Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-12-22
Mr.. Mckinley and the South.

President Mckinley has at last found
himself in the South, he has mixed and
mingled for the first time in his life with
truly Southern people, and has meas
ured well up to the occasion in action
ard speech. He has thrilled a South
EN- audience with sentiments which
none but Republican President could
utter, without being charged with dis
loyalty in the North. He has spoken
with sincerity which has brought
credulity to Southern hearts, and it
does seem that at last there is to be an
honest effort to forget the past and
unite this nation under one flag and as
one people. The following sentence
from Mr.. McKinley's speech shows that
he realizes the greatness, the self sacri-
fise, the heroism and the loyalty to con-
Viction and principle which animated
| Southern soldiers in that great struggle
between the States, and that he feels
| how wrong it is to hold up to those
who survive on the Confederate side,
their cause, as traitors, and rebels, who
should be forever spurned because they
lost their cause. Said the President:
Every soldiers grave made during
our unfortunate civil war is a tribute
to American valor. And while when
those graves were made we differed
widely about the future of this govern
meDt, the differences were long ago set
tied by the arbitrament of arms-and
the time has now come in the evolution
OF sentiment and feeling under the prov
idence of God, when in the spirit of
fraternity we should share with YOU in
the care of the graves Of the Confeder-
ate soldiers"
Mr.. Mckinley can lead in a cordial
and sincere movement to forget all the
wrong that has been heaped on the
South, he can do SO without distrust of
motive, he can in so doing cement a
friendship between himself and the peo-
pie of the South which cannot be brok-
en-. These men whom he addressed at
Atlanta are of the great Southern fami-
ly, they are the most loyal people when
principle Is involved, that ever ba.ed a
blade, they are the most responsive
people to kind treatment and just APP
probation, who dwell on earth, and if
he by his action shows his confidence in
them, and treats them as honored mem
bers of the national household, no power
can put him away from their sincerest
friendships. They have been misun-
derstOod. they have been regarded with
distrust. and this regard was intensified
at every opportunity, by the Cry that
rebellion was still as rite in the South
as in 81, made of course for political
purposes. AS great as was this un
truth, and deeply wrong as was its
utterance, there were many who pro-
fessed to believe it.
Today, however, the spell has been
broken, the nation needed her arm
strengthened and none came more !
quickly, OF offered up their lives more
heroically than did the men of this here /
tOfore despised portion of the Union. |
None would have gone further. Mr..
Mckinley has seen this, he has had the
wisdom to acknowledge it, and has
selzed upon this fortuitous occasion
and this propitious moment to make
known the gratitude that he ard the
Nation feel, and fittingly has he said /:
What a glorious future avail rs if
wisely and brayely We face
the new problems now pressing upon
us, determined to solve them for right
and humanity