The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-06-24
UNDER TWO FLAGS.
That of the Confederacy Most appro
pirate for Cuban spmpathlzers-


pirate for Cuban spmpathiLers'
EDITOR OF The LINES.
sir,-Not long before the present war
was declared, Northern lazy V"e
WIDOW of a Confederate ofilcer). convers-
ing with a Southern friend, remarked:
1t IS rather singular that the united
States should espOuse the cause OF Cuoa
one would think 1t more Appropriate for
them TO sympa...lze with SPAIN as th@t
is the Union side" Mr.. Lawrence Wasn-
hngton, in his letter to The Times, speaks
OF The Southern people as having adopted
1.-THE flag and principle of an tndissolupie
union" and no describes the Confederate
Dag as the emblem of secession II
this distinction be exact, which flag then
il most truly the embiemaric flag OF
America In this war in behalf OF Cuba
the banner Of "indssoluble union or the
banner OF "secesson"2 But is IL true
that the dag OF the United states stands
for union only and the flag OF the Con-
federate States for secession only? In
1875 the "indissoluble union" with Great
Britain was broken by her American
Colonies. and the secession flag OF the
United States was unfurled as emble-
matte OF the great American prnciple laid
down in the Declaration Of Independence.
the right OF a community to self-goVern-
ment, or the right Of a community 10
alter or abolish it's existing government
at the will OF a majority of It's people.
Great Britain's flag was the flag OF IN
dissoluble union" as it fOated over Tory
strongholrs the "revolted' Colonies oil
America and I'm the loyal colony or
Canada But II represented In Canada,
as far as the English inhabitants OF thi
Province were concerned, union or
consent and love. and It has continued TO
hold the affection and allegiance OF that
people The other English colonies. how
ever. had no mind for this 'indissoluble
union" II had become 10 them a CALLING
chain. Virginia the Oldest and proudest
of them all, whose name had been In
scribed on the shield Of kings, as the
fourth dominion" OF the British crown
I'm dat Virginia Quartam-was the nrst
TO assert her independence OF royal au-
thority. And her former King acknow'-
edged her equality with England as an
Independent. sovereign state In the treaty
OF 1883 The emblem Of secession, the
United Staes flag, now became the EN-
HEM Of union. The thirteen States en-
tered into a compact under the Articles
Of Confederation. They rashly called
this compact a perpetual union for-
getting, apparently, that circumstances
might arise when II would become eXpe-
dent TO dissolve 1t. Finding that tho
confederation did not answer all the ends
for which II was designed, and knowing
that the power to make, or enter into
a union carried with 1t the correlatVe
power 10 unmake or secede from H.
new union was proposed. TO become bind-
fuf
cert ii. And now secession again sue
ceeded 10 union. one by one the seeding
states renowned the compact OF lno TO
which Maryland had not acceded unti
l7SD TO enter into the union OF 1882
leaving only North Carolina and Rhode
island In the old union when the con-
stitution of the later Confederacy came
into operation. The majority OF States
loft tho minority OF two 20 decide for
themselves whether they would enter the
new union or remain out Of It. The idea
OF a war OF coercion TO force them into
this league would have been deemed
nonstrous in that purer epoch OF Ameri-
can history The two States came mar
~. Of their own accord, and THIS ume
there was no word said OF Il perpetual
or '1ndissoluble' union.
When I'm the next century the Spanish
American colonies. one by one. acted
upon the principles the United states
had enunciated, 'Indissoluble union was
the watchword or Spain as II had been or
Great Britain and secession was the
answer OF the colonies. II by God ana
nature government is founded on the will
NJ the peopie. unions" must ever remain
soluble when they cease 10 be acceptable.
And all government and all "uiEons
should be based on consent as their only
justification for existence. In ls6l, thir-
teen sovereign states. Virginia, the "Old
Dominion" being one OF them, formed
n new union" in North America. putting
I'm practice again that principle OF seces-
sion out Of which the former union had
been evolved.
Acting In accordance with the solemn
rights laid down by their forefathers IN
their declaration OF rights and declara-
| ton OF Independence they had every rea-
son 10 suppose that these rights would he
resnected by their late partners. The
| Confederate States OF America had nc
quarrel with the Union OF the north.
ern States from which they had sepa.
rated. They only asked to part inlpeact
and amlty. But what was the results
| The Northern States cast 10 the winds
| the principles Of the declaration OF indie
pendence. They abjured their solemn
| covenants. They declared In effect thai
| communities had no right to alter OF
abolish their governments II such alter
| alton did not suit the views OF theiI
neighhor communities They fought
| war OF invasion and coercion 10 force
a union upon States which had with
| drawn from II. States that had won thell
| Independence from the British union
we're enslRved and trampled upon ny
their fellow states as ruthisssly s snair
| has ever trampled upon Cuba, colony
| that has never known sovereignty and
| Independence. Well might the Soutf
have paraphrased Madam Rolsnd's apps