period between 1851 and 1850 were "a
set of social lcpers that ali good men
Stunned. This is not the way TO cuiu-
waite affection or the country's nstitu-
lions and an elevated ciuzenry.
The Mail and Express has broadened
immensely during the last few years. Let
il open it's mind wide enough to take the
truly human and catholic view OF this
case.