The Newtown bee., 1908-01-31

dealt out justice tempered with mercy,
 if at that time there had been added,
 "and to those who laid down their
 lives in defense of the Confederacy,
 there shall be set aside consecrated
 ground wherein may be gathered the
 bodies of the fallen braves, our broth
 CTS. to be cared for on equal terms with
 those who fell under the stars and
 stripes" But that was not so to be.
 To-day, all over the Southland thous-
 ands of Confederate graves are yearly
 bedecked with flowers by the "Daugh-
 ters of the Confederacy," and it les-
 sens not one bit their loyalty and pride
 for the United States, and for all our
 Flag represents. It is very unkind,
 putting it in the mildest way, for any
 one, either from ignorance or preju-
 dice, or political selfshness, to repre-
 sent the people of the Southland as a
 whole, as being at heart in rebellion
 against our Government.
 THEY AREJUST AS LOYAL
 to it as the people of any other sec-
 tion and are willing to lead with our
 flag wherever any dare to follow. How
 was it when the call came for volun- teers for the Spanish Ameriacn War? A war that did more to unite the two sections than any act that had pre- ceded it. The time has gone by for judging a man by the section in which he lives. True statesmanship is one thing, politicians who seek self aggran- dizement and political preferment, quite another. Sectionalism and love of country move along on divergent lines. Go into the schools of the south to-day and we find young people stu dy- ing the history of the Civil War with no attempt being made to bias their judge ment. The rank and file of the South ern people are industrious as nation
 builders. .-
 When the matter came before Con- gress about one year ago of appointing an Isthmian canal Commission, sen ator who,. himself, was Confede rate soldier, of Virginia, delivered a speech on the floor of the U. s. Senate, appeal ing that the South should be recognized fairly on that commission. A copy of the speech fell into the hands of per- sonal friend of mine, who served in the war as a volunteer from Connect icut. He was so pleased with the tone of the speech that he wrote to the Sen ator commendatory letter winch drew forth this reply-"We have toiled for forty years in the shadow to preserve the integrity of our race and the loyalty of our institutions and have felt that it was high time for the partisanship en- genered by sectionalism and strife to die out. My experience is that old sol diers feel less of it and are far more generous than those w1lo figure before the stage lights. For myself, 1 have the greatest respect for every true sol-t dier who did his duty and was content. The above is given here, believing 1t to voice the sentiments of the southern people, in hopes that it may increase the loyalty of those who read it. It was on the occasion of my expression of opinion that the state of Virginia is as loyal as any state in the Union, that this friend of mine in coinciding with the views I had expressed, told me of his correspondence with the Sen ator referred to, and gave me copy of the letter above printed.
 IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND s Soldiers Home, for Confederate veterans who are Virginians by birth. or who served in Virginia regiments turing the Civil war. It was founded n 1884 by the Robert E. Lee camp of Confederate veterans, and is known as the Lee Camps Soldiers Home. Lands and buildings were donated to the value of over 40,OO0 dollars and in addition the Board has paid in cost of buildings, personal property and fixtures 6O,O 900 | dollars. In 1892 contract was made with the State of Virginia for yearly appropriation of 35, 900 dollars a year for twenty-two years at the end of that time the property will revert to the State. In addition, donations are made, the amount for the year just passed be- ing over ten thousand dollars. !
 We visited the Home, October 20, W ent through the buildings and grounds, where the veteran soldiers are tenderly cared for. We were there just at nightfall, and passed through | the mess room as supper was being serv- ed.. A room given up to relics of the war were found an interesting place in which to spend an hour. The most con-
 | ll .