The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-05
CARE OF Ex-CONFEDERATEs.
In Justice and Honor 1t Is the Duty
of the South.
New Orleans Times-Democrat.

New orleans I1m6S-D democrat.
The utterance of President Mckinley in
/ behalf of national custody of the Confeder-
ate dead was one of the nOblest that ever
came from the lips of a public man. In
deed, history affords no precedent for the
assertion of this soldier Of the Union in
the mightieSt of civil wars, that the gov
eminent OF which ne is the official head
should take into its eternal keeping the
sacred dust of the men who fell beneath
the stars and bars. The great heart of the
South throbbed quick response to the lofty
sentiment of the chief magistrate and the
grand work of reconciliation wrought by the
war with Spain was thus touched win rho
benedictiOn of fraternal love.
The situation which confronts the reunited
sections III these waning years of the CEN
tact and the most delicate sentiment. 1t is
obvious to the dulleSt that all overtures i'm
the direction of the Presidents recommen-
datlon should come from across the line
which in the bygone years divided brother
from brother. 1t is therefore with profound
sorrow that one sees the prOprieties of the
case violated by Southern men who have
introduced bills looking to the admission of
ConfederateS to the national soldiers homes
In such circumstances 1T behoOves the press
ana public men to utter the sentiments of
the people in no uncertain tones
There is a law of self-preservation for ma
lions as for individuals, and that law will
assuredly operate to prevent any action
such as that contemplated in the bill of
Senator Butler, of North Carolina The
South drew the sword in defense of rights
which, in the conception of the peonle Of
lnlS S6ctiOi lay al the very base of he
Constitution itself That was an act of war
1t was an exercise of the elemental SOW
ereignty of the people. Success would have
meant the overthrow of the government
as ii stands to-day, and it was so under
stood when the South staked all upOn tbe
hazard. 1t is on the line of the highest nfh
lie policy to recognize the sincerity and
patriotism OF the South in that awful crisis
of the Nations fate. 1t would be to com
NIT national suicide for the government ~.
treat those who then warred against II IN
the same way as it treats the hundreds IF
thousands who fought and died beneath its
standards There are times when every CON
sideration requires that the head shoDfd ruIe
the heart, and this is assuredly one Of
those supreme occasions.
The most tender and the most glorious
mem9fy that belongs to the South IS inter-
woven with the pathetic story of her dead
and surviving heroes. The long record OF
faultleSS courage-couTage which will live
so long as the historic page endures-1yas
completed by the surrender at Appomattox
and by the silent heroism with which TIE
men of those incompatible armies took IN
the work of political and industrial reba HIT
tation. The men who did these thinog
should never be placed in the positfon of
asking aims. Nor will the present eenare-
ton permit such a course to be taken TShe
South should resolve to take care ~ +it ~
ashes of her dead and to shelter those ~
her surviving heroes who may stand in need
or ald Honor demands that there shall he
no finching from this line Of action how
strong soeyer may be the temptation.