The Indianapolis journal., 1897-05-30
MEM0RIAL-DAY SPEECH
ADDRESS BY Ex-LIEUT. GOVERNOR
HANNA AT MONTICELLO, IND.
History OF the Civil War, as Taught
i'm the Public Schools, Condemned
in Vigorous Terms.
special to the indianapolis Journal.

of the cities and towns in the State will
observe Monday as Memorial day, but ar
rangements having been made here for it's
observance on Saturday it was deemed best
not to change the date in accordance with
the order of the G. A. r. commander
Mr. Hanna began his address by giving a
review of the condition of the country just
previous to the beginning OF the war,
which he followed with figures showing it's
magnitude in loss of life and the sacrifices
made. The speaker then entered upon a
discussion of sentiment in the South since
the war, quoting copiously from newspa-
pers and citing inscriptions on monuments
raised in honor of the Confederate dead,
all these expressions showing dislike and
hatred of the North. Continuing on this
topic, he said:
ITO further show you the sentiments in
the South and what they attempt to teach
their children, besides the inscriptions on
their monuments, | will read you few
passages from one of their school histories.
L hold in my hand history of the civil
war from a Southern standpoint. written
by Mrs. Anne =. Snyder of Nashville,
Tenn, revised and arranged for use in
schools and colleges. In the second chap
ings as these prevailing at the South (re-
ferring to sentiments North and South ex-
pressed in first chapter) the election OF
Abraham Lincoln seemed to bring matters
to focus The South had hoped that the
so-called conservative element at the North
would put a check upon the wild rush of
that frantic crusade that was being made
against her. But MIR. Lincoln, being the
representative of the most violent and nos
tile class, the South began to prepare TO
separate herself from that Union which
had ceased to do it's duty towards her,
which had ceased to guarantee her rights
or even to give security to nome ana nre-
side, and which had become the oppreSSor
instead of the protector. In reference to
Sherman's march to the sea it says: This
of Shprman'S considered
grand piece of strategy by his frlends we
cannot agree to any great military merit
or anything approaching to a hero in the
commander He had no opposition; going
over the distance, with desolation in his
track, was no great strategy Yet TINS
march is compared to Napoleon's march
to Moscow. AS to the surrender at Apo
mattox it says: Thus ended the long and
arduous struggle which the South mace
for the rights she had under the Constitu-
ton. and in this struggle those who wore
the gray, and stepped to the inspiring If ing
Southern cross decked with its stars have
made their uniform symbol OF the sub
limest courage of the soldier, ana the trueSt
devotion of the patriot.
THE SOUTH JUSTIFIED.
"The author of this book, not being sat
isfied that her own production would
convince it's readers that she was
right in her statements, invoked the
pen of Peter Turney, who served twenty
one years as chief justice of the State or
Tennessee, and was twice Governor of that
State who wrote an appendix to this book,
twenty-SiX pages long, entitled, The South
Justified and in conclusion says: If ever
there was a case of pure, unmitigated, un-
mixed and positive justification and self
defense, the law and testimony makes that
case for the Confederate government and
for the Confederate soldier We yielded to
the logic of force. The right still lives.
In this effort my purpose and de-
sire have been to awake the Southern man
and woman to the Importance OF haVlng
their children study our lost cause from
constitutional, legal and historical stand
points, that they be not misled: 1t is time
that we were seeking after their school
books ourselves, and not trusting too much
to others our cause was worth all we sac
rificed for it. Though lost 1t deserves VIM
dication. It's defense by our arms at least
principles of self-government for which
our comrades battled and died, our chill
dren will stand at their graves with love
admiration and approval of their course,
and offer up the prayer, Goa plesS ana
perpetuate their memories And in con-
tending that this history has a legal back
ing by the Constitution in addition to the
appendix Judge Turney has written, she
herself adds chapter indorslng slavery,
nized both in the New and Old Testament
Scriptures. The patriarchs We're slaVehold,
father of the faithful, was a large slave
holder Slavery existed when our LORD
Jesus Christ was on earth and IN the Gays
of the apostles, but no word of condemnaS
ton was ever spoken by Him or any OF
them On the contrary, the Apostle Paui
sent a runaway slave back to his master
NV friends, what I have stated to you
of the sentiments of the people in the
South was not for the purpose or SURFING
up strife and animosltles OF + tne Wal Wdri IL
have only given you facts as they exist IN
the South to-day. in the States that were
in rebellion that 1thor the soldiers and tHep mdp
friends in the North may profit thereby.
l have spent a year and a nall IN me dne
to say to you that the people of the South
are hospitable, kind, generous to fault,
but they believe. in the struggle between
right. When L took up arms to light for my my
country, when l followed the nag on the
march. when laid at night on the earth
for a bed, with my knapsack for pillow
and the stars for a cover, L thought | was
doing the act of a patriot. and that was
obeying the commands of God himself. |
little thought that the time would ever
come when the men who wore the gray
would be held in higher esteem by any of
their virtues would be eXtolled, and that
il would be claimed that they We're as patri-
otic as the men who wore the blue.
OUR OWN HISTORIES.
7 would not have said anything about
the sentiment and feeling in the South and
in the North but for the fact
that about two years ago an
flee and said to me, Which do you say was
the greatest general, Grant or Lee?' 1 said,
Grant, of course. Why do you ask?' He
said, My boy came from school to-day and
asked me that question I told him Grant
was the greatest of all generals The boy
said well my teacher to-day, In history
class said that Lee was the greatest gen
eral and that all the histories, both North
and South supported that theory" The old
comrade who told me this was greatly eX-
ercised for he had served three years OF
the best part Of his life for the cause of the
Union. | said to him, 'Comrade, this cannot
be in the State where Morton was Gov
ernor,' and when went home that night.
l asked my two little boys what their
teacher and books said as to who was the
boy said Why Lee, of course; our teach
er says so and so does the book. l said to
my boys, Tomorrow, when you go to
school, and the question is asked who was
the greater general you say to your teach
er that Lee was wrong, that Lee was
rebel, that Lee was defeated leading a re-
bellious army against human freedom and
against the flag of our country. Tell your
teacher that Grant was the greatest of all
generals, that he was right, that he led to
victory the greatest and grandest army
that was ever marShaled beneath the
stars. And l further told my boys, as far
as their going to a school where the teach
er impressed it upon their young minds
Lee was a greater general than Grant. tell
your teacher that your father does not be-
lieve that way and that | could not allow
them attend a school that taught such