The National tribune., 1903-06-18
UNDER WHICH FLAG, coMRADEsa
A Review Of Present Conditions and Ten.
denotes.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: During
the lifetime of Justice Samuel +. Miller
late a member of the Supreme Court OF
the United States, in public discussion
regarding the growth of public sentimen,
| in connection with the enforcement, or
perhaps, adoption. of stringent laws in
compliance with the terms of the National
Constitution, with great emphasis declared
that ''the pendulum had already swung
too far in that direction" Justice Miller
was Union-loving man. His integrity
was unQuestioned, and the esteem in
which all the people held him and the con-
fidence they had in his every public and
Judicial utterance was secure, so that his
opinion on all profound questions Con
cerning the welfare of the Nation carried
with it an irresistible force.
From the moment he uttered that warn
ing the pendulum was arrested in its for
ward movement. 1t took deep root in the
public mind.
Many editors and prominent statesmen
took heed and became more conservative,
and from that time the pendulum has
continued to swing in the opposite direc.
ton, seemingly gaining impetus with each
succeeding year, as shown by the claims
that have been and are now being urged
| by the survivors of the Lost Cause and
| their allies throughout the North, some
of whom are ex-Union soldiers, until many
of their former comrades are wondering
what principle it was that they had made
so many sacrifices for, finding, as we do,
that many of our former comrades no
longer assert the doctrine that the South
ern States were in rebellion; that those
participating were traitors, not even mis-
guided brethren; that there was such a
thing as secession of certain States, or
| that the State is secondary to the General
Government Even Secretary of State
| .,,f Il
| that the war was war between the
States" not, as we have always under
stood, war between certain States and
the General Government.
The concessions made by many of our
| public men have, in many instances, been
made in advance of public sentiment, but,
as n rule, all have been acquiesced in
by those who made the real sasTifices, as
they did not appear to involve the great
principles that we thought had been set
tied by the sword
Among these acts were the seating of
Confederate leader in the Presidents Cab
met; the displacement of eX-Union sol
diers by ex-Confederate soldiers as en-
p,oyees in the Departments of the Govern
ment at Washington. returning of captured
battlefags, etc. These and many other
acts of more or less importance were
accepted by the eX-Union soldier with
out general protest that good will might
be established without doubt between the
North and the South.
When President Mckinley said ''the
time had come when, in the Providence
of God, the National Government should
care for the graves of Confederate dead"
and n Republican Congress appropriated
sufficient money to do that very thing,
there was hardly dissenting voice; and
it may be that were Congress to build
homes for the really needy ex-Confed-
crate soldiers the ex-Union soldiers would
generally say "Amen," as these matters
are largely sentimental and humanitarian,
and do not trench upon the principles that
Union soldiers thought had been settled
by the war.
l am of the opinion that the ex-Union
soldiers are willing to yie,d to or grant
any reasonable demand that may be neces-
sary to perpetuate the "era of good feel
ing" that is supposed to exist
between the North and the South,
but are not willing to yield to or grant
which they fought and suffered. They
are generous, but not fools.
/ do not hesitate to say that were
Justice Miller alive to-day he would say
that the pendulum was now swinging too
far to the other extreme.
While the North is yielding to many i'm
portant demands we have, periodically,
lated plans of ex-Confederates, under the
plea that they are now loyal to the flag,
that have no other tendency than to arouse
great bitterness. which eX-Union soldiers.
more than ex-Confederates, have done
their best to assuage.
If the South is sincere in its desire to
perpetuate the era of good feeling, it
soldier that they will proclaim the prin-
ciples upon which they endeavored to
establish Southern Confederacy. If the
South is sincere in its expressed love of
country and loyalty to the Constitution,
it seems n paradox that the Virginia
Legislature should almost unanimously
agree that the statue of Gen. X. Il. Lee
should be deposited in Statuary Hall at
Washington, n man to whom the Nation
is not indebted for single act of import
ance for the Nations welfare, and to
whom even the State of Virginia. as con-
temD,ated by the terms of the law per-
mitting certain statues to stand in the
Capital, is under no obligations to him, at
least in sense of gratitude. What great
Virginia prior to 1861? If anything. it
is lost to history. Then all the claim
there is is the service ne rendered the
State during the war. What good serv-
ice did he render? The State was in open
rebellion against the Government of the
United States. Did he secure its lnde-
pendence? Did he add to the glory of the
State. 1t is n matter of history that his
bold stand in defiance of his country, to
whom he really owed everything, caused
the dcsolation of the entire State, impov
ershed it in material respects, and caused
a new State to be carved out of its side,
thereby causing it to yield IT'S former pres
tige and power and favorable position it
once held among the great States of the
Nation. 1t is n surprise to me that the
results of his endeavOr is such as to COM
mend him to the people of Virginia; but
the end is not yet. After lapse of a
few years to further on their part. the
''era of good feeling" between the North
and the South. the State of Mississippi
will send the statue of JEFF. Davis. If
the protest against the one is of no avail, |
why resist the other? Neither. in my
opinion, will be successfully resisted; and
why? Because the statesmen Of to-day |
do not want to jeopardize this sO-called |
''era of good feeling"
And still the pendulum continues to |
swing in that direction. Gen. Gordon, |
who is the Chief Marshal of the sur
viving ex-Confederates, in his recent cir
cular, requesting his followers to meet in
convention at New Orleans, May 1922,
1862 in part. says:
Here labored and administered spirit
Ial consola ton the sainted ii. NJ. Palmer,
who regarded it almost as n teaching of
he holy word of God that the doctrine Of
States rights should be upheld, even at
he great sacrifice that was made for it."
He further says:
"Many matters of Importance will be
|