The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-16
8 the Editor of The Gate city:

When read the expressions used by
speakers at the reunion of the ex-con.
federate soldiers at Memphis, Tennes-
see. and the comments of the papers,
sito caAsas inime a fHehng of scodf empt
for the people of the southland who
are all still in sympathy with the
Lost Cause. That they have no more
sense Ct gratitude for the magnanimity
Of the government they sought to dis
rupt than TO try to instill into the
minds Of coming generations any justi-
fication Of the attempt to create the
Southern Confederacy. To do this
they garble and misrepresent the
facts. They talsely azkert thai the
war OF the Rebellion was war be
tween the states of the United States.
It was controversy between conspir-
at0rs, rebels and traitors to disrupt the
best government on earth in an effort
to rule or ruin because the people Of
the United States would not submit to
being forced to accede to the idea that
the Southern people should force on
and maintain slavery everywhere in
the United States.
Il was a damnable conspiracy
against the rights and interests Of the
whole human race, wherein over a mill
lion men lost their lives. If they had
any sense they would be glad the Lost
Cause failed as it did,
at the reunion at Memphis, now be-
ing held, General George Gordon
said: For four trying and sanguinary
years you maintained your cause
against odds that would have driven
the armies of Wellington or Napoleon
to despair. It required four Federal
soldiers, better armed, better fed, bet
ter clad. to overcome one ragged,
barefooted and hungry Confederate.
When the disparity in men and means,
In facilities, appliances and resources
OF all kinds are considered, it must be
admitted the South made a gallant de.
fence Of the right to independence.
and congratulate you of her surviv-
ing armies not only on the gallant
fight you made. but on the Justice of
your cause. Though self-interest and
power denied us separate independ-
ence the principle for which we con-
tended still lives the right to self
government"
Governor Patterson of Tennessee
said he was son of man who had
worn the gray and had he been born
in time he would have worn it too.
General Clement Avery in his ad-
dress said that when they shall have
passed away 1t will be written, spoken
and sung Of them that the world nev...
had citizen so1diery grander than
the men of the confederate armies. He
said, too. the cause our cause, is not
lost for the reason 1t was not wrong.
When the end came the heads Of the
Federal army and the armies of the
Rebellion were f1ttingly represented in
the two commanders, Generals Grant
and Lee. General Lee was dressed up
in new uniform with new sword In
all the glory which trappings could
give him. while General Grant was
attired in an old faded uniform, in a
SLOUGH hat. as if he felt conscious that
his own Inherent manhood was suffici-
ent without fine feathers. General
Grant was magnanimous In his treat.
ment of his defeated foes. He permit
ted the men to retain their side arms
and all personal property including
horses. In many cases advantage was
taken Of his magnanimity by the
rebels appropriating many horses
they did not personally own. In all
history there never was such an ex.
hibition of magnanimity to a conuuer.
ed army as the treatment accorded To
the rebel soldiers. They were released
on their parol that they would not take
up arms again nor act on the offensive
against the government. No other
nation in all the world could have done