The National tribune., 1907-10-03
CABIN JOHN BRIDGE.
Should JEFF DavisS Name he Restored on
the Tablet

Editor National Tribune: In your is
SUE of June 2S. 1907, you state that
Representative AdoIph Meyer. of Lou
isiana, announced his intention of maxi
ing an effort to have the name of JEFF
ferson Davis reinscribed on the bridge
which spans Cabin John Creek
While l do not wish to perpetuate or
stir up any i'll feeling in relation to thc
civil war. / do wish to protest against
the restoration of the name on said
bridge, or the erection of any monu-
ment north of the Potomac River that
would in any manner perpetUate the
memory of any of the principal actors
or officers of the Confederacy. 1 re-
member well of being one of the many
boys in blue who guarded that span or
arch for many days and nights in order
to keep the rebels from destroying il.
and also did their share of the fighting
at the front, where many were cap
tured. especially at Rsam's Station.
Va, taken to Salisbury, y. c.. and
starved to death.
1t would seem the Daughters of the
lConfederacy should at least be consid
crate and have some feeling of respect
| for the dead as we'll as the survivors.
| Where will anything be gained in Sc
curing justice" in such a manner, and
| justice to whom? If 1t is necessary to
make any change of the inscription on
| the tablet in order to perpetuate the
memory of anyone | would suggest that
the old tablet be removed and replaced
by one giving credit to the architect. the
ith n. Y. II. A. and 117th y. Y. For
while one designed and constructed
the others guarded and preserved that
which if the rebels had been able would
have destroyed, and the name which
! they ask to be restored would have
! been among the ruins, and indirectly
| by his own order or knowledge. Why
i
which would only bring up unpleasant
Irecollections, by having the name of
one who would have destroyed this
structure and not only this. but sought
20 disrupt and overthrow a Government
unsurpassed by none in the whole
world. They would accomplish more
by leaving the tablet as it now is, for
his name is made more conspicuous by
its absence.
/ have no objection to their having
monuments or tablets placed in the
Southern cities in memory of those who
gave up their lives for their cause for
they mourn their loss as much as wei
do ours at the North. But this request
should not be granted. and it is about
time to call halt in such tones as can
not be misunderstood as to the mean
ing. If this indignity is perpetrated il
Will not be long before some of the
people will try to convince US that we
were on the wrong side, and we will
have no rights which they will be
bound to respect. A short time ago ii
was my privilege to attend lecture
given by the President General of the
Daughters of the Revolution. After the
lecture the Regent of the Chapter said.
I'VE have with us Maj. -. of the late
Confederacy, who was invited forward
to the stand on the platform beside the
President-General, while we sang the
been as embarrassing to the Major a
it was humiliating to a Grand ARM
man who was present, who had been
shot thru tn lungs during the civil
war, and who was also a member of
the Loyal Legion, and not shown az
much courtesy or respect as an ex-
Confederate officer This oversight Gfl
it was such) may not have been inten-
tional and perhaps done without
thought of creating any feeling. But
there is no use of opening the OLE
wounds to make them bleed afresh after
having partially healed
We old soldiers are but human, ana
when these things occur it hurts. We
look back over the dark DAYS of the
rebellion, with its privations and suf-
fering, and the old patriotic feeling
wells up within us, especially when al
timeSsand occasions like this we almost
hear the faint echo of the old rebe,
yell, as If in exultation at our diScom-
future. and we feel as tho the recon
struction had not been made perfect
nor do they fully appreciate what has
been done for them that enables them
to live in such glorious country. u
think I voice the sentiment of the vet
Grams in this matter. and with them ask
the aid of your valuable paper in pre-
venting this uniustifiable and overbear-
ing outrage. The magnanim;ty of the
American people, as shown by Gen.
Grant at the surrender of Lee. and aIse
the more recent action Of our Army
and Navy at the close of the Spanish
American War, was liberal enough to
satisfy each and every fair-minded mar
or Nation. and has been the means of
influencing the action of other Nations
in the matter of settling their compli-
cations at the close of their wars. The
blue and the gray have come together
and buried their i'll feeling. and do not
wish others to interfere with the new
order of things by bringing up causes
for contention. The sooner this med
ding spirit is discountenanced and ig-
nored the better for ALL. T. Lock-
wood, Co. A. 4th N. Y. II. A, White
Plains, n. Y.