The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-27
RETURN THE REBEL FLAGS! !!
, SAYS SENATOR FORAKER, OF OBIO,
s, AND HE GIVES HIS KEAsOFs.
1heStars and Stripes Now Float Over an
H United and Patriotic Nation-We Have
~ Peace wipe Away tho Marks
EstE OF War. p.

The HOE. j. Benson Forakef, the
senior Republicans 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"
"When ?" "Howp" and "Whyw
have everything to do with the
case.
When Mr.. Cleveland undertook to
return them in 1887, his action OK
cited storm of protests. Most, if
not all, who were tiercest in their op-
position then favor such PROPOSE
ton now. This is not due to q change
Of sentiment with respect to the alb
stract question, but to a change of
conditions and circumstances. There
were many reasons why Mr.. Cleye-
'0rd's action was unpopular. In the
nys1 place, it was unwarrantod. The
flags had been taken in battle; they
were tho property Of the nation, and
only the Congress had authority, to
dispose of them. It was therefore, a
gross usurpation Of powor, and in
view Of Mr. Cleveland's record ex-
ceedingly offensive. Personally he
had not had anything 70 do with the
capture of the flags. His sole con-
trlbution 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. ...s
He had dono number things after
becoming President that confirmed
this opinion, and made him obnoxi-
ious to the soldiers and the masses,
who felt as they did.
His yetoes 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 MORT.
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
q word or to formally participate in
the exercises in any manner, and had
&acted in such way as to show that
his emotions were unmoved, except
in. disgust, by tho historic fields and
sacred memories about him. The
graves Of the heroic dead: the scenes
of their bravery, the inspiring words
of Lincoln, carved on the monument
before him, nll 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 no had done some-
thing to yet moro seriously wound
patriotic sensibilities. He had gone
fishing on Decoration Day. This ac-
ton seemed so ineAcusable and 30
out of place and unbecoming in the
Chief Magistrate that it was every
where considered deliberate at
tempt to show his contempt for the
most sacred sentiment of tho Ameri-
,. can people Whom, therefore, follow.
! after all this, without any action
or Congress to authorize it and with
ont a previous suggestion to pave
'tho way for such step, he bluntly
ordered the trophies OF the uation's
struggle for existence to bo returned
to the slate Confederate States" it
lis no wonder the people were aroused
and angered, foTtaey could not feel
otherwise than itraged. His action
.,es,, not only{ inwarranted, but it
was lmpertinpa /, indecent, unpatri-
t3oticsand indelicate in tho highest ex.
3trelne. Men who cared nothing about
Tho retention Of the Gags by the
Government felt, and justly 50, that
S5Iif they were to be returned at oil
d Congress and the men who captured
them should be consulted and have
charge fthe transaction.
But there was another feature Of
Mr. Cloveland's proposition that con-
demned it moro than anythilg else,
and that was the fact that his action
was taken at a time, and in man.
D sler, and with spirit that made it