The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1909-08-21
REvNINe OLD ISSUES.


A correspondent in a recent issue
of The Star (name forgotten) defends
the policy and propriety Of placing
Gen. Robert E Lee as Virginia's
choice in the Hall Of Fame in Wash
ington. These are the fellows who
always set up the whine and some
times the howl that we are waving
the bloody shirt-that We refuse to
let bygones be bygones. ] charge
that they are persistently thrusting
something under our noses which we
are obliged to smell and which is I'M
pleasant and often insulting. Then
If we protest they cry that we are re-
viving the old war feeling. They are
the fellows who will not let by-gones
be bygones.
They talk and write as if the world
began with reconstruction of the rebel
states. They conveniently forget all
that provoked reconstruction, made
it necessary and justified it. Bad as
it was, it was bad alternative or a
worse one. Who made it necessary?
The South was offered much milder
reconstruction than they had to take
later and refused it, and time has
shown that it ought to have been
far more seveke than it was After
the rebel armies surrendered the
rebels rushed back TO Congress and
proposed to do with their votes what
they had failed to do with their guns.
They said if we are not out of the
Union, we are in it. II we are in it,
we are entitled to representation in
Congress.
The North said: Not so fast.
Some guarantees must be given that
you will act in good faith"
I'VE decline to give them. Now
let us see you reconstruct US" said
the South. / guess they did see it.
With their sullen insolence they pro
voked the patience Of the North, and
Negro governments were organized
which soon did what was necessary.
Some rebels who had the good sense
to reconstruct themselves advised
this and aided in it. The thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth amendments
were legally adopted, and it was
thought that the rebels had been suf-
hcientIy reconstructed.
Then the North became divided on
the great financial policy. The South.
however, did little but pout and suIk
about a reconstruction which they
had provoked, and took their dirty
spite out on the Negroes who had
helped to whip them. OF course the
Negroes were ignorant 1t had long
been a penitentiary offense to educate
them in the South. But they had
been more loyal TO a government that
had oppressed them than had Robert
z. Lee to a government that had ed
ucated him and given him all the en-
Eloyment he ever had Now the rebel
spirit looms up in Virginia, and Lee
is chosen to an the space in the Hall
OF Fame allotted to Virginia. Je1er-
son Davis is chosen BY Mississippi to
ornament a great batfleship named
n honor Of that state and built By
the United states. Vagina could
not honor Thomas Jefferson. who
wrote the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence ana helped to found a govern
msnt which Lee tried to Destroy
After virginia became a partisan to
slavery the Declaration Of Indepen-
dence, declaring all men free and
equal. did not sound vel in slave
driving ears. Lee would suit them
better ana give the man opportunity
to offend he North.
benedict Arnold gave the best part
Of his life to the American cause. but
Al last be deserted to the British.
ana thereby became q traitor. and
has been 30 held ever since. Lee gave
the best part Of his he to the service
Of the United States. but deserted
to TIE rebellion; nov he e to be rec