The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-23
PEOPLES FORUM.
Another Open Letter.

To Hon. Thomas S. Martin and Claude
A Swanson and the Ten Congress-
men from Virginia.
Gentlemen.-I have read with
pleasure the letter addressed 10 you
by Mr. =. II, Love and published In
this mornings issue Of The Richmond
Virginian, asking that you make an
effort TO have laws enacted by Com
gress placing ali living Confederate
veterans on the pension roll of the
Northern soldiers.
I While ! am not quite SO sure, as
MIR Love appears to he, that a bill OF
this kind introduced in Congress would
pass like a breeze" as there might
be disposition on the part of some
to defeat such measure. yet If Eng
land could show such a spirit of gem
crosby in SO short time after the
/ t1oer War in South Africa as to PEN
sion Boer soldiers. it does seem to me
that this great government of ours
should be wiling. at this late day. TO
pension the remaining Confederat to
faithfully since the end of the War
Between the States. but whose ranks
are now SO rapidly thinning and all
of whom VIII, in a very few years at
best. have passed To the Great Beyond,
1t Is true these men fought against
the Federal Union. but so did the
Beers Of South Africa fight against
the government of Great Britain, and
the men OF the South did no more
than every one of Gods noblemen
would do under similar circumstances.
How many of the men who wore the
blue would have fought on the side
of the Federal government had their
lot been cast In the south Of tho
Mason and Dixon line Very few,
feel sure, This being true, and it be-
ing largely a matter or geographical
situation as well as a matter Of con-
Vietion and principle. 1t does seem that
fifty years after the war the scars left
by that great struggle should have so
far healed as to enable our Northern
brethren to he as generous. to say
nothing of the right involved, after
fifty years of true allegiance to the
government, as was the British gov
lIrnment to the Beers who fought SO
hard against that government.
1t seems as II the people of this
great nation. especially those of the
North. ever intend to do anything for
the men, now Did and infirrn. who
fought them so henorably and brave-
Is. now is the time; for as time and
tide wait for no man time Is not watt
ing for these battle-scarred veterans,
but is slowly hut surely taking them
one by one, 10 that land from whence
no traveller returns, and II will only
be few years before the last one Of
-. l.
all the earth and there he Judged by
one whose Judgment Is perfect
Again. I feel sure that pensioning
of these remaining veterans would be
the means Of wiping out the last YES
tige of sectional feeling that may ex-
list at this late date and bring about
q feeling of national unity that moth
ing else could bring.
Lest some should think that might
have an axe TO grind in this mat
ter. ! Will state that no friend or
relative of mine who fought for tho
Confederacy Is living today. my only
uncle having been killed at the battle
oF the wilderness ana my farffer nav
ing died some years ago. Though
badly wounded IN one of the battles
around Petersburg. he recovered and
lived a number of wears after the war
Trusting that each OF you gentle
men may give this matter your earnest
attention and with the hope that be-
fore the end of the next Congress we
all may have the pleasure OF seeing
our old veterans of the South receiv-
ing some consideration ct the hands
of the great government which they
have served so faithfully and Loyalty
for fifty years since the war, beg to
remain.
Very respectfully.
s. e. PHILLIPSs