The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-08

SSsL' /0NioI
{'rhe "r,onnle Blue flag" mentions
eleven States that voted for MI. a Davis:
and they are Virginia North Carolina,
South Carolina. Georgia, Florida, Ala
bafna, mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Ar-
a T8 ). RANDOLPH SMITH.
Y We quote from Mrs. MURDOCH letter
as follows. "a ~ t
There were flfteen states which by
reason of their agricultural supremacy.
were depominated nlhve States. Seven
OF them namely South Carolina, Miss
eissippi Florida. Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana and Texas. seeded within
forty days, or from December 20, 1860,
TO February !, 1851. and their repre-
se1tatives8 formulated the constitution 1
Of the Confederate states OF America.
After the fall Of Fort Sumter, Virginia.
Arkansas and North Carolina entered
the Confederacy5 and swelled tho total
to tenn States that had, y by a majority
vote. 1eceded trom the Union. Mark
this welll Ten States went on record
as having seeded from the Union Of
States and entered q new compact OF
iConfederacy and declared tthe mse Ives
free and Independent soverelgltles. Tie
flag endorsed by the Confederate gov
ernment supported thirteen stars. This.
too. at q time when Arkansas and North
Carolina we're doubtful. Tennessee held
a convention and declared for secessiong
May 6, 1861, but the Union sentirneht:s
was too strong and the act did not pass
Tennessee was 'ro mans land" for ths
first years Of the war. and when u he
Federal army crossed the Cumbe
the State was prcponderantly Union.
Kentucky did not secede. but divided
her allegiance. Missouri gave the lar ger
half OF the apple to the 4 Union, ana
Maryland and Delaware were each nall
- 4 ,,{ov.n ~
struggle. There were Ave Of the hfteenS
slave States. them that did not declare
for secession. although they contribu teoi
men and ornaments to the Confederacy.g
! II was a repetition OF the stand many,
Of the States and territories had taken
ing for freedom and the United . = ! t .at.e Il
in 1893 and 1885 when Texas was light
as q government turned o deaf ear 20
her appeals for recognition. Kentucky
and Missouri had representation In the
f Congress- Of the Confederacy, as they
4 each had Representation In the Congress
OF the National Government. But even
granting them the euuivocal right OF
divided suffrage and allowing q star
upon the Southern battle flag for Ken
lucky and Missouri each those stars,
added to the ten legitimate stars, would
only Il make twelve to AZ EN- blazo on the
standard OF the Confederacy.
Then what Is the extra star to repre-
EStIL 49, pldCo W lalSs ~ SuIe ~
OF the other two States would be to assatl
the integrity OF the Southern adherents
OF the. other two. Would any man dare
to say that the troops from Tennessee
were drawer or more loyal to the cause
OF the Confederacy. than the glorious le-3
5chiyalry Of Maryland be impeached by
tho chevaliers from Delaware? And
would either Of the four presume to ar
ray themselves against the heroes whom
Sterling Price led to victory In on
( torn Missouri Then why that imposture?
That blot upon the pa ge OF truth ?s5;Th ia
Bpretensel Of an ally that we newer hadY
why, on the other hand. II we acknowl-
& edge the allies who gave us the left land
IN the struggle while keeping a firm grip
on the Union with the right. Why.i4,l
ask. leave two Of them without acknoWl-
edgement? There are q hundred thou
sand Confederate veterans who assemble
Il in annual reunion. who can and should
rectifys this startling error. Posterity Will
be defrauded 1T is not done. II we or
this generation cannot give an answer
when this question is put; what can we
hope from the puzzled lntellige 9, our
descendants 2 The honor of the soldiers
OF the Confederacy who made the full
surrender to patriotism should not bear
this stigma Of making a false lain, or
the even greater stigma OF lngratitude e.
In the eyes OF the nations Of the earth.
we Of the South, were BY the nature .o1
that war rebels In the four years Of the
early '60s Rebels The term loses It's
opprobrium and becomes q titleSof no
blity when applied to the true patriots
OF the Confederate cause. We were i'm
neral rebels and we guard the title 1eal-
ously We take toll of honor Of no man,
and yield Of the precious treasure to no
&one without just claim. we importune
the veterans OF the Confederacy to
smooth out the snarls Of perverted his
tory and leave only their unsullied glory
for posterIty to maintain,
In defense Of the truth. why thirteen,
stars on the onfederate flag