The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-31
VIRGINIA AND NORTH CAROLINA.

unveiled on the A~ppoThattox battle
| field on April 10th-"First at Bethel.
| Furthest to the Front at Gettysburg
| and Chickamauga Last at Appomattox-
| Because of the inscription, we are TOLD.
many of the Virginia veterans have
| refused to attend the unwilling ceieno-
| MES. The Virginia papers are DISCUSS
| ing this matter. Two of them, and We
| do not know how many more, AVE
F. taken issue with these veterans who
| have declared that, for the reason
| above mentioned, they will MOI attend
| the ceremonies. The Charlottesville
| Progress urges the Lynchburg veterans
| TO adhere to their original intention of
being present on that day. The News
| Leader, of Richmond, refers approving
ly to the article of The Progress and
lectures the people of Virginia, not
only on their attitude in this matter,
but also on their assumption of general
superiority to the balance of mankind.
What The News Leader says is SO ap-
propriate and so timely that he here
give it in full:
IynChburg veterans are urged by
The Charlottesville Progress to fulfill
their original purpose of attending
the unwilling Of the monument to
North Carolina troops at Appomattox
April 10. It is said that the Lynch
burg men intended to go, but object
to the inscription on the
First at Bethel, furthest to the front
ut Gettysburg and Chickamauga, last
at Appop1attox,' and many refuse to
be present. The direct statements In
this inscription are in dispute, but if
the North Carolinians wish to record
their boasts and claims. there is no
reason why any Virginian should OBJ
ject or should Sulk and remain away
from their celebration. These things
are too far away and too doubtful and
the claims of the two states are too
sincerely believed and too strongly
supported for any Ill feeling or jeal-
ousy to be developed at this late day.
Let the veterans OF the respective
states believe in these matters as
they like and allow their cid comrades
the same privilege.
We Virginians ave cultivated mar
rowneSs, arrogance and provincialism
too much. Too many of US undertake
to draw a kind of holy line around our
state and to assume that anybody
born outside of it necessarily is infe-
riOr to a Virginian n that all born
inside it are on some kind of a moral,
intellectual or social eminence from
which they may ook down On the rest
Of the world. This is all nonsense.
We are not making good. The well
fare and reputation of Virginia de-
pend not on what she and her peo-
pie lay lone in times one by, but
on h they can do today. If We
wish to be in the world and part Of it
n tC take our places in 1T, we must
learn to disregard the questions Of
Virginia birth or ancestry and take
men at their actual value as we find
them and adopt them, make use Of
them ard accept them as our citizens.
comrades and brothers on their own
individual merits. The North Carolin-
ians are our next door neighbors.
Certainly we have no right to assume
m superiority Over them or to deny
them any fellowship Or honor. In a
good many respects they have showed
us the way and made progress while
: ! we have been standing still, comfort
ing ourselves with old achievements.
No conclusive evidence ever will be
offered as to III was highest on the
hill at Gettysburg. The skeletons
mcu1dering there were all alike, and
in the rugged semblance of uniforms
there was no difference. If veterans
:. of one state or the ether choose to
arnuse themselves by m~arshaling tes-
timony and engaging in interminable
disputes on this subject, nobody need
. have any quarrel with them so long
. as the discussions are in good nature
and manifest due Difference to the
: feelings of all concerned. It is pitiful
to think of men who marched and
fought together forty years ago hold
: ing aloof from each other in their ma
turity and age over an old controversy
which never can nor will be determin-
ed. We join The Charlottesville Prog.
resS in the hope that the Lynchbure
. veterans will go to Appomattox In full
|" force and in behalf of the whole state
. of Virginia. offer the North Carolina
I. veterans a royal welcome, leaving the
Bethel n Gettysburg and Appomat.
: tox issues to be debated Indefinitely
and at leisure hereafter. All attitude
or excluS1VeneSs, an assumption of SUI.
Deriority. an Impotence of the claims
virtues and high qualities of the PEG.
pie of other states, invite hostility anc
resentment. They cannot possibly Dc
{ us any good; they must Inevitably dc
us harm. and if accompanied by fail
e ure to keep pace with the procession
of the states. will bring us contempt
we must get into our heads that {
man born in Vermont, Michigan
S Utah. Arkansas. North Carolina, Rus
e STA. Prussia or anywhere else may b.
just as good and valuable a man q
} anybody born in Virginia, that othe
y people besides ourselves have don,
e great things, that many other peopl,
are forging ahead of us and that vir
tue. valor. strength n all the quail
e ties that make greatness are born an,
II flourish in many places outside of Vir
ginia.
The North Carolinians would like t
!, have the Virginia veterans meet Their
= at Appomattox on that day and joi,
them in the ceremonies. 1t woul1 b
much ~pleasanter to have the exercise