The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-01-26
UNION VETERANS vIEWs.
Civil War Survivors Have M
Business at Each Others
Reunions.
New Orleans Picayune.

New Orleans Picayune.
The following letter from Union
veteran has been received by Gen.
]. A. Chalaron in connection with
the recent action Of the New Or
leans Camp Of the Army Of Tonnes
see on the question of inviting Pres
ident Mckinley to attend the Menu
phis reunion of Confederate Veterans
rext May:
Madsonvife, o., Jan. 10, 1901.
Gen. J. A. Chalaron, New Orleans, La:
| My Dear Sir-I have just read in the press
dispatches the report of the action of your
camp of Confederate Veterans last night in
opposing the invitation to President McKin-
ley to attend the Confederate reunion. 1
want to say, ex- Union soldier, that
| heartily approve of the action of your CO mp.
These Confederate reunions, like those of
| the Grand Army, are of men who fought for
| certain principles, and those who opposed
them cannot properly join them without in :
dorsing the principles for which their oppo-
nents made Ever since men were asso-
ciated together there have been different
views of the same subject, and there always
change the normal aspect-of single question
which caused the conflict, nor did it change
the views of single honest man in relation
thereto. The president could not attend a
reunion of Confederate Veterans without
what could he say do which would be de-
cent and not stutify his own record as a
Union soldier? And president he could
not compliment men who would, if they
could, have made it impossible for him to be
president of an undivided United States.
There has been great deal of foolish
talk about the joint reunion of the survivors
of the opposing armies of the civil war. They
have no business celebrating together the
memories of their campaigns. The pres ident
and every other man in the nation knows
that the late Confederates accepted the result
of the war and resumed their rights and du-
ties as citizens of the United States, and that
their loyalty to the constitution cannot be
questioned. And among their rights is the
privilege of constituting that constitution. 1t
is true that they were forced back into citi-
zenshiP in the United States, and because of
this fact they are entitled to great credit for
SO periodically supporting ther government.
In war they have not sull<ed; their sons have
carried the national flag around the world,
and have died fighting for it, and under at
least one of the men who stood with their
fathers when they made battle under the
Confederate ensign. Those of us WHO OPP
posed the Confederates can love and respect
them neighbors and citizens, but we can
not rejoice with them over the battles they
won nor weep with them when they recount
those which they lost, and the man who was
not of them has no place at their reunions.
The time has long since passed that men
can be called to account for the side they
espoused in the civil war between the States.
No brave man, no honorable man, has any
apology to offer on that score, nor will any
honorable man ask such thing. But there
are sacred memories of what each did and
suffered that can only be talked over with
those who truly sympathize with us; no one
outside of the family can enter into this
sacred, loved confidence. AS properly ask
the murderer to attend the funeral OF his vic
TIM and fill the place of chief mourner.
Yet 1 do like to the mingling of the
men who fought the civil war, but I want to
see the commingling public, civic occa-
sions pertaining to the present. The war,
with all its horrors, cannot be forgotten by
the people of the South, for the South was
the battle field. and all of that awful prophecy
Of Alexander Stephens was fulfilled within
their very sight. There are horrors in
beside which the killing of in battle
become trifles, and these things cannot be
forgotten by those who endured them; nor
would desire the association of persons who
would admit that they deserved the wrongs
put upon them by brute force.
We who soldiers in the opposing
armies can be friends and honorable citizens
to-day without abasing stultifying
selves; and while each respects the feelings
of the other, he is not bound to accept OPP
posing views apologize for those he holds.
Yours truly, J. H. WooDARp.