St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1914-05-02

was badly mixed up. 1t IS repro
duced today as it was originally
written. Read it carefully.
April 21st, 1914.
Mr.. Editor: Under the above head
ing | wrote for your paper of April 4 as
follows:
A CONFEDERATE MONUMENT AT
oPELOUsAS.
Mr.. Editor: Some three or foul
wears q a movement was started anC
some cash contributions were made te
erect a Confederate monument on the
courthouse square. Since then the old
vets and the jealous and patriotic
Daughters of the Confederacy, who'uI
to this time have taken the most inter.
est in the matter, have announced that
they desired to erect a monument to
Gen. Alfred Mouton, of Lafayette, who
nobly died at Mansfield in April, 1864;
and the project is no longer referred to
rs q Confederate monument but as a
Mouton monument. The enterprise
has made but slow progress, owing part
ly to the fact, no doubt, that the citi-
zens of this parish, who of curse will
put up most of the neededfunds, natur-
ally prefer to see at their county seat a
monument to the soldiers fist. Landry,
whose valor, and devotion on a hum
dred battlefields obtained the plaudits
Of admiring nations.
OF course, Gen. Mouton deserves a
monument. So does Gen. Allen Thomas
Of ST. Landry, who served valiantly at
Vicksburg; Col. VIM. H. Spencer, of
Opelousas, who died In command of the
Tenth Louisiana, at the second battle OF
Manassas; Gen. Leroy Stafford, OF
Rapides, who immortalized himself ON
many Of the bloody ~battlefields Of Vir-
pinia; and many others of Louisiana's
noblest sons. And were our people
more wealthy they would each have
had their monuments before now. But
until we are better able to thus honor
their memory, let us erect monuments
that will at once ~perpetuate the glory
and honor the achievements OF all u
heroes, of privates and officers alike.
Taking this view OF the matter, the
people of Rapides have just erected at
Alexandria a beautiful monument to the
Confederate soldier-not to Gen. Stat
ford, its most distinguished son-at a
cost of $4,000. A picture of this mag
nificent work of art and an account Of
the inspiring dedication exercises ap-
peared in the mes-Democrato of March
Is, and were exhibited in Shute's show
window last week. Let us do the same
here. Dying, these men left us the
guardianship of their glory. Lett us not
prove recreant to the trust.
ST. LANDRY.
In your issue of April is the estimable
president and secretary OF the local U.
d. C.,s made the following reply:
"Mr. Editor, we kindly.ask you the
privilege to insert our answer to the
article published in the Clarion a few
weeks ago signed st. Landry, the gen.
tleman is well informed as to the pro-
posed Opelousas monuments a soldiers
monument the inscription was selected
by the r. E. Lee Camp. In memory of
Gen. Alfred Mouton and the La. Con-
federate soldiers 1861-1865. AS they In
tended to have the figure of a soldier
they were proud of placing Mouton's
figure and all Of La. was sadden on
hearing of his heroic death on the Battle
of Mansfield and proclaimed by the ad-
miral of the confederate navy in Mobile
Bay by naming one Of the forts Mouton,
and placed a marble with this intcrip-
ton: Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton, the
hero of Mansfield. We now ought to
be proud OF the name. In his division
two companies and many soldiers from
this parish was in his command. In
closing we invite the gentleman signing
ST. Landry to fall in line with us and we
will have a monument on our court
house square.
Now, Mr.. Editor, | submit that this is
great degree responsive to what /
ed to place an effigy Of Gen. Mouton on
monument, to inscribe his name
upon it, and then to call il a Mouton
monument, not a Confederate monu-
ment, ! fear thatth unfortunate apathy
that now exists on this subject among
masses OF our parishioners will be
and endure indefinitely: for
they will naturally insist that the logi-
al place for such a monument is La
where the hero of Mansfield
was born and where most of his large
amily now reside, and not at Opel
,usas, or any point in st. Landry; not
Until, a~tleast, we have a Confederate
monument" dedicated specially to the
soldiers of st. Landry.
The invitation OF these very worthy
nd patriotic ladies that we 'fa1l in lineb
With them and work for a monument, !,
provoked a smile, inasmuch as many !
ears ago, as an editorial writer, and I
ubsequently, over various noms-de-
June, | first made and reiterated the !
digestion of a Confederate monument ]
t O~pelousas in the public prints.
.hese appeals fell upon dull, apathetic J
urfesponsive ears, until some three 7
r four years ago, a subscription list $
as circulated and some contributions t
ere made to erect a Confederate b
Monument on the courthouse square, c
Then | last saw the list-about that 2
met contained the names of only
fteen or sixteen contributors, mine c
nong the number, who had paid one C
ollar each. | mention these facts to t
low that the original intention was to a
rect a Confederate monument" and v
lat | enlisted in the good cause many G
ago, long before these jealous
dies did, and even before our grand
d vets put their shoulders to the n
heel. ~
Let US have a monument without 4
lrther delay. /, who have been advo- l
the project SO long, feel that we /