The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-21
OUR VETERANS.

In referring 10 the suggestion recently
made by President Mckinley that the
North should share with the South in
the caro- of the graves Of Confederate
veterans. the Chicago Times-Herald SUBJ
mlts some amiablc and timely remarks.
We quote these extracts:
we welcome the elimination OF section
al lines and the cultivation of the union
sentiment. but we doubt tt the abolition
of all distinction between Federal and
Confederate toward which this cOustruc-
ti0n points s. either wise or just Hav-
Ing cared FOR the Confederate dead.
should we pension the Confederate iiv-
ing? The families OF both can make tho
same plea that they help support the
government. And the reply 10 both is
tho same namely. that Notwithstanding
that fact the government is under an
obligation to those who saved il which il
can never owe u those who sought its
destruction.
Let as hail the new union. but let as
hail 10 expressly as something new and
as something grandcr and better than
the union Of the past without any att
tempt 20 obscure the great truths of his
tory. As individuals we may think on
cause. admit their sincerity. admire their
bravery applaud their sacrifice approve
and share the tender sentiment which
has cnshriucd them as heroes.
For our part we desire that the North
ern people shall always think Of our Con-
fcdcratc braves as heroes and not as PEN
sioners. We believe in taking care Of
worn-out veterans. both Of the North and
Of the South. but there IS something ut
tcrly repulslve in the thought which is
So brutany suggested 10y some of tie
ponsiou-gralbors. that the government
should give 70 the veterans "a sum of
money 90 reward them for having fought
i'm battle I'm the Northern army as is
well known. there were many hired SUBJ
stitutcs and there were many others who
fought simply for the pay that they re-
ccived We say this not in dcrrogation Of
the many others who shouldered arms con-
scicnuousl, in defence of the Union. But
in the Southern army there were no hire
ings and but few conscripts. There were
many hot-headed scccssionists who be-
uevcd that the Union should be destroyed
and there were many others who were
primarily opposed to the dissolution Of
the Union. But after the first gun was
fired an such differences disappeared and
there was no distinction in our ranks be-
tween original secossionists and original
UniCnists. They were all Southern pa
tricts then. battling for the rights Of
their States and they fought as no other
people had ever fought before. distinc-
lively for principles. If any went in for
pay he was wofully disappointed for the
Confedorates received no pay, but rather
went ragged and hungry from year to
year until the end came. They asked for
no reward, they expected no reward, save
the plaudits Of their conscience.
when the war ended there was a great
scramble at the North TO get on the pen
sion list. and now thirty-three years after
the close of the war the list IS larger
than ever. our pension system has been
a national disgrace and scandals. dis
gushing and innumerable. have cropped
out on every hand.
In the South we have within orr limit
ed means provided homes for our dis
abled veterans. and we have given mod |
est pensions here and there to such as
were in need II has been our desire TO |
make our pension roll a roll Of honor |
and our veterans have proven themselves |
as noble and as worthy i'm peace as they |
wero I'm war. But every now and then |
some politician in the South has bobbed |
w with a vulgar proposition to do this |
or that for the veterans and IL has been |
all that the rest of as could do 10 hold |
him down and prevent him from degrad-
ing the noble old veterans by exploiting
them as pension-grabbers who wanted a
pccuniary reward for their services in the |
South's behalf. Fortunately the vete-
rams have thus far been saved from such
pseudo friends. and while the people of |
the South appreciate the noble sentiment
which the President uttered in his At
Ianta speech. they will never consent that
the old fellows who wore the gray and
who are now lettering to their graves
shall be put in the humiliating attitude
Of gathering mp the crumbs which fan
from the tables of the veterans Of the
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