The National tribune., 1906-12-20
The South's Attitude.

Editor National Tribune: II makes
me very angry to see the persistent at
tempts of the press and uitra-charitabia
people to minimize the treason of the
South and to exalt the Agt1ters for the
Lost Cause to equality aad fellowship
with the defenders Of the Union. IL
our patriots keep on ho,ding out olive
branches, granting forgiveness. and
praising the men who did their best 70
destroy them and their country, we
shall soon be begging forgiveness our
selves for taking arms against them,
and asking permission TO erect statues
to our fallen heroes.
Free acknowledgment OF fault and
desire for forgiveness siaeuid precede
pardon, and when have the Southern
people given evidence OF change Of
heart or wish for absoiution?
On the contrary. by faisifYing history.
journalistic sophiStries ard political
acts, they seek to minimize their faults.
to justify treason. to coYer their prison
atrocities, and to ennobte the leaders OF
secession and rebellion. the majority
of Southerners hate all Northerners
who do not mask their sentiments. They
acknowledge they were conquered. but
only because they we're deceived by
England and France. They are as ferca
as ever in maintenance of States Rights
against the General Government: claim
superior blood and birth over Northern
people, tho many OF them are the de-
scendants of tobacco bought maids and
the vagabond sports of France and
Spain, who were driven into exile by
crimes and excesses at home.
The feeling in the South was exempli-
fed when the President Tuade his
Southern trip by the great number Of
faIa rxyI,s snI, Gnt faA
in his face when he appeared in the
streets. In my opinion, had he not
claimed relationship with Georgia and
shown remarkable courage during the
street parades he might have been as
sassinated.
With infinite patience and infinite
charity we continue our policy towards
them, forgiving treason. forgetting pris-
on murders and reWardtng treachery.
Our motives are suspected: cur charity
considered weakness. The arrogant
Confederates expect to elevate the lead
ers of treason and rebellion to be Ma
tfonal heroes, and we see the effort
made everywhere to associate these In
rhyme and story with the true patriots
who saved the country. NE must pre-
sent solid front. or they will influence
coming generations to believe that the
war against them was unjustifable, and
the Lost Cause the cause Of Justice.
Congress had no right to surrender
the Confederate flags without piebis-
cite of the soldiers who won them on
many bloody field. I taFe one flag
of stars and bars that VIII never be
surrendered, which was ospfuTed under
fire on a boat expedition Ia Florida.
Let this mawkisk sentineHt of weak
men and tricky POLITICIANS cease. Let
treason cease to be made respectable.
The blue should not ming1e with the
gray, which should be as taatefut to the
loyal man as is the prison garb. Let
us draw the line for P0sterity that
traitors to the Union CAUSED war
which plunged the Hatian into mil
lions of dollars of debt aad sezft to early
graves more than million. of our
brethren. Let us thank God that we
still live to teach onr children the d!--
ference between treason and loyalty.
slavery and liberty.-N. II. Winston,
Brockton, Mass.