The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-27
RETURN THE REBEL FLAGS !
SAYS sIsNATOR FORAKER, OF OHIO,
AND HE GIVES HIS REAsOFS.
he Stars and Stripes Now Float Over an
United and Patriotic Nation-We Have
* Pcace-wipe Away tho MARKS
st ....' OF War. ......

The Hor. j. Benson Foraker, tho
senior Republican Senator Of Ohio,
looks upon the situation regarding
the captured Confederate battle flags
as follows:
The propriety Of returning tho
Confederate flags depends almost en-
tirely on the circumstances attend
ing the transaction. "Who?"
"When2" "Howp" and "Why?"
have everything to do with the
case.
When Mr.. Cleveland undertook to
return them in 1887, his action OK
cited a storm of protests. Most, if
not all, who were fercest in their op-
position then favor such PROPOSE
ton now. This is not due to a change
Of sentiment with respect to the alb
stract question, but to change of
conditions and circumstances. There
were many reasons why Mr.. Cleve-
lands action was unpopular. In the
first place, it was unwarrantec. The
flags had been taken in battle; they
were the property of the nation, and
only the Congress had authority, to
dispose of them. It was therefore,
gross usurpation of power, and in
view of Mr.. Cleveland's record OK
ceedingly offensive. Personally he
had not had anything to do with tho
capture of tho flags. His sole con-
trlbntion to the Union was substi.
tute. Whether rightfully or not, he
was generally regarded as not hav-
ing been in sympathy with our cause
during the war ...
He had dono a number things aftor
becoming President that confirmed
this opinion, and made him obnoxi-
ious to the soldiers and the masses,
who felt as they did. ...
J. His vetoes of private pension bills
we're so frequent aud often couched
in such offensive language rs to
show unmistakable hostility to that
class of claims, regardless of merit.
He had visited Gettysburg, and,
although there in an official capacity,
and greeted by the Governor of
Pennsylvania and thousands of his
countrymen, he had refused to speak
word or to formally participate in
the exercises in any manner, and had
acted in such a way rs to show that
his emotions were unmoved, except
in. disgust, by tho historic fields and
sacred memories about him. The
graves Of the horoic dead: the scenes
of their bravery, tho inspiring words
of Lincoln, carved on the monument
before him, all alike were without
effect. When the President Of the
nation thus stood sullen and dumb
on the greatest battlefield Of the Re-
public he gave offence that was deep
and lasting, but he had done some
thing to yet moro seriously wound
patriotic sensibilities. He had gone
fishing on Decoration Day. This ac-
tion seemed so inexcusable and 80
out of place and unbecoming in the
Chief Magistrate that it was every
where considered q deliberate at
tempt to show his contempt for the
most sacred sentiment Of the Ameri-
can people, Whom, therefore, follow.
ing after all this, without any action
of Congress to authorize it and with
out previous suggestion to pave
tho way for such a step, he bluntly
ordered tho trophies Of the uation's
struggle for existence to be returned
ito the "late Confederate States" it
lis no wonder the people were aroused
and angered, for they could not feel
otherwise than outraged. His action
was not only rnwarranted, but it
was impertineut, indecent, unpatri-
otic and indelcate in tho highest ex.
treme. Men who cared nothing about
the retention Of the flags by tho
Government felt, and justly 30, that
il they were to be returned at all
Congress and the men who captnrod
them should be consulted and have
charge of the transaction.
But there was another feature Of
Mr.. Cleveland's proposition that con.
demned it moro than anything else,
and that was the fact that his action
was taken at a timr and in man
ner, aud with spirit that made it