The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-05-21
FOOLISkI TALK OF rREASON.

The Chicago Tribune publishes an edi-
torial under the caption of Secession
Was Treason" which II not calcula ted
to do itself or the public at large any
good Certainly 1t Is discrcditablc to
the Tribune for 1t should know better.
The article is based OH n recent decla-
ration OF q committee of the Grand
Army Of the Republic that school histo-
ries OF the civil war should be truth
full and impartial. and not offensive 10
the New Yorker or the South Carollnian
Yet we cannot avoid the conclusion that
treason can anu should lie made obi
Gus. What does the Tribune expect to
gain by the publications? 1t declares
that 1t wants an impartial history in
one breath and In the other yellS "tren-
SON. Now, as the Atlanta Journal re-
marks. ''if the Chicago Tribune and the
Grand Army OF the Republic believe
that the South Will ever accept as his
tory any book which teaches that the
statesman and soldiers OF the Southern
Confederacy were traitors, they are sad
~ mistaken. Nor will impartial history
the history yet to be written which
will record the worlds final verdict on
the ruestfon--tench any such thing.
whether State had the right To Sc
ccdc was an open question from the
formation OF the government down to
the adoption of the thirteenth ana four
teenth amendments to the constitution
The right to sccedc was emphatically de-
clnred III Massachusetts and in other
parts of New England many years be-
fore the formation of the Conredcracy,
What defiant rebels and infamous trait
ors, according TO the Chicago Trihunc's
theory, were the men who composed the
Hartford convention!
And why was it that out of so many
hundreds t!ssref thousands who committed
-trsasan BY 'a!92!nng the ceonsederaey not
one was ever even tried?" asks our con
temporary. which adds:
Jefferson Davis was kept in pr;
son for many months aud in spite or
his repeated demands for Il trial it
was refused him. The Federal au-
thoritics admitted that they had no
case against him by releasing him
on bond and letting him alone Cen
cral y. p. Banks declared on the
llo0r or the House of RcDrcscnta-
tVcS III the famous AndcrSunyillc de-
pate that Mr.. Davis was released be-
cause II was known that he could
not be convicted, and there is ibund-
ant testimony to that effect from,
those who We're in the best possible
position to understand the reason
why he was never tried
he government sisply did not
dare enter upon Il trial without any
In E1,t
meNt.
The talk of treason as applied 10
me participants on the part of the
south in the civil war is OUT OF date
IL was an ebullition OF the passion
- me war and reconstruct: on ne
riodS. ana is heard now ONLY frnm
those who are too ignorant ~ tnn
nreJudlccd TO form an Intelligent
and fair opinion on the subject
The Chicago Tribune might emrIo,.
its time and space 10 better p,,rnnsa.
It Is the kind Of talk III which il induces
that helps to keep alive Il feeling which
otherwise would have long since died
out If it really wants an Impartial his.
tory OF the war between the States puh-
ltshed let it show its faith by it's works
This talk of treason" won, hclp thn
work on 4 bit