The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-07-12
THE FLAG OUGHT TO BE RETURNED.

. Ought TO De lOtdltu 1T
City. There was objection to the loca-
ton. it being argued that such a memo
rial ought to be located in the heart
of the South. and not in the Federal
capital. Mr.. Rouss had his heart SCI
on the memorial and was not particular
about the location, and the understand
ing has been that it would be located at
either Richmond or New Orleans.
In view Of the fact that this war has
reunited the two sections. i'll bonds even
stronger than held them together before
the War Between the States, has not the
time come when the Confederate ana
have Il common interest for every section
Of the Republic: The following letter.
written by Mr.. Thomas 5. Townsend, Of
New York. contains Il suggestion that
will appeal to patriotic men everywhere:
"In his hour of overpowering
patriotism, when sectioiialism, if not
wiped out" entirely, is silent during
wars alarms" one discordant note
strikes me as marring the general har-
mony. | refer to the action taken re-
Gently looking to the return of flags cap
tured during the war for the Union to
the regiments from which they were
taken. This. it seems to me, is Il mis-
taken policy, that tends to minimize and
detract from some of the bravest deeds
of that gigantic struggle.
And this leads me to say. as the cre;l-
tor of The Townsend Library, now own
" .- 800. -
student for nearly forty years of the an
mails of that period. that if we are to be
in the future Il really united country
united in fact as we'll as in name-We
must adopt a broader view in recalling
the events of the four-year tragedy thaa
has been generally taken. The North
must do homage to the heroes of the
South; the South must admit and en-
phasize the bravery of those who fought
against them. The North must learn
to glory in the rugged valOr of Stone
wall Jackson. the calm strategy of Lee.
the hopeless heroism of Pickett and his
men in his immortal charge at Gettys-
burg. the skill and bravery of those
great warriors. the Johnstons and Long
street. and the exploits of Wade Hamp-
ton. Joe Wheeler (who never lost a
fght). and other Confederate heroes. not
because they were Southerners, but be-
cause they were Americans. and be-
cause their valor reflects credit on our
common country. equally with that of
Grant. Sherman and Sheridan.
I'VE of the North must remember and
teach our children that the South, with
not more thar eight hundred thousand
men. strOve valiantly against over two
million volunteers enlisted by the North.
1t was no blot on her cscutcheon that
she had finally to succumb against odds
so tremendous. but infinitely to her cred
it that she was able to prolong the strug-
gle through years and months many of
which must have been darkened in all
Southern homes by the ~blackness of
despair.
$50 far as bravery is concerned. there
is little choice between the two sections.
The regiment that lost the most in
killed and wounded during the war.
on either side. was the Goth North Caro-
lima Confederate Regiment. and no no.
bic deed in the ranks of the Northern
armies but was duplicated by our breth-
rem at the South.
Coming to the present war. we note
that the South is still we'll to the front.
Thus Hobson. who sunk the Merrimac.
is a son of a Confederate soldier. and
Ensign Franklin Buchanan Sullivan.
now serving on the Marblehead. is a
grandson of the famous Confederate sea-
dog Admira Buchanan, while sons of
General Pickett and Longstreet have ap-
piled to President Mckinley for staff
appointments.
I'VE cannot ignore these facts. nor,
even if we would. wipe out the annals
of the war for the Union. Its history
is written in the blood of the bravest
and best of the citizens of sections. The
struggle was apparently fOrc-Ordained
by the Almighty for the plotting out
of and atoning for a National sin for
which all of us were in some measure
responsible. We must, therefore. teach
our children how this inevitable cata-
clysm, while leaving ruin in its path, de
veloped in the stricken South the civic
virtues that max States great. while
the necessities of the hour aroused
equally i'll the North Il spirit of patriot
ism and self-Sacrifice unfelt before. For
getting. therefore,, the bitterness and
ShOrt-SightcdnesS that prevailed at times
IN both sections. let us remember and
teach our children to remember the man
full endurance of hardships, the unselfish
valOr. the heroiSm among the lowliest
seen on every battlefield.
And these are the lessons of the cap
tured flags They should not be return
ed to former owners either at the South
or in the North. but be assembled in
some place provided by the government
at Washington. each duly labelled with
its story. to which we and those who
come after us may from time to time
resort, and learn the priceless lore they
teach. And so long as pilgrims shall
repair from all sections to view these
relics of a glorious ~past-these unfading
mementoeS Of American valOr-so long
will the heroic virtues they commence
rate be kept alive. and shine as beacon
lights throughout the land"
One of the most popular and influential
Confederate soldiers in Raleigh. upon
being shown Mr.. Townsend's letter, gave
it his hearty and warm approval.
The Southern people, he said, "hayo
long ago learned to appreciate the vaiol
of their brave brothers of the North. and
we have ALWAYS believed tho fine wOulf