The National tribune., 1910-09-01
Mortified and Chasrined.

starkey, Yountyllle, Cal. ,
Mortified and Chasrined.
Editor National Tribune: Feeling deeply
mortified aud chagrined. after reading ex-
terview lately published relative to the Lee
statue episode. I feel that must at least
record my protest as well many OF my
comrades in Minnesota t. the attitude
taken by Ell Torrance in this matter
This comrade has been bonored to the
fullest extent by the G. A. R.. and now
residue in the face OF those who hOnored
| him. am suspecting that he, too has par
taken OF the Southern viands as have Others,
viz. "possum and 'tater."
His first statement is that the civil war
must end Yes-we agree on that point; but
as he says forty five years ago. does he
speak the truth In this particular? True,
the war closed In the North. but how In
| the SOUTH. II the Commander does not
know. / want to inform him that the
the late unpleasantness. are as disloya to-
day as they were in 6i. They have never
accepted the results Of the war. and never
will until the last vestige Of that old oil
garchy and their teachings are wiped from
the face Of the earth. True. we Of the
North have for the last forty-five years tried
to mollify them and have treated them
brave and loyal men should to yanguished
enemy What the result? Insults after in
suits have been heaped upon us. Haunting
their "No" flag in our faces on every avail
able occasion, erecting monuments to MUIR
derers and worse. and inscribing the ugly
face of the archtraitor Jefferson Davis on
last. hut not least, the State Of Virginia
the birthplace Of so many loyal and patriotic
sons-insisting on placing the statue Of Rob-
ert f. Lee in the Hall Of Fame at Wash
| ington under the very nose Of the Govern
| ment. What a spectacle to the rising gen.
| eration! Does this teach patriotism? Does
It teach h loyalty No; it tells the young
honorable as loyalty and patriotism.
We OF the North have done -~onr duty In
binding binding up - wounds Have the South done
! seems to me when a man like Ell Torrance
will in maudlin sentimentality barter all
ment. feel like did in '61, and will fight
such sentiments as long as I live.
Gen. Torrance perhaps never charged
battery and saw his comrades fall. one
after another. by his side. I am not in
formed of this. however, but do know that
all who saw real active service and bore
not for a moment give way TO such maud
| lin sentiment. .e->--
He says that Gen. Lee was the first to ac-
cept the results of the war Why? Because
lie and his, boasted Army Of Northern vir-
| eiEia was whipped / want to ask the gen.
tleman that the G.. A. r. has so highly
ever took the oath Of allegiance to the
United States? Never, as I am informed,
and he died sbame-faced migrate. as was
| proper in his case, for his six to eight pre-
| vious oaths stared him in the face.
/ Torrance also asserts that the uniform Is
/ the main objection. / want to assert right
here that we don't care Bob for the
uniform. It's the man and his disloyal and
rebellious history we are after-s traitor
and an migrate to Government that raised
and fostered him.
1t is not possibly. well known that the Lee
family were largely supported and boil
| stored up by the Government for many years
/ owing to their relationship to the Washing
ton family. Read history and you will find
out
The Commander. while indorsing the
President and Secretary Wickersham.
seems to feel "sore'' on the appointment Of
| rebels the Supreme Bench. Why? He,
| too, is a lawyer, and has aspirations. See
the point? Well, we gladly indorse his pro-
test also as to the appointment Of rank
| tater rules.
The General winds up by admitting that
| Lee. If he had been successful. woHld have
| destroyed the Capitol and the Republic;
still. he admires the man and he is ready to
| fall down and worship at his shrine. Why
! fighter: why not other traitors to their
country?
| Does he know that the Lee family were
never loyal. Did not the Lee Of Revolution
| ary fame seek constantly to supplant Wash
| ington, and only thru the generosity OF that
| for mutiny and disloyalty? Does the plae-
ing of this image of disoyalty and treason
renew the pledge of loyalty of the State
of Virginia? 1 trow not 1t is only one
more insult heaped upon the long-suffering
Northern defenders of the Nation, and We
can only feel shame and humiliation for
a of such parts to so far forget his
| patriotism and loyalty.-H. II. Herring,
Commander, Post i0S, Department Of Min
nesota.