The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-05
THE cONFEDERAcY AND THE
UNION,

THE CONFEDERACY AND THE
UNION.
editor OF The Times-Dlspatch:
Sir,-Knowing the fairness OF The Times
Dispatch toward those who differ with II
In opinion and It's willingness to give both
sides of any question n fair hearing, l
presume to submit the following in reply
to an editorial In yesterdays paper, en-.
+ titled, 1.-THE Confederacy and tho Union.
AS interpret 1t, the contention of this
editorial is that 1t Is disloynl to tho Con-
federate cause, and not respectful to the
memory of Lee and Jackson, to say that
the South Is better off now than 1t would
have been had the cause of the Confed-
eracy trumphed.
The editorial says: 1.-THE South was right
in the position she took. and Charles
Francis Adams and other fairmlnded
men at the North confess It," I yield to
no one in my loyalty to the southern
cause. and in my belief In her constitu-
tional right to secedo from tho Union;
but am not willing to admit that
4 belief In the righteousness of her cause
carries with 1t the conviction that the
ultimate outcome of the war will be for
the worst. When England was invaded
by the Normans In 1906, the native Saxons
had an unquestioned right to repel the
attack upon their country by foreign
foe Yet no one now doubts that the
Norman conquest gave England new
impetus toward the higher civilization.
The Indigenous culture Of Britain by rea-
: son OF her Isolation from the rest Of the
world had become stationary and needed
the energy of European civilization to
start and keep 1t in motion. It was the
Norman conquest that energlzed England
by putting her In closer connection with
tba tn CO. that np1a nd a
language and literature have been en-.
riched and her government made better
and stronger because Of the Norman con-
quest is not to bring an accusation OF
treason against Harold and the brave
men that supported him at Hastings. IT,
however, we We're to call Harold a traitor
because England was permanently bone
fitted by the Norman conquerer. we
would parallel a course OF reasoning with
that employed in this editorial when it
says that for one to be glad of the failrra
Of the Confederacy is to confess that Lee
and Jackson were traitors.
Lee and Jackson believed In the SOW
ereignty of their State and her constitu-
tional right to withdraw from compact
which she had willingly joined: but can
we bring the charge of treason against
them because they failed to foresee that
the same God that used the wicked
Pharaoh to further his purpose. and
makes the Wickedness OF man praise Him,
would VGuchsafe to answer their pray
ers In manner different and better
than they had ever thought OF? Nay, not
so. Our people will never be willing to
condition the treason or non-treason OF
Lee and Jackson on the ultimate result
OF tho failure Of the Confederacy, be-
lieve that these great leaders, as we'll rs
athers, did their duty and left results
with God" and He has been pleased to
bless their posterity with citizenship In a
reunited. free and happy nation.
As has often been said. before the war,
the United States were not n nation, but
confederation. A new birth was neces.
sary for the entrance OF the two sections
of the country into the new nation. and
the honors of the reconstructtve periods
were only the birth-throes through which
the seeded States had to pass. The. Con-
federacy was baptized into political death,
but the new South rose In newness, of
economic life.
o. p, CHITwOOD.
Richmond. Va, June Sd,
Our correspondent understands our con.
tention to be that it Is disloyal to the
Confederate cause and not respectful to
the memory of Lee and Jackson, to say
that the South Is better off now than It
would have been had the cause OF the
confederacy triumphed.
That is not our contention. and our
correspondent has not correctly inter
mere matter OF opinion. and the vaguest
sort OF speculation. whether or not the
South would have been better off to.
day II the Confederacy had won. On this
point our contention is that in view OF
the terrors OF reconstruction 1t would
certainly have been hotter from that
standpoint. for the South to have sue
ceeded. for she would then have been
In position to make terms for herself
and would have been saved much suffer
ing and humiliation. The Southern States
might finally have decided to come back
into the Union, hut they would have come
back, In fact as we'll as In name. as
sovereign States upon their own terms
and would have been treated with the
respect and consideration they deserved
But all that is without the discussion
Our remarks We're addressed TO those
who condemned confederates for saying
that they are not glad that the Confed
crate cause failed. ITO be glad that TIE
Confederate cause failed" said we, SIS t.
confess that the South was wrong: tka
Lee and Jackson apd all the rest of then
were traitors and met the fate they de-
served" This was preceded by the cory
iention that the South Was right in thu
position which she tooki that she stoot
upon her riahts under fhe Constitution