The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-07
PEOPLE RESENT
NAMING OF FORT

A number Of Civil war veterans OF
the city Of Fargo are expressing them"
selves quite freely about the PROPOSE
| tion to name one Of the Panama canal
| forts after Robert E. Lee.
A petition was introduced In the
United States senate by Senator hi
man on Feb. IS from the Onlteo
Daughters of the Confederacy asking
that the Atlantic coast terminus 1ort
of the Panama canal be nameo III
honor of the leader of the confederate
forces during the rebellion and Oe
known as Fort Lee.
A fort at the Pacific coast terminus
of the canal will be named in honot
os Ulysses S. Grant, hero CT the reoel-
lion and seventeenth president OF the
United States The Daughters of the
Confederacy think that it is only In
keeping that the fort at the opposite
end of the canal be named In honor
of his chief adversary. Robert -. Lee
ana that the two SO named Will Keep
fresh in the public mind the history
Of the country.
The petition of the Daughters OF
the Confederacy, introduced in con-
gress by Senator Tillman, also pro-
poses that opposite Fort Grant an
other fort be erected which Will per-
petuate the name of the first president
Of the Panama republic and be known
as Fort Amidas.
Opposite the proposed Fort Lee. the
petition also suggests that fort be
erected In honor of the memory OF
| John Morgan, sometimes called in the
south the father of the Panama
canal idea" Morgan was the leader
| of the band of men who raided north
1s,tn Kentucky and southern portions OF
gliino4a, Intlianass and @hiegduFing the
lefVAt war, known as Morgan's raids.
| Some Of the Civil war veterans Of
| this city are up in arms over the
petition and feel that the Daughters
Of the Confederacy are entirely too
aggressive in asking congress to make
national heroes out of men who fought
against their government fifty years
ago.
Sentiment prevails in certain circles
to ask the local organizations Of the
Grand Army of the Republic, the
Women's Relief Corps and the Sons
of Veterans to send memorial 10
congress expressing the condemnation
of this petition and asking that it be
voted down.
II don't like the idea of the future
generations Of this nation to be
brought up to honor such men as
Morgan and Robert E. Lee as national
heroes" said one civil war veteran to-
day. "I am not the sort wanting to
fight the war over again and am will
ing to bury the hatchet, but do nod
believe in bringing up the future gen.
erations Of this country to pay great
Difference to men who fought to tear
down the government and the flag.
It's all right to teach them of their
personal courage. because those south
erners could fight. I've looked down
into their muskets myself and l know.
But I'm not in favor of making them
martyrs nor national heroes. At the
rate we're going with this business, in
few years I expect to hear the name
| of Jefferson Davis placed beside that
of George Washington and Abraham
Lincoln, and Davis committed treason.
'It seems to me that it's high time
to stop all this foolishness OF the
Daughters of the Confederacy," he
concluded. eff they want to erect stat
utes to their soldiers. I'm the last to
object, but don't let them force their
heroes off onto the nation which has
no feeling for them"