The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-05-24
no public clamor about rebates and
determinations.
A COMMUNICATION.

Perhaps a young man, who never
scented battle, is a little presump-
tuous in criticising an old war-horse
but there were a few phrases in
the G. A. r. Commander published in
yesterdays Record, that l consider
IN lad taste to say the least. For
instance, in the first paragraph Of
the proclamation, the Commander
says:
Livery conceivable method to de-
stroy our government and render nu-
gatory and vain the patriotic services
and seIf-sacrifices of their ancestors
and ours, who with their blood had
founded and built up the noble strue-
ture, had been resorted to by the
South and her sympathizers."
AS revere my ather's memory. I
do not believe hat he Joined the Con-
lfederate Army with the idea of de-
stroying the government or helping
to render nugatory the patriotism Of
his fathers and yours. There was an
honest difference of opinion as to the
right of the states tt withdraw from
a union which was deemed a partner
ship, subject to dissolution. Great Bri-
tain would at the time have ruled the
country which constituted the United
States, had our patriotic rebel faith
ers not rebelled and succeeded in Sc
ceding from the British empire and
setting up a government of their own.
The Jefferson Davis government n
its supporters would be just as pa
triotic today as. the northern govern
ment, had secession succeeded.
Let us admit that slavery was
wrong, n that directly and Indirect
ly it was the real cause Of the war.
Still it was fer the right to govern
the Southern states separately and
in accordance with the principles
they believed to be right, that The
South look up arms.
Nations have always acquired and
held territory by force of arms, n
while the conquered must submit.
they make better subjects if fully and
freely forgiven forever any real or
~fancied wrongs they may IA com
mitted.
When two brothers fight, and hen
make up, they never again refer to
the subject of quarrel nor to how the
one or the other got the best of the
fight. If they do, the same old quar-
rel up again. My mother had
two brothers on each side in the Civil
war, and l never heard them accuse
each other of being anything but hon
est in their purposes in joining oppo-
site sides in the war. In my home
state, kentucky. there were numer-
GUS families divided. and as carefully
as these families avoid discussion of
certain points concerning the war, 1
believe the whole nation should try
to forget all but the beloved dead
There were bushwhackers and
camp-followers on both sides, but
such men as Fitzhugh Lee, who rec
emily lie after serving the reunited
country as a soldier and a statesman.
never sought to destroy. Many thous
nds of people still honestly believe
that the South contended for princi-
pies that were right, while admitting
that the result of the war has been
for the best to all concerned.
The sorrow of the South has been
greater than that of the North, for
it lost not only its brave sons and
its property, but has had to bear de-
feat, repentance and unjust criticism,
until one is almost constrained to in
Quire what can a Southern man do
to prove that he is a loyal American
citizen. now that he is forced to pro-
under suspicion of still seeking to
destroy his country?
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