The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1899-06-01
VOL. XVIII.
AN OBJECT LESSON,
Ryudy Element of the Negro Race
Give Grand Army nen Trouble at
-larietta and AndersonviIIe, ia in
Ceie brating Federal Memorial Day.
(AtIanta COnStitution.)


...,r Federal Memorial Day by deco
.u. the grave. Of the Union dead
Marietta and at AndcrsOnyillc with
..frr1prI1tc ceremonies. The ccra-
..tur at Marietta has always been
....-ri BY the sOlemnity and decorum
. .h are not to be separated from
...-u an OCCASION 1t has been the
...fp.-, of the Grand Army and the
f.-uu Veterans in Georgia to give to
..- ceremonies at Andcrsonyillc the
-.1l- solemn Significance. but for
-.. rrai Years past they have been
.rtb.r to carry out their desire in
'a.- rr-Prct. owing to the fact tha.
'.- more disordcrIy element of til,
negro population in the region o.
sa.ch Audcr-omyilic is the centre ha>
-...l.d upon the occasion to engage il
r.pr"u~ and drunken orgy. disgrace
g.. 5u It's nature ana disgusting to III
..e-abidiuL citizens.
Iur-. negroes. let it be- said. have.
a. Sort "f appreciation OF the mean
.- and significance of the annual
.. rrmuui"- which take place in com
u..m9ralInm of the dead, either Fed
,ra or Confederate. They simply
perceive i" the yearly gathering Il
AHi.r-nmyil!c an excuse and an op
g,rtuuitv iOr Il drunken rout in whic!.
they NAV indulge the various ap
petite, that belong to those whose
reason is temporarily dethroncd by
liquor THESE disgusting exhibitions
have been tolerated by the Grand
ArmE Veterans for some years, but
This wear they have resolved to put
.r. rud t. them Il far as they can.
With this end in view, Il committee
from the Grand Army recently had
au Interview with Governor Gambler.
with the request that he provide Il
detachment Of the State militia to
maintain order on the grounds Of the
,-n"trrv a. AnIcrsOnyille on Deco
ration Day Iho guycrnor, being not
only willing but an>iou, IL see the
ceremonies of Federal Decoration Day
carried out without unsecmly inter
rupliou~, hcthought himself of the
-hrrIT'o posse, which. in Georgia,
when summoned in time. has always
been successful in securing and main
tanning order. Then he reflected that
Tho AndersOnyille cemetery was a
Federal reservation. over which the
State has no authority-a fact that
ha~ prevented the county authori
tie, from intervening to preserve
order. The conclusion of Governor
Gambler was that the Federal authori-
ties themselves should deal with the
matter He therefore consulted Gen.
Frank. and the result is that Il detach-
mrnt "f Federal troops from Fort
N-Phrr,on will % to Andcrsonville
ou Memorial Day. OstenSibly as an
escort to the Union veterans, but
really to he employed as a special
police To preserve order and to pre-
vent the disrraceful scenes which
accompany the holiday orgy Of the
negroes.
There is something more in the
facts which we have related than
mere information. They possess I
significance which should not be lost
ou the Northern newspaper brethren
who are in the habit Of discussing
Southern events with Is llttlc knowl-
ed-c Of the facts aS il the happenings
haI occurred in Abys>inia. The
Union veterans and the Grand Army
men who have made Georgia their
home are among our best citizens.
They stand deservedly high in every
community in which they have taker
up their abode. The majority o
them have been i'll Georgia Ion.
enough to understand the negro
question thoroughly. The truth is
many of them, forgetting that th'
Southern people have had more thar
rcuturV'S contact with the negr
race. are led to wonder at the patienc
and federation that have marked tn
attitude Of the white race under con
ditiom> which strangers regard 4
trying, to say the least.
1t j. fact which can hardly b
placed convincinglv before the North
ern newspaper brethren that peopI
from that section who settle here am
make their homes with us. develo
the most violent aversion to ncgroe
IN aversion that is often amusin
10 Southcrners and always uneNplalr
able unless we 90 back in history an
show that. through generations {
contact and friendly ana familiar 4:
>oriations. the Southern whites haN
come to appreciate the good qualltit
of the negroes. and to regard wit
kindly tolerance such failings As Al
natural to his conditions and eIui]
mcnt. whereas. on the other han'
the Northern people Of the presel
generation have never been in tou'
with the real negro. The few the
have among them have long ago co
formed themselves to the demands
their environment. and those who {
North from the South for the purpo;
of touching the pursc-StrlngS
philanthropy are the negroes WI
have already achieved con>iderab b
success ut the South. For these re
sons. the real character of the pro
lem which the South is called upon
>cttlc-with the assistance OF t
good people Of the North. if pO>>ib
without such assistance if nece>sa
has never been clearly understo,
except by those who are born to 1t
an inheritance, or who have ma
themselves part OF it by choice.
When. therefore. the Northc
brethren find the Union vetera
anxious To prevent a repetition OF
diSgraceful scenes by means Of viii
a horde of drunken and riotous I
groe> have marred. on several occ:
ions. the solemn services of Memoir
Day. we beg that our motives III
not he harShly Judged. They are I
taking measures to deprive the neg
OF any of his rights or privileges.
SIMPLY to suppress the violent ma
1eStatIon> OF disorders in which
irresponsible element of the +:
lmagIneS ii must indulge in order
display enthusiasm at a commend
ti"n, the Significance of which f:
/" apPea! to ii in any form or sha