The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-31

-
rector whom the war broke out, twitted
him by saying: 1--WE told You that the
South was wrong, and urged you not 10
90 south. Now you see that we were
right as shown by the glorious triumph
of the Union over the rebellion"
II SEQ the result Of the war very pain.
ly," replied the bishop. but 40 not
see that this proves that the North was
right and the South wrong IN the sreat
struggle. Suppose that we should become
engaged in some theological discussion,
and we should so far forget ourselves as
to become angry, and words should leho
to blows. Now you are q much stronger
man physically than ain, but suppose
you should call to your aid big Dutch-
man, a burly Irishman. and strapplng
negro fellow, and all four OF you shouiu
succeed in overpowering mo, wouiu .nu.
prove that you were right ana l wrong
on tho points at issue in the discussion?
Now in this great struggle the North
numbered twenty million whites. ana the
South only five millions. and yet they en-.
listed In their armies men or every ma
tionality, including our negroes, ana nave
after four years war; succeeded In
overpowering us. Does that prove that
they were right and we wrong? That
Robert u. Lee and Sidney Johnston and
Stonewnll jackson, the rest Of our leaders,
our soldiers and our people were rebels
and traitors, md Sherman and Sheridan
and Ben Butler and their colleagues and
followers patriots? insist that 1t does
not-that the result Of the war does not
decide the principles involved. but only
prove that the North. with the world
to back her, was stronger than the
South"
Tho bishop clearly had the argument.
And so we insist that when tho North
,,it,, boE},yo,t,- ,,,illto, peOp1e and with
the world for its recruiting ground. Its
grnnary, its store house and Its armory,
denied the South rights clearly Euaran-
teed in the Constitution. and invaded her
SOIL and made upon her most un1ustlll.
able and Ubiquitous war, that the final
result was tho triumph of brute force.
("overwhcming numbers and resources,
General Lee said in his farewell addrcss)
over Justice, and truth. and did not touch
the question of the right or wrong OF
the great principles involved.
General Lee said to Wade Hampton IN
1869, speaking Of the war and Its re-
suits: II could have pursued no other
course save with dishonor, and If 1t were
all to be done over again should act
In precisely the same way
We must be excused II we follow Robert
Edward Lee, rather thnn Mr.. Heermans.
But 1t is. in view Of this correspondent,
not glad that the Confederacy failed
and he draws dreadful picture of our
country divided into "twenty nations
and tho miserable spectacle of periodical
revolutions and wars" which would have
been the result Of our success. He for
gets that southern craftsmanship formed
this Union-that from Washington to
Grant a period Of eighty years. southern
born men filed the presidency for nifty
IN m far
only twenty-tllree years, while southern
men filled the office Of Chief Justice OF
the Supreme Court for siXty-three years,
and were always leaders In the Senate,
tho House, tho Cabinet, as foreign minis
ters, and In every position of honor and
responsibility. 1t may be added that dur
ing all OF these years there was no stain
upon any Of these southern men. and
no scandal connected with tho admins
tration of any one OF them. Could not
these men, their sons. und their pupils
,nWe successfully administered the gov
crnment of tho Confederate States Of
America under Constitution modelled
after the old Constitution of their fathers?
Was 1t better that "our great struggle for
constitutional freedom Gas General Lee
always called IT. should have failed. and
that the republic of republics" which
our fathers formed, should haye been
converted lIllO luG IIlllltllS dcSVOtlSiu
which made our States districts" under
some shoulder-strapped satrap, destroyed
our currency, robbed us of millions worth
of property, md fastened upon US scala.
wags," carpetbaggers" and negro rule
with nll their attendant horrors2 Mr..
Heermans thinks 1t was best. and that
we should never cease to praise the
lenicncy Of the government and tho kind
ness Of the conQuerors. that we should
rejoice in the privilege of being per-
mtted to
Bend the pregnant hinges of tho knee
That hrift may follow fawning.'
We'll! let him think so. but Wa beg
leave respectfully to differ with him. OF
course, what he says about raising an
other rebellion" nndhavng another war
Is all stuff. The best citizens in the coun-
try since 1865 have been Confederate vot.
Grams, ana they and their sons will con-
tinue to be. and will work In the future,
as In tho past. to make our common
country the most prosperous, the hap
picst and the freest that tho sun shines
upon.
But that Is very different thing from
cringing and crawling and eating dirt.
and saying that I'VE are glad that We
failed"
Tho closing rhetoric of Mr.. Heermans-
reminds us of an incident some years
ago. \ very prominent pubic man, VINO
had been n leading secessionist. in
public meeting sncered at tho "unrecon.
structed element" as he was pleased to
call them. and said. among other things;
II 40 not carry around my neck the dead
corpse of the Confederacy. But my face
Is turned to the rising sun
An old Confederate who WAS not an
original secessionst, but who, when Vir-
ginin seeded. shouldcred his musket and
served through the war, replied to>this
distinguished gentleman: II do not carry
around my neck, either the dead body OF
the Confedcrncy. buried my dead out of
my sight at Appomattox, and since then
have watered It's grave with my tears
and decked 1t with flowers, But If the
time ever comes when can sneer at what
l once loved so dearly that would glad
ly have laid down my life for 1t; II
ever so forget myself as to make light
of the great principles of constitutional
freedom for which Lee fought and Jack
son died. ! hope that my old comrades
Will hustle me out of their ranks to the
tune OF the rogue's march!'" This scnti-
ment was greeted with tlundcrs OF APP.
plausc, and raised the "old Confederate
yell" in the large crowd of Veterans pres.