The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-07
Republican Intolerance.

.
At the meeting in Lynchburg Of the
Grand Camp OF Confederate Veterans,
Commander George L. Christian said that
in Juno last he received an Invitation to
attend meeting Of tho Grand Army Of
the Republic In Boston, but for i'ca-
sons assigned, he had declined. In tho
same connection, The Tines-D Dispatch
took occasion to remark that In It's
opinion reunions between the Blue and
the Gray we're to be discouraged because
they did not promote good fellowship,
but tended rather to revive bitter mct1l-
cries and stir UP strife between the sec
lions. Judge Christians statement and
the comment OF The es-Dlspatch call
cd forth remarkable TRADE from the
Virginia Press, Republican organ at
Roanoke in which the writer said that
he wore the gray for four long years,
and loved Ahe memories Of that atrug-
Gle. hit added that "a more cruel, use-
less and wicked war on the part OF those
who undertook to disrupt this glorious
Union i ..fs was never waged;" that
.'the principle was wrong;" that IT was
based UPON bondage OF the human race
and upon the claim of the constitutional
right of state to disrupt tho Unlon-a
claim that had been discounted and pro-
tested in the legislative forum of the.
country"
A more humiliating confession than
this, we have never seen. It Is incon-
ceivable to us that any man who wore
the gray for four years and took part
in the struggle for States rights, should
al this late day openly confess that the
war In which he fought was useless ana
wicked war wrong in principle and based
upon the bondage Of the human race. we
cannot trust ourselves to charact erlze
such a man nor can we seriously enter
into a discussion with him OF the prn-
ciples for which Southern patriots fought
Our only purpose In noticing the article t'l'
at all is to show tho aninlus Of Re-
publican newspaper in Virginia which
undertakes to lead public thought ana
to direct the politics Of this Common 'o0n5
wealth. }} ... l If
Proceeding With the discussion, the,
Press says: III
.'Whent such old chronic grumblers ana
political eye sores as George T. C mrs
tan and j. William Jones. who nave
lived off tho notoriety gained by efforts
TO manufacture history to order and to
organize Sons Of Veterans to pump into
them the doctrines Of secession and a
spirit Of hatred to their government and
10 their fellow countrymen, and then TO {
be backed up by SO able and respectable
Journal as The Times Dispatch It IS
time for some one to protest. and we
do hottest with al&tl,e vim, energy and
left iii our old Confederate
body This writer helped to organize Lee
Camp of Confederate Veterans, the 1ltst
and now the richest camp III the south.
1t was organized for the social meeting
and commingling Of the old boys, ana
to assist comrades in distress. But TO-
the help they received from the G. A. X.
posts, the splendid home and hall they
now own would have been a drean NJ. the
srandest times. the finest trips the hap
piest moments the most elaborate en-
tertainments ever enjoyed by that camp
was rendered by the boys IN blue IN
Boston, Newark, New York and Buff
ralo, and In turn they have entertained
many G. A. r. posts. Yet these people
teach us and our children that we must
not affiliate or associate. We must pc
taught to hate those who prevented US
from destroying the government ana
adopting principle OF State sovereignty
that would have placed this grand conn-
try at the mercy of set Of petty State
sovereigns to change and revoluttonize
with every change OF the moon, as they
do in South America.
'.Any other government but our own.
made by free and enlightened people.
would suppress The Timcs-Dispatch and
hang Christian and Jones rs traitors.
Thank God that cannot be done! They
are good, but misguided people. we can
and will appeal to an enlightened but,
outraged public sentiment, to whip them
with the fierce lash of a justly aroused
indignation"
Here is fair sample Of Republican
Intolerance. Because loyal Confederate
veterans prefer not to take part in meet
ings whose design is to cxut over the
downfall of tho Confederacy. and because
a newspaper darcs to say that reunions
between the veterans OF the North and
the veterans af the South are to be dis
couragcd; there Is distinct ntimatlon
on the part of the repcntant and recant-
ing ex-Confederate who presdes over the
editorial columns OF this Republican news
paper that Judge Christian and DR.. Jones
ought to be hung. and that The Times
Dispatch ought TO be suppressed. we
could we'll afford to laugh at this child
ish dintrlbe II It were not for the fact
| that II proceeds from Il Republican
source and shows the animus of Repub-
| licunism, 1t Is an outbulst OF the in
tolerant spirit of Imperialism and mon
archy. 1t has the strong flavor OF Gear
ism, 1t is written In that spirit which
eHalts the government, which holds tina /
the king can do no wrons, and there
fore, toleratcs no criticism OF the king
1t is written In that spirit which CEN
sors the press and makes the editors OF
newspapers refrain from all expressions
of opinion which In any way antagonizes