The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-05-01
VICKSBURG MEMORIAL.
The Old Soldiers Feel Grieved Over the
Action of the Legislature in Refus-
ing an Appropriation at
National Park.


ure by the refusal of the late legislature
to make an appropriation for the placing
of memorials to the memory of her dead
heroes in the Vicksburg National Mill
tary Park.
1t is due to the living and to the friends
of the dead that statement of the con-
ditionS that Influenced this result should
be made 1t is doubtless generally known
that the national government has estab-
lished a military park upon the battle
field of Vicksburg, similar to those es-
tablished at Gettysburg, Chickamauga
and Shiloh, and is eXpending large sum
in its improvement and establishment.
This work is already in an advanced
stage and will be largely done the pres
ent season. prominent feature for the
adornment Of the park contemplateS the
erection of monuments within it's limits
by each state that had troops serving in
the Vicksburg campaign, commemora-
tive of such service, and, in addition,
separate tablets marking the places where
it's several organizations distinguished
themselves in their assaults upon this
Gibraltar of the Confederacy, and on
which shall be inscribed the names of
the soldiers who lost their lives on those
historic fields.
The legislature of Minnesota at it's
session of 1901 enacted a law creating
commission for the purpose of locating
from this state and of making such rec
concentrations in that behalf in a report
to the governor as their duties under the
law might suggest This commission
made an elaborate report to the govern
or, in which it recommended the erection
of a stable monument and three separate
bronze tablets, at cost of $4,000.
Gov. Van SAINT, in his message to the
legislature last January, made an earnest
and eloquent plea for the establishment
of these memorials to the soldier dead of
Minnesota. A bill was introduced early
in the session by the military committee
of the house of representatives with the
unanimous Endorsement of such commit
tee, providing for the placing of memori-
ais in the Vicksburg National Military
Park in accordance with the recon-
menda tions of the commission, and APP
propriating 100000 to defray the cost of
the same. The bill was referred to the
committee on appropriate OF the
house, where it was held for several
weeks. With a view of eXpediting the
passage of the bill, the undersigned had
several interviews with different mem
bers of the committee, and especially
with its chairman, urging that the bill
be reported for passage to the house 1t
was finally suggested to both the under
signed by the chairman of said commit
tee that it would be more in accordance
with the procedure of the house to in
clude such appropriation in the general
appropriation bill to be offered later in
the session, and our acqulescence was
asked to such action in regard to this
bill Our response was that we saw no
objection to the proposition if we could
be sufficiently assured that the appro-
pria ton would be included in the general
or omnibus bill. The chairman gave US
the assurance that there could be no
question i'll that regard and that he
would personally urge it at the proper
time. Our anxiety being thus quieted we
assented to the proposition. The original
BILL with the appropriation eliminated,
was reported and passed the Legislature
in that form. To our CONSERVATION the
information reached us late in the SeS-
sion that there was doubt about this ap-
preparation being included in the omnf-
bus BILL We asked for a hearing before
the joint committee having in charge the
formulation of the omnibus bill, which
was courteously granted and the under
sNned, with Archbishop Ireland (who
had been named as one OF committee
by the Fifth Regiment association to aid
in securing this legslation), made an
earnest plea for the recognition of this
obliga ton of our state to honor the mem
DRY of her heroic dead. Although we had
learned that the support we relied on
and of which we had early been assured
had become unfriendly and was antag-
onizing the appropriation, yet we were
hopeful until the omnibus" bill was re-
ported with our appropriation omitted.
In explanat ton, we are now told that the
state has no money for such purposes;
that her treasury and her resources are
too limited to stand the strain. This eX-
PLANTATION, we think, aggravates the con-
ditions that suggest it. 1t is puerile to
assert that this imperial commonwealth
cannot spare from its abundance the sum
required to grant this testimonial to her
sons who died that the commonwealth
might live, and but for whose sacrifices
and that of their comrades there would
be now no state or treasury, except, per-
haps, as struggling and declining COM
ponent of dismembered country. What
a contrast Minnesota presents in this
regard to her sister and close neighbor,
Iowa, whose legislature appropriated in
1902 by an unanimous vote S150,00O for
memorials to her soldier sons who lie
buried upon the fields of Vicksburg; or OF
Illinois, whose legislature proposes by
bill now before it (if not already passed.,
to appropriate $250,000 for the same pur-
pose and Ohio with her offering of $780,,
900. All the states that had troops at
Vicksburg have, so far as we are adj
vised, or are about to make suitable pro-
vision for memorials to their soldier dead
at VickSburg. Minnesota is thus made
conspicuous by her absence from this
roll of honor.
The legislature as a body should not
be held responsible for the pitiable posi-
ton in which our state appears in this
matter. A large majority of that body
were cordially in favor of the PROPOSE
tion and if given an opportunity would
have passed the appropriation. The
sentiment was overwhelmingly in it's
favor and many members have expressed
to US the keenest grief that such discred-
it should come upon our state. The bill
that passed directing the erection of
these memorials, with the appropriation
omitted, is a mockery. 1t is utterly with
out force or effect 1t is an affront to the
old soldier living and to the memory of
his dead comrades. The members of the
commission at whose instance this legis-
lation was sought feel Inundated that
they should have ben misled by assur-
ances that finally antagonized their eff
forts, and caused the defeat of the patri-
otto purpose it was intended to serve.
John B. Sanborn,
L. F. Hubbard.
For the Vicksburg National Military