Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-05-14
A Disgrace to Arlington.

cation appeared in the Baltimore Sun OF
Tuesday last:
In the principal room of the mansion at
Arlington-once the happy home of Gusts
and OF Lee, but now temple sacred TO the
memory of our fallen heroes, "who died that
the nation might live," the American West
minister Abbey--hangs, side by side with
Eincoln's grand Gettysburg address, a speech
by Robert G. Ingersoll, which includes the
following paragraphs:
The past rises before us and we see four
millions of human being governed by the
lash. We see them bound hand and foot
We hear the strokes of cruel whips. We see
the hounds tracking women in the swamps
We see babes sold from the breasts OF moth
ers. Cruelty unspeakablel Outrage inf
mite
"Four million bodies in chains; four mil
lion souls in letters. All the sacred rela-
tons OF wife, mother, father and child tram.
pied beneath the brutal feet of might. And
all this was done under our own beautiful
banner of the free!
"The past rises before us. The
wand Of progress touches the auction block,
the slave pen and the whipping post and
we see homes and tiresides and school.
houses and books, and where all was want
and crime and cruelty and fear we see the
faces of the free.
ave are with them tour sodiers)
in the prisons of hatred and famine, but
human speech can never tell what they there
endured r
Ingersoips religious views have no place
in this discussion; they are matters to be
settled between himself, his conscience and
his God. Nor is he deserving of censure
for having delivered the speech from which
the above is quoted. Portions OF the address
are beautiful and patriotic, and even the
Objectionable words can well be forgiven,
having been uttered at time when the pas
sions engendered by the war still swayed
the minds of men.
But is it fitting or right that those words
even if literally true, which can hardly be
claimed for them-should be framed and
hung in a conspicuous place in the recep-
ton room at Arlington
A generation has passed away since the
war ended. Those who fought its battles
are gray haired men, If still on earth, while
the vast majority are gathered son lanes
eternal camping ground" A noble band of
veterans assembled in New York city Il
short time ago to pay the last tllbute tn the
memory of their great commander whose
patriot soul found utterance in the memora
Bile words which stilicd strife and commo-
ton, as was done by a similar appeal in
Galilee: "Let us have peace" Among this
band OF mourners none gave sncerer hon.
age than those who wore the gray, those
who battled desperately Tor losing cause
from an honest but mistaken SENSE OF duty.
Was the object of the war to conquer and
subjugate the Southp Ii SO, lngersoll's
speech is in an appropriate place, as were
the triumphal columns and Inscriptions of
| Napoleon and the Roman emperors. But
| let no man who holds that view make use
of the term "Union" and "rebel" when
speaking of the leaders and armies on either
side. To be consistent he must use the ex-
pressions "Northern" and "Southern," for
he is only dsunionist, a sectionalist-at
heart not true patriot.
| Was not the obj ect to restore and preserve
the Union handed down as precious hertz
age from our forefathersY In that case let
us do what we can to bury and forget past
animosities, To make our loved country one
| in fact rs well as in name, to make the
United States OF America" sound as sweet
to the ears of those living in Carolina as to
those in Massachusetts, TO make the feeling
of national pride as strong on the shores OF
| the Gulf as along the Great Lakes.
There are few lovelier spots on earth than
| Arlington On looking out rom the broad
| porch, between the massive Doric pillars
that support its lofty roof, glorious pros
pect meets the beholder's eye. First stretch
of soft green turf, with with here and there
granite or marble shalt marking the grave
of some renowned officer, the American
flag waving prominently in the foreground
Then forest clad terrace slopng down tc
the river. Then the wide Potomac, visible
for miles Then the city of Washington,
with its towering monument, the nations
Capitol the gilded dome of the Congress
sional Library, besides nnumerable other
| buildings hardly less noted and conspicuous.
Surrounding the city, and forming back.
ground stretching to the horizon like series
OF protecting ramparts, rise the semi circles
of Maryland hills.
Within the portals are everywhere traces
of its ancient grandeur. The rooms are now
bare and plain, but the imagination readily
clothes them with the beauty and elegance
of other days. In the large square central
drawing room Mary Custis great grand
daughter of Martha Washington, was mar
ried TO Robert T. Lee Now that same room,
shorn of its former ornaments and grace,
contains in severe simplicity, as the only
furniture on the carpetless floor few chairs
and desk upon which lies book where
every visitor is expected TO register his name
and address. What must be the feelings of
one whose father died on Southern battle.
field, wearing Confederate uniform, when
he turns from recording his name to see on
the wall before him such picture of the
past as lngersolrs words present? Will he
be stirred to more patriotic devotion or
deeper and more abiding love for our hap
PLY united countryp When an intelligent
traveller IRON foreign lands visits Arlington
Cemetery, a spot intended forever 10 com
memorate American heroism and American
glory, in sight of the Capitol OF the whole
country, what must he think Of govern
ment that permits such II reminder of past
shame aud hatred?
The time is drawing near when thousands
of men and women, youths and maidens,
prompted by loving remembrance or in.
spired by loyal devotion, will assemble once
more to decorate with wreaths and flowers
the graves Of those gallant soldiers who
offered their lives for their country and now
sleep beneath the sod. IL is fondly To be
hoped that before this beautiful and touch
ing tribute is paid that one blot which mars
the lovely scene, that one stain upon the
nations honor, that one cloud over the
peaceful landscape, will be removed from
the walls of Arlington
ALLAN FARQUHAR.
Sandy Spring, Md, May 10, 1897