The Lafayette gazette., 1902-05-03
PRESIDENT ROOSE PEI Us
//BEZ

L<D IL.
While no lover of this country
will be too eager to recall the
unpleasant things which grew |
out of the Civil war, Bishop |
kelly's scathing arraignment of
President ROOsevelt's double
dealing is to be commended and
will be endorsed by every loyal
son of the South. Mr.. ROOse-
welt wrote his Infamous libel
against the honOred chieftain of
the Confederacy nearly a quarter
of century after the war, when
the broad -guaged and brave
men of both sections We're mag
unanimously avoiding everything
which would reopen the wounds
of that terrible conflict. When
Mr.. Roosevelt mentioned the
name of Jefferson Davis in the
same breath with that of Bene-
dict Arnold, he showed such
puerile vindictiveness and such
shameful disregard of the truth
of history that nothing that he
could have said since is entitled
to the consideration of the peO-
pie of the South.
1t will be remembered that
when Mr. Roosevelt was elevated
: to the presidency, the hysterical
portion of the Southern press
ran out of adjectives in throwing
rhetorical bouquets at him. Ii
, was discovered that his mother
was Il Southern woman and that
he was such an enthusiastic ad
, mirer of the Southern people he
had ''knOcl<ed down a fellow who
ms ulted the South in his pres
:, ence. Other ridiculous stories
+ were told to prove how much the
rough rider admired the South
, After his elevation to the presi
dency Mr.. Roosevelt referred tt
the Southern people in fellcltOus
, terms and always manifested
, the most sOlicitOuS regard fol
I their welfare. He eulOgized the
: bravery Of Southern heroes anc
y only a few weeks ago at Charles
E ton his eloquent tribute to thu
: lofty character and patriotism
! of the Southern soldier was re
, ceived as the sincere expression
! of a brOaded- minded American
=. But the president has com
O. mitted the proverbial folly o
+ writing book and in that bOOl
,. he has tried to asperse the char
+ acter of a man, who, despite TIN
y libelOus utterances of Roosevelt
+ and other spitfires, will go dow
in impartial hi story probably a.
a statesman but certainly as
o patriot with a fame unsullied b.
y, the least taint of dishOnOr. II
s, compare Jefferson Davis t.
o Benedict Arnold would have ex
y cited only the contempt of intel
+ ligent people, had not the com
y parisOn been made by NAL
= whom a national misfortune ha
J. placed in the presidential chair
1t is the prominence of tn
libeler and his recent profession
of friendship for the Southern
>. people which make this com
oil parison of ex-President Davis t.
f Benedict Arnold extremel.
n OdiOus. Mr.. Roosevelt could no
: have offered a greater insult t.
; every follower of the Lost Gauss
: and to every descendant of tn
4 men and women whose devotion
}. to the COnfederacy was not les
Y marked than their fealty to tn
t great Mississippian who exempli
f fed in his splendid career tn
: honor, the chivalry and tn
|, patriotism of the old South II
n apply to Jefferson Davis the viii
| epithet of traitor, is to say tina
which every honest man NOrtl
q and South knows to be false:
: is to refuse to harken to the re
q corded truth of history and t.
=. give credence to the voice o
5 venom and prejudice which We
: rankleS i'm the hearts of tn
o petty natures which can not b.