The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1899-02-02

Congress from the Richmond District, as
sert i'm his memorial address at Culpeper
on Confederate Memorial Day, May %,
1897: ave do not hneeE beside the graves
of our heroic dead TO dSscuss the abstract
question of right kr Wong of the conflict
that was waged with such fury third of
century ago. Ii is useless 10 raise this
question. Possibly in some respects both
sides were wrong. y The, historian OF the flu
ture will probably declare that, on the strict
construction of the Constitution, one side
was right, and on the other, owing to the
changed condition OF National affairs, the
other side was right. AS viewed from our
standpoint, we knew we were right"
SO this Congressman tells me ! fought
on the wrong side; and when hear ora
tons over dead Confederates, lauding
them as "loyal and patriotic men," |
know then that | am classed as being
among the disloyal and unpatriotic. And
it makes me feel SO bad that would like
to bic me away to that two-acre reserva-
ton of sacred ground near lrwinville, Ca,
whereon "our beloved President" jeff
Davis, was captured, and there wallow in
sackcloth and ashes for having raised my
hand against the patriotic of "our beauti-
full Southland" while those patriots walk
up to the Captains office 10 get their
checks for pension and provender.
There are lots of jolly good ex-Confed-
erates-nearly all my daily associates are
uIofiS Sifiu Il virginia
boy, recently home from Santiago, said
the Spanish soldiers were good fellows,
and they liked them first rate, too.
Ii is not a question about the ex-COn-
federates being good men and having
been gallant fighters. Such is conceded.
and they are now good citizens OF our re-
united cOuntry-reunited at the expense
of SO much blood and treasure. 1t is a
question whether the United States has
any right TO pension and care for those
who fought in other armies than her own.
There were hundreds Of Americans In the
Cuban insurgent army, yet they have no
claim on the United States, even though
the United States championed the in
surgent cause and whipped the Span
iards
think that II the United State. will
only do Justice to the men who fought for
her in her hour of need she will have
enough to do. Thousands of Union sol
diers are awaiting the settlement Of their
pension claims. and the National Homes
are full to overfowing. When the Aiexi-
can pension bill passed IL granted pen
sions To- all who had been In service go
days and arrived at the age of 81 years.
yet no veteran of the war OF the rebellion
can get a pension at 62 years Of age IN
less otherwise disabled. while the service
qualification is 80 days.
Now, the Mexican war bill permits vet
Grams OF that war to draw pension II dis
abled Or dependent, even though they
served in the o-caiied Confederate army,
yet they are debarred II they incurred
such disability while in any manner vol
unfairly. engaged in or aiding or abetting
the late rebe lion against the authority
Of the United States..
All sensible ex-Confederate soldiers look
upon bills introduced III Congress to care
for OK -ConfederateS as buncombe, de
signed to affect the crackers In the back
deestricts. where they don't know the
war is over yet. Last Summer an old
messy back came riding into Culpeper just
as the "Minutes Men'-Co. b. Sd Va
were starting to gin sheir regiment. He
farm near Culpefser. and enlisted in the
| company. lie ga1lopee up To where they
| were standing ~ 1ine .zand. after shaking
hands with his son he felt like making a
few remarks. as he hAd a good lag OF
apple brandy on.
Boys % he said. waving his hand over
the line. III makqe me- feel like ole times
" see you all ag3ine y lick the Yankees
agin, an If w;lsen' So ole I'd 60 along
an wipe few Of tem UP agn.
The boys all grinned at the old fellow :.
and his son said:
Pap. we amt going to fight Yankees.
we are going Ia fight the Spaniards. We
are Yankees oursalves.P
VIVA at? yelled the old man. You
all Yankees. an gwine to fight Spanielsi
o. no, you're no Yankees"
Yes we are. pap" replied his boy;
and lis 'F'itz Hugh Lee and Rossef. and
they wear the blue lust as du."
"We-ei, hay-el . slowly uttered the as
toniShed old mountaineer. "Fitz-Hugb
Lee, too, a Yankee?'
Yes continued tho boy: I'VE are all
one country now"
u be dom'd If we are.'' cried the old
man. bracing himself up. "Thar's no
W. tn n tiftIo Hid
think that when your old pap was a-teiiip'
you OF how he fit an marched an march
ed and fit under ole Stonewall, that you
would be gwine back on all his record
an go off an jine the Yankees" And
the old man wheeled his horse and gal
Hoped off in the direction OF the Blue
Ridge. without even wishing the company
Godspeed; but the boys yelled and cheer
ed and laughed all the same.
In both the Butler and Rixey bills the
word Confederate" is used, and ! have
shown that "Confederacy" is uDconsti
tutional, and that the United States only
recognized that the several Southern
States were in instruction As The Ma
tional Tribune has said, the passage of
these bills would be a virtual recognition
Of q Confederacy. and the admission BY
the United States OF liability 10, its
obligations.
Under the guise of charity for the poor
Southern soldiers the door would be
opened for claims for all damages done
I'm the South by the Union army, to say
nothing of the redemption of the Confed
crate bonds and notes. For If the United
States pensions an ex-Confederate soldier
il cannot withhold payment for South
ern mans corn. mule, or "nigger" on the
ground OF disloyalty. For although there
is clause in the Constitution prohibiting
payment for slaves, yet II you break down
one clause you can smash another, and
regarding the Confederate bonds, II Is no
matter 10 he .snecred at.-W. E. Doyle.
Stevensburg, Va.