The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-04-06

CouHty, Wnlcn roll Stall Oe 10 rQ "a as
to provide for such list and the asses.
s0r shall be allow d for such service
cent :Or each Communication tax assess
ment made under this act.
"THEY WERE NOT REBELS"
Under the above heading the New
Orleans Picayune Of recent date con-
tained an interesting and well prepared
article showing that the people
OF the South we're not rebels
not trait0rs--as a partisan press, pul.
pit and forum OF the North have all
along contendcd that they were. The
writer cites the arrest and long con-
fnement in prison Of Jefferson Davis
on charge Of treason and rebellion,
and the strenuous efforts made by his
accusers to find some law under which
they could convict him. and their
failure to do so is proof conclusive
that he was not a traitor and those
who si0Od by him during those years
that tried mems souls" we're not
rebels.
The ablest attorneys Of the North
we're engaged, and most yindictive
and partisanuamong his foes sought
to 'mOve heaven and earth," as 1t
were, in order that they might find
some law-some pretext, however
flmsy and untenable, by which to
secure his conviction and execution,
and yet they failed and we're forced to
set him free. Their failure establish
es the innocence OF our Chief and his
followers, and cleared the South, we
think, Of the stigma Of treason that
the hre.eaters of the North sought to
fasten upon her. We are actuated by
no feelings OF bitterness or vindictive.
ness; neither do we charge the North
ern people as a whole with seeking tO
malgn and persecute the wearers OF
the Confederate Gray, for we well
know that there were many OF tile
very best people OF the North who
were too magnanimous to treat the
whipped, hut not conquered" people
OF the South as traitors, and even
Grant himself sought to repel the
charges preferred against Davis, Lee
and others leaders Of the Lost Cause
and tO arrest the food Of vituperation
and abuse that threatened to deluge
the South.
The South Is not to be judged by
the petty passions and prcjudices that
pervert the judgment of man. When
we see Polk leaving the sacred walks
Of the ministry for the tented field;
when we hear the gallant stuart, the
Bayard Of the South, giving praise To
God in his dying moments; when VIC
find StOnewall Jackson amid the silent
watches OF the midnight hour implor.
ing the guidance OF Him who protect.
ed the armies OF Israel, we are driven
to exclaim, surely these men were
Christian warriors! No, to brand the
Confederate soldiers as traitors would
be to rob history Of its truthfulncss;
honor of its glory, and virtue OF It's
attractiveness.
| In their private lives the Confeder-
ate heroes we're ab0vc reprOach: In
their patriotic professions they were
sincere, and with their blood many 0i
them sealed their faith In the right.
eousness of the cause for which they
fought. That they believed they wers
right, that they were actua:ed by the
purest motives, the most partisan ol
their foes will scarcely deny; and We
believe that the calm, quiet, dispas.
sionate historian Of the future will dt
them justice when he undertakes Il
write fair and impartial history ol
the greatest clash Of arms that thu
world has ever known. From Manas
sas u Malvern Hill, from the Father
Of Waters " the granite crests u
Gettysburg, through four long years
OF blood and carnage the Confederate
legi0ns dashed and charged until the
, world stood breathless as they blazcd
their way to glory. Trained In the
earlier political schools Of the fathers,
the voice Of their States was but tht
voice Of God, and In answer to theiI
States behest they went forth to bat.
tie for cherished rights guaranteed
to them, as they sincerely believed, by
the Constitution under which they
were living.
Yes, patriots they were, but rebels
they were not.
Editorial game laws are stated Ia
> an Eastern publication tn be as fol-