Evening star., 1898-12-28
Let the South Forgive.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The United States does not recognize any
such thing as "confederacy' as having
ever existed, but considers the different
states as having been in rebellion against
the national authority. The Constitution,
article /, section 10, clause /, says NO
state shall enter into any treaty, alliance
or confederation" and the United States
never recognized that there was such
confederation, although the disoyal states
acted together to destroy the Union. The
President in his Atlanta Auditorium speech
stated positively that our great republic
was forever in the right" therefore, any
organization or combina ton against 1t
must be wrong. But being the guest of
people, most of whom had been deluded
into participating in the rebellion, the Pres
ident made graceful allusion to caring
for their dead, and extending them the
sympathy of the whole people. And this
has always been done wherever there have
been graves of so-called confederate SOL
diers in the vicinity of prisons and camps
in the north or where they could be reached
by northern people. Why? Because they
were Americans and our brethren and
fought gaiiantly, though in an unworthy
cause. In accordance with the President s
suggestion, all these cemeteries of so-called
confederate soldiers can be cared for by
popular subscription, or Congress even can
pass laws making them public cemeteries
and acquire title to the land and keep them
from desecration. This it could do where
there were extensive burial places of those
who died from a yellow fever epidemic or
a great inundation, and it would be a trib-
ute of respect for the sad visitation that
overwhelmed them. But national ceme-
teries are established for the soldiers of the
nation, for those who fought for its preser-
walton and welfare.
But following close on the heels of the
Presidents sympathetic remarks, Mr. Rixey
Of Virginia introduced bill in Congress to
admit MANNED, crippled or needy ''ex-con-
federates" to the national soldiers ..omes
upon the same terms as the soldiers who
fought to preserve the Union. Now, these
soldiers homes were established as a re-
ward for the gallant soldiers who defended
the Union, and the terms" upon which
they are admitted was that they served in
United States regular and volunteer troops
an honorable discharge from the service Of
the United States being requisite to admis
sion. Such bill as Mr.. Rixey introduces
would be not only absurd, but unconstltu-
tional. according to the above section of
the Constitution, for in order TO admit
these so-called confederate soldiers to the
homes, the confederacy must be recognized
as having status and as having trooDs
in its service to destroy the United States
failing in which 1t now wants them "a rcd
for
The people of the loyal states have AL
ways responded literally to any appeals for
assistance from the men who fought for
the southern states and the confederat te
soldiers home at Richmond is largely in
debted for its existence upon northern SUBJ
scriptions. So if proper committees of ex-
confederates would again start subscrin-
tions they could be still further aided in
making homes for the old ex-confederate
soldiers, who have the sympathy of all the
people. And then let the south too be hh-
eral, and let it forgive the old Union SOL
diers who fought to preserve US a nation.
Let the great state of Virginia be kind to
the old Union soldiers In the home at
Hampton, Va, whom she now classes as
paupers and precludes from voting and LET
her place them on par with the ex-confed-
crate soldiers in their home at Richmond.
whom she does not deprive of their citizen
ship or degrade as mendicants.
December 81, 1898. UNION