The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-08-27
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY.

and other patriotic organizations to
fraternize with the survivors of
Pickett's division
"Post Commander j. l.. Bowers,
whose name was among those attached
to the circular in question, said to-day
that his name had been used without
his consent.
Army Association of Philadelphia and
vicinity, sent the following notice to
every post in the city:
"'The use of my name in connection
with circular sent to posts referring
to a reunion of the Blue and Gray in
this city j. without my authority, and
does not meet with my approval
"Posts ., 7, 10, As and 1911 have adopted
strong resolutions opposing the project,
which have been forwarded to Mayor
Warwick. Post rs protest follows:
Resolved, That we condemn in un-
measured terms the attempt to hold a
reunion of the Blue with the unforgiv..
ing GRAY in this city at the expense of
our patriotic people, and denounce the
author thereof as being possessed of a
selfish ambition for self-glOritication
and newspaper notoriety.'
"POst 1871 had this to say: RESOLVED,
That we never were, are not now and
never will be favorable to inviting any
rebel soldier organization to our city as
our guests until they frankly acknowl-
edge that in the attempt to destroy this
Union they were eternally in the
wrong and we eternally right in its
defense, and that we are just as loyal to
our country to-day as we were from
Dranesville to AppomattoX.
according to advices received in this
city, it is believed that the survivors of
Pickett's Division would have availed
themselves of the courtesy of attending
a reunion had the invitation been re-
ceived with any degree of unanimity."
There you have it. That is not
the private speech of a single in
dividual; neither is it the dema-
gogism of an office seeker; nor yet
the partisan utterances of some
political editor. But there you have
the deliberate, dispassionate prin-
ciples of the Grand Army Posts of
Philadelphia.
Note the words ''unfOrgiving
Gray" Fine right have they to
speak of "unforgiving'' folks!. And
at what price do they place their
forgiveness" Why, "never until
they frankly acknowledge that they
(the Gray were eternally wrong,
and we (the Blue) eternally right"
Never, until then, "shalt thou be
guests of OURS" Never until you
come crawling upon your bellies and
with a lie on your tongue, will we
open unto you the gates of our city,
much less the doors of our houses.
There pulses the forgiving spirit
of the christian patriots who with
pharisaical faces and lachrymal
countenances, come talking to
others of the 'unforgiving."
But for all this, we do not care a
fib; we do not complain or protest.
That is their business, and the
HERALD does not set itself up as
censor for the Blue. They may hug
their hate to their hearts until they
shrivel with age, for what we care.
But the purpose of this article is
to protest against any further abase-
ment of "a cause, though lost, still
Just" by any of those who worthily
wore the Gray.
These reunions of the Blue and
the Gray, are a hollow mockery at
best. Loyalty to the Union is one
thing, the blending of these feudal
colors another. Individual wrongs
may be forgotten or forgiven, but
| not so long as memory lasts can the
antagonistic principles for which
these colors stand, be harmonized
into fraternal love.
We are heartily tired of the
South's overtures at forgiveness. 1t
is not in keeping with the proud
carriage of its people. We have
said enough; let's say no more. Let
our public speakers stop swearing
to our loyalty until it is put in ques-
ton, and then without any Oaths or
humble protestatiOns, promptly
brand the traducer as liar.
Let our business interests" take
care of themselves, without bartering
upon the market place the sacred
sentiments and blood bought prin-
ciples of our patriotic fathers.
Let the uniform no more be used
as livery to receive anybody,
whether he be foreign pOtentate, a
Republican President or grand
army pensioner.
Let's stop apolOgizing or explain
ing. Proud of our past, conscious
of our own loyalty, confident of our
future page in history, let us meet
and mingle with one another, and
around the sacred spot where our
heroes lie buried, let us tell to trust
ing hearts and sympathetic minds
the sweet, sad "story of the glory of
the men who wore the gray, and let
us with that independence common
to our ancestry, leave to the world at
large and to the grand army of pen
siOners in particular, to think of us
according to their own sweet pleas
ure.