Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-26
OPPOSED BY LACEY
Not in Favor ofHaving Lees Statue
in Statuary Hall.
WRITES TO O1TUMWA VETERANS
Sixth District Congressman Deplores
Proposed Action of Virginians of
Mounting Confederate Generals
Statue Answers Resolutions.
tFrom Tuesdays Da.ly.I

tFrom Tuesdays Da,lyl
Major John f. Lacey, member OF
congress from the sixth district, is
strongly opposed to the placing, of a
statue of Robert E. Lee, commander.
in-chief of the confederate armies, in
Statuary hall at Washington, and
has expressed himself thus in a let.
ter written to W. H. H. Asbury of this
city. The letter was in response to
resolutions recently adopted by Clout-
man Post, No. SO, G.. "A. R., of Ottum-
wa, which were sent to Congressman
Lacey and Senator ]. p Dolliver, with
the request that as far as possible
they use their influence to thwart the
alleged purpose of the authorities of
Virginia.
Excited Storm of Protests.
ians has excited a storm of protests
from Grand Army men all over the
Country and the news was no sooner re-
ceived than the local veterans of the
cicil war fastened to take steps to pro-
test against the action. The members
of Cloutman Post, G. A. R., immedi,
ately adopted resolutions and mailed
them to the Iowa legislators that they
might know the sentim ents of their
veteran constituents The last para.
graph of the resolutions sent to Con.
gresham Lacey and Senator DolIiver
expresses the sentiment of the Iowa
veterans.
Resolved, That with charity for all
and malice toward none, we, the mem.
bers of Cloutman post, No. 60, G. A
R., department of Iowa, emphatically
protest against the placing of General
Lees statue in Statuary hall and
respectfully demand that if there be
need therefor, the law be so amended
as to prevent it,"
Congressman Lacey's Letter.
Congressman Lacey's answer to the
| resolution is as follows:
Washington. D. c., Feb. 81, 1903
Nv. II. H. Asbury, 3
Ottumwa, Iowa.
Dear Sir:
Your letter with resolutions in re
gard to the Lee statue has been re
ceiyed. The claim is made by the
| Virginians that no acceptance by con
gress is necessary. and that all they
need to do, is to put up the statue
under the general law and need no
ask anybody for authority Congress
has accepted by resolutions nearly al
the statues that are in the Statuary
/ hall. There are some there which have
not yet been accepted, and may neve
be. Though | have not been taking
any public action in this matter. have
| personally talked with the Virginia del
| egation to dissuade them from thi
action. | felt free to do this as | wa.
born in that state myself. 1t seems t.
| me that with James Monroe still unpro
| vided for. his name being in the moutl
of every loyal American, north ant
south. and household word in ever,
part OF the globe connected with liy
ing doctrine on which we all unite
that Virginia cannot afford to side
track him and put up Lee instead
whose presence along side of Lincol1
and Grant in the National Hall o
| Fame, might be considered as a state
ment to posterity that there was nj
distinction of merit between thos,
who fought on the side of the uniol
and those who fought against it. TIL,
bill has gone through the Virginia sen
ate and is likely to become a law.
| do not believe that congress will eve
accept this statue for it ought not t
| go into the capitol. If Virginia sui
! fered from any poverty of great name
and found difficulty in filing the plac
it might be different. but she has file
| one of her two places with Washington
and has one space remaining. Peopl
are asking why Monroes statue is nc
there. They will always be asking VIII
| Lees is there, should it be erected.
/ There are already statues of JEFF
4 erson in the capitol, though not place
there by Virginia. There is none c
Madison or Monroe. | said to one O
my Virginia friends in the house,
this statue is erected, there ought t
be inscribed on the pedestal, as show
ing the net result of General Lees life
the following debt items:
"First-'Our lost cause
''Second-'One great paternal LIE,
estate at Arlington turned into CEN
etery with $4,000 Union dead
''Third-'One peculiar institution
human slavery, gone into oblivion
The grand old state of Virginia divid
ed, with her coal and timber Ian,
transferred to new state, and tn
debts of the Old Dominion still re
naming. As a recognition of thes
results, this monument is erected t
the pure minded soldier and general
Robert e. Lee
1 THE old soldiers of the Unite,
States, Union and Confederate, ar
fraternizing and heartily accepting TIL
union of the states. Everybody, mort
and south, rejoices that General LIE
failed in his efforts, however pure an
heroic he may have been in his pun
pose, but there should be- and mus
be, distinction in our national cap
toll, between those who have Tough
for the union, and those who hav
fought to destroy it.
To teach coming generations Their
is no difference between fighting ur
der the flag and fighting against il
4 would be very great mistake. TIL
/ Statuary hall is one for the teachin
of the nation. 1t should not be use
to commemorate the actions of thos
who only fought to overthrow the ma
j tional government.