Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-06-10
SOUTHERN WAR FLAGS.
Possibly They May Be Placed in
the National Museum.
President CIevelnnd's Proposition
That They BE Returned to the
Southern States Assaulted
by q. A. II. Men.
Especial washington Letter.

Especial Washington Letter.1
Do you remember the great political
excitement which arose in 1887, when
President Cleveland proposed to return
to the southern states the battle flags
Of confederate regiments?
The order, however, was never car
ried out, because it was countermanded
before the affair could be attended to
by department officials because of the
remonstrance made against the move
by G. A: r. encampments and veterans
of the union army generally. Immedi-
ately the agitation for removing the
flags and trophies of like character
to the national museum was begun,
and pending final decision in the
matter, the confederate emblems. which
had previously been in charge of the
adjutant generals office, were removed
and put under the care of the chief
of the record and pension division OF
the war department., where they still
remain.
Before the national museum can have
the relics added to its collection of at
fractions a great deal of formality and
congressional legislation will be neces-
sary, and even should the move take
definite shape, and bill for that pur-
pose pass at the next session, the large
number of trophies of all sorts would
require such length of time and an
amount of attention in arrangement, SO
that in no case will the museum, or any
institution which may be designated as
a permanent place of display, if at all,
be apt to have the collection housed
much within year. A number of Of
ficials in the war department say that
an attempt will be made to have the
necessary bill framed and urged to a
speedy consideration when the next
congress meets. The confederate flags
in themselves are no incumbrance, but
relics of various sorts have accumulated
until they hamper matters in a certain
sense, and it is thought that if the bill
can be made comprehensive in it's ma
ture much of an interesting historical.
character can be placed where better
care can be taken of the relics and
proper display made which will be ap-
preciated by the public
Worn and raveling by the lapse of
years, torn by shot and shell, some of
them almost riddled with bullets vary
ing in size from the ordinary musket
ball to the mimic, the confederate battle
flags which were captured during the
war, and such of them as are still in
possession of the government, repose,
carefully wrapped and folded, in large
boxes among the archives and safe
keeping places, and there they will re-
main forever. Few people ever see
them; very few know of their existence
The relics will never be placed where
the general public may view them, un-
less indeed they may yet be placed in
the national museum. together with
the hosts of foreign battle flags cap
tured in various wars, and hundreds of
other relics with historical record,
which the war department has had in
charge for years.
The sectional question has been up
permost in the minds of public men
who had given consideration to the
matter of a public display of these
flags. The old confederate soldiers yet
living would not want to see their bat
tie flags placed on exhibition. One
thing which becomes very dear to the
heart of Il soldier, no matter for what
cause he fights, is his regimental bat
tie flag. Its loss is humiliation. The
public display of the captured flag
would be needless humiliation in the
old age of the soldier. Therefore, be-
cause we are a reunited people, trying
to forget and to forgive, leading pub