Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-12-22
THURSDAY, DECEMBER %, 1895.
MAYOR PERRY PROTESTS.


AS was to be expected the Presidents
proposition in regard to Federal care
of Confederate cemeteries. does not
meet with unanimous approval. AS q
matter OF fact, it has run UP against a
huge and unconlpromising chunk Of
opposition in the person Of Mayor Perry,
Somerville, Mass.
He has written a letter to the G. A.
r Post of which he is member, Civ
ing expression to the following senti-
ments:
Perhaps it is better for me to
stay away from Grand Army gath
erings for little time, a least, until
II recover from the shock OF the
statements made by President Nc
kinlcy at Atlanta love the South
and her people, and no one rejoiccs
more than I at the spectacle of a re
united country, presented during the
present war With Spain"
We trust that Mayor Perry will not
carry out his dire threat not to attend
the G. A. II. gatherings. He should
not wrcak such terrible vengeance upon
the heads OF his innocent and unotfend-
ing comrades for the sins of the Pres
ident, and t is 10 be hoped that when
Mr.. Mckinley realizes the full import
and gravity Of the situation, he will
forthwith retract the fraternal express
sions which did SO much honor to both
his head and heart, and that he will
hasten to assure the great and only
Perry that his words were simply in
tended in a pickwickian sense. The
South could undoubtedly manage to
worry along under the old order of
things, but the idea Of having TO exist
under the horrible weight Of Perry's
displcasure is more than we can bear
With enuanimity. Let anything be done
TO appcase the wrath ana Indignation
Of this great man.
But we are not entirely without con
ISOLATION. The Mayor of Somcrvilc as
sures US of his distinguished considcra
lion. After having delivered his prog
nant mind of the fearful threat con
tanned in the first paragraph OF his let
ter he continues:
'>But I cannot yet believe that it
is the duty of the nation to give
the same attention to the graves
of the men who sought to destroy
it as to the resting places of those
who died for its preservation. God
forbid that any words should come
from my lips or pen calculated to
revive the sad memories Of the
past. Let us extend the warm
hand OF fellowship TO our Southern
brothers. Let us give TO them I'M
grudginsly of our love. But let us
not do any act or approve any pol
icy from which future generations
may infer that the great American
republic, in the closing years of the
nineteenth century, had become so
blind that she could not distinguish
between her saviours and her would
be destroyers."
He does not wish to revive sad mem
cries. but goes out OF his way to stir
them up. He asks God 10 forbid some
thing which he Immediately proceeds
to do. Still consistency cannot be ex-
pected or even demanded in one who
IS manifestly greater than Consistency.
We take off our hat to Mayor Perry.
we humbly thank him for his distn-
guished consideration. Since Southern
crners have had a place in that i'm
Derial 'ntellect--in that mind broader
ard more far-rcachng than Il dozen
rceans-eVen II II was as "would-be de-
I stroyers" of the American republic.
"A they have not lived in vain.
Mr Platt (nOt Of New York; and Mr.
Teller have consumed TWO days telling
their senatorial colleagues that it is
constitutional TO acquire terri1ory-a