The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-05
SICKLES SNEEREO At SOUTH
GEORGIA VETS OPPOSE SCHEME
TO AID UNION MAN.
Although Sympathizing with Dis
graced Veteran, COnfcdcratcs of
Georgia Do Not Favor Southern
Veterans Furnishing Money to Re-
place Stolen Fund--Sic<les Has Al
ways Been an Enemy of the South.

savannah, Ga, Feb. 1.-Confeder-
ate Veterans of Georgia generally
sympathize with Gen. Daniel T.. Sick
les, Of New York, in his predicament
growing out Of alleged misappropri-
alton Of funds of the monuments
commission, left in his hands as chair
man, but so far none have been found
who concur in the offer of Mrs. Helen
ID. Longstreet, of Gainesville, widow
of the famous Confederate general, to
raise the money in the South to en-
able the old Union soldier to make
restitution to the State of New York.
1t is believed that Confederate Vet
Grams would be inclined to be more
lenient in their estimate Of Gen.
Sickles' latest embarrassment, but
for the fact that it is public funds he
is charged with embezzling. Those
who have been asked to discuss the
dilemma in which Gen. Sickles now
finds himself invariably recall certain
incidents in the career of the old man
which are not praiseworthy, and are
therefore anxious to refrain from "a
public discussion Of him.
Gen. Louis G. Young asked if he
agreed with Mrs. Longstreet that
Southern people should be asked to
raise fund to pay Gen. Sickles out of
his trouble, replied that he certainly
did not Il feel very sorry for Gen
Sickles," said Gen. Young but while
the bitterness engendered in Southern
hearts by the War Between the States
has been virtually eliminated, the past
is not forgotten; and we recall the ca
reer of Gen. Sickles as not being that
of particularly generous foe.
Il can not see any reason for our
assisting him to be released from a
position that is not creditable to a man
in the humblest position, and certainly
furnishing bad example to the youth
of our country. Gen Sickles is in great
trouble. but his friends in the North
have ample means to relieve him of
his embarrassment. l would regret a
contribution from our people as in
rather bad taste than otherwise.
The deeds of Gen. Sickles as an Of
ficer in the army of the United States
cannot be considered as those Of a
great soldier. AT Gettysburg he made
great mistake in placing his COM
mand in advance of the Federal line,
thereby enabling us to drive him from
his isolated position and come very
near destroying him."
Attention is called to the fact that
Gen. Sickles has spent rather more
than half Of his life in villifying the
South; that he has been snarling and
sneering AT the South for fifty years
1t IL pointed out that he has many
times been involved in various scan
dals. Mrs. Sickles, although her hus-
band has squandered much Of her
money, is still rich woman. and it is
said she will likely come to his help
again, as she has done in the past, al
though the couple have been long sep
arated. 1t is suggested that the money
given to help keep Gen. Sickles out of
Jail might be better used by Southern
people in relieving the destitution of
Confederate veterans, who have not
had opportunity to fatten on Federal
appointments for years Gen Sickles is
said TO have done rather more than
any other living man to keep alive
the factional feeling between the
North and the South, which hundreds
Of thousands Of good men and wo-
men for half century have been do
ing all they could 10 eradicate.