The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-29
THE NAME OF sEFFERsoN DAVIS.
A Northern View of Why It Should be Re
 Stored to Cabin John Bridge.


 stored to Cabin John Bridge.
 Indianapolis News.
 Some time ago the confederate Ladies' Memorial Association' asked that the name of Jefferson Davis be restored to the Cabin John Bridge, near washington. where 1t had been chiseled out during the war ct had been placed there because Davis was Secretary of War and had selected the plans for the bridge.) The Charleston News and Courier protested against the action of the association on the ground that 1t was not the affair of the Southern people. but of those who did the act. and 1t wanted to see the mutiIated stone stand. In turn we argued to correspondent that thls mutila- tion--done in the heat of waF time--refiect- ed on us as a people and ought to be obiit- erated by restoration of the name, and cited the argument of our Charleston con- temporary as revengeful and as evidence of It's "wanting to feed fat It's ancient grudge' by having the stone stay mutilated. To this our contemporary (which, be 1t said, we highly regard and admire) replies that h has no grudge and is not animated by revengefui feelings: that 1t simply protest ed against the action of the Southern La dies Association, because it was not our affair." and that the correction should De made 'sby those that represent the yandals that did it." It continues thus;
 aTha mutilated stone on Cabin John bridge" as our Indiana contemporary says reflects on us as a people" not upon the people of the South, upon the interests represented by any Confederate Association but upon the people of the North. They mutilated the stone: let them restore It. It does not make the least difference to MT Davis people whether they do or not, but as long as it remains in its present condition 1t will continue to reflect on us as a peoS ple" we think" says our contemporary, ''the name is better there for us than the blanL Enace. far better" Doubtless that is true. but 1t is not matter in which MT. Davis' people should interfere. That Is all.
 But MT Davis people" are "us people They are part and parcel of this American. people, and their opinion is part of the pub lie opinion that guides the country. They have their due share of responsibility for any and all actions That is where the "Confederate Ladies' Memorial Assoicatlon is wiser and broader than The News ana Courier. What is done or acquisced in to- day we are all responsible for, MT DAWES g people" cannot stand apart and say we have no responsibility for what was done by Mr Iineoln's people" We are a common country, and everything of national import affects us all and. speaking to the case m noint the South would have it's share of responsibility for the mutliated stone still standfng if 1t did not speak, Just as the North would have for letting 1t stand. There ia no way in which any oe us can wash orr hands of any national matter. Those of us that ara not of the "government' belong to ..b,s maiesty's opposition" and, as good citizens of A common country, have their mart to play So we must commend the "confederate Ladies' Memorial Association for having done its duty and arraign the snIrtt that we regret to note prompts our esteemed Charleston contemporary as less wise and patriotic.
 IT we grant that 1t is not revengeful (and we shall confess that We did not greatly fear the vengeful feelings of so wise an exemplar of good influences as The Charles ion News and Courier) we must hold that it is uniustiflable; for there caB,be no aloot- nass ar .non-intercourse" on the part of any good citizen in national affairs. It is not question of what was done more than forty years ago by one side fin the heat or eNli strife. It is a question of what the Amerl- can nAopIe do today and the magnanimity or r,aIies of their action Is compounded of ,b. continent of the whole people. Whether nearlv fifty years after civil war we sho1l nerpetuate a little thing like this. done ,,hor nnen's minds were stirred with pas sion or whether We shall obliterate it. is oo,oIrs,on to be reached by hearing from ,ho yvboIe country just as the return of the bottIe flags was based as much on the de- a,n. of inc southern States made known to receive them as on taht of the Northern s,otos to give them So we say the "Confed- crate Ladies Memorial Association" has chosen the better part and shown the lars- CT spirit.