The record-union., 1899-05-16
IAN UNREcoNsTRUcTED REBEL

needs reconstruction. He lives, but has
not heard that the war of the rebellion
is over At the Confederates' reunion
at Charleston on the 10Th inst it seems
that a committee On resolutions report
ed a substitute resolution for one intro
duced relating to Federal care Of the
graves of Conferedate soldiers. The
substitute very gracefully expressed
kindly appreciation of the utterance of
the President of the United States made
at Atlanta last winter, where he sug-
gested that the nation as such might
we'll assume the care Of the graves of
Confederate soldiers.
The committee further reported that
the convention welcomed any legisla-
ton which would result in the care of
the graves of Confederate comrades in
the Northern States by the General
Government but as to- the South's dead
in south land, the care Of their graves
should remain "a sacred trust dear to
the hearts of Southern women" etc.
All which was well and gracefully put.
But the Rev. Martin spoke bitterly and
hotly against the report Of the commit
tee. He said the Southern veterans had
nothing to do with any suggestion
made by the President, and that they
should never be placed in the attitude
of being under obligations to the Gov
eminent that slew Southern men.
Despite Rev. Martin the resolutions
reported passed, though he added that
Southern veterans had rather lie in I'M
marked graves kept green by loyal
Southern women than sleep beneath the
costHest monument the Federal Gov
eminent could erect
Rev Martin is evidently one of the
class that is engaged in still fighting
the battles of the rebellion; thank
heaven that the group is small and will
soon cease to blister the soil of the
republic. When the real heroes of the
fratricidal war have buried the last
feeling of strife, have rallied North and
South under the same flag and shed
their blood in its honor, such chatterers
as Martin rise to foul the air with their
breathings Of unabated hatred and ma
lightly
The shamelessness Of the mans words
amounted to insult and indignity. The
Union Of the States is restored and the
animosities of the war are buried for
ever Regretfully they are occasion
ally referred to, but only fools, the mar
row minded and asses rake them I'D in
bitterness and indulge their foul tom
CUES with rancor and disloyal express
sion concerning the Government that
permits them in the breadth of its
splendid liberation to poison the air
of freedom with their malicious breath
ings
If such men as Rev Martin were
many, the hope of the nation might well
depart that we are in fact, in heart and
all sincerity a reunited people, and all
the stronger and better Americans for
having at one period in our history
held the sword point at each others
ahroats. The South is disgraced by
such men as Martin, who scorn the idea
of recognizing the expressions of good
feeling and beneficence ON the part of
the head of the Government chat slew
Southern men,
That Government never Slew
Southern men. The soldiers of the I'm
ION and the soldiers of the rebelling
South, brave men each, met on many
fields Of hos+Ia or5 4, I,oro,. ~ a a. -
The nation was saved and the unbroken
bond between sovereign States of an
1ndissoluble union was preserved,
though dyed in the blood of gallant
men of both South and North. The
war over, the true Confederate and the
generous Union soldier buried the
sword, clasped hands over the graves
Of the dead of both sides and swore
eternal allegiance to the flag of the
nation. All else is but memory Of an
unhappy event in our history.
The issues of the war We're settled by
the arbitrament of arms, the involv-
ment of the slave question was wiped
out by the restoration of the nation to
~ O4N tiiAS Unity VI purpose, action
and ideal But such rancorous scala
ways as the Rev. Martin unhappily still
survive the war, to poison the atmo-
sphere of loyalty with the foul breath
of their unquenched hatred of the ma
ton that shelters them and gives them
license to rail at it. When the Martins
die they should be buried apart from
the forgiying and the heroes and their
graves be kept as contrasts by the few
ness Of their number with the hundreds
of thousands who died in honor and are
preserved in the memory of their fell
low citizens, North and South, with
pride for their valor and regret for their
taking off by the rude method of inter-
necine war
In the island of Miudanao, at the city
of Zamboanga, a Spanish garrison not
yet relieved for transportation home
has been assailed by a superior force of
1nsurgent natives and severely pun
dshed. though the assailants were re-
pulsed and the Filipinos driven away
with heavy loss. The general public
was unaware that any of the large mill
tary posts in the Philippine archipelago
are still under Spanish control, even
nominally. But Il seems that there is
u,,ifo fo,oa - Coa,,;e1, eo1diarx,