The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-05-09
HOUSTON, TEXAS, FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1902.
y PAGES TODAY.
RoosgvgLT's ATTACKS ON THE SOUTH,

The Importance Of Theodore Roosevelts having
written Of jefferson Davis as aT-htrator and hav
ing compared him with Benedict Arnold consists in
this that it affords striking illustration of that lack
Of balance in the presidents mind which has been ap.
parent more than once in his official actions and
which it is apprehended will be productive of deal
OF harm before his term of Office comes to an end.
That Nj Roosevelt has not repented Of this eX-
treme condemnation Of the great leader of the South
since ne published the book in which 1t occurs Is
ehown BY his having called the Confederates anarch-
lists in a speech he delivered before G, A. R. camp
since he has been president of the United States.
The South can not forgive him for this attack on
the great OF Davis and the SANDER of her patriot
sons in gray who in the trying days of the early sos
rallied to the call of their States. MI Roosevelt may
assure the South OF his friendship and speak OF the
countrys common heritage Of Southern vaor, but no
honeyed speech take away the bitter feeling that
has been produced by his bitter words.
Nj Roosevelt MS a man of letters and writer Of
history knows that the right of secession was re-
served BY many of the States in at the
time of their adoption of the constitution, and that
all Of the States understood that they had that right;
that upon occasions prior TO the civil North
ern States threatened exercise that right that the
States sovereign states their separate independ
enee having been recognized by Great Britain in the
treaty of peace which terminated the Revolutionary
war. No Southern State Northern or Eastern or
western state purposes or wishes TO secede today
Although this happy condition exists, the record
is plain that when the Southern States seeded and
Jefferson Davis and the citizens of the South went
with their States, they committed no treason. Ac-
cording to the Southern view they exercised legal
right That there no treason was conceded by the
government OF the United States when K released JEFF
ferson Davis without trial. not out Of magnanimity
but acknowledged at the time because 1t could
not make out against him.
Mr. Roosevelts attack jefferson Davis and his
recent attack the Confederates particu
larly lamentable. He promised when he first became
president that he would be the president of the whole
country. He is stirring up seCtonasm which is in
furious to both the North and the South. President
McKineys policy far different From his concil
iatory attitude there resulted friendly feeling
between the two sections than has existed under
any other republican president. President Roosevelt
is opening old wound probing into it along the lin,
of the cicatrx either with malice aforethought with
that carelessness of consequence which in law is taeI
equivalent to malice For what he has so unpleas
antly and unnecessarily said, he not even CLAIM
the of truth For it is true all the worc
knows. The real truth is safely recorded in histor!
that tho Confederates anarchists only the Con
tnentals anarchists, that Jefferson Davis wal
an arbitrator only as Patrick Henry and Washington
were archtrators. Jefferson Davis and the Confeder
ates were patriots. The world knows that and honor
their memory. Nothing that Mr. Roosevelt can sa,
take away the smallest particle that honor
His is much to be regretted however as It I'm
necessarily and harmfully stirs up sectional feelln
and bitterness between the two great parts of grea
country.