Norwich bulletin., 1917-02-13
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Why Not Be RationaI2

Mir. Editor: Any educated person whose mind is unbiased knows there were no rebels during the Civil war. lion'' in Pennsylvania and the move of the New England states during the closing months of the War of 1872, we have had no rebellion or evidences thereof in this country.
 In 1861 there was a difference of opinion as to whether or not a state could secede from the Union. The test of arms decided that the south could not secede- Had they been reb- els, the north never would have treat ed them as 1t did. Instead, all through the struggle, the Washington govern ment and foreign powers recognized the south, as a government capable of putting belligerent armies on the field on the same status with the north. The very terms of surrender refute the charge.
 That the south rebelied only fgnor- ant persons speak of the Civil war as a rebellion. And for anyone to charge that Jefferson Davis was an arcf2 traitor and plotted against the north is ignorance of the crassest character. But for Davis, Stewart woul5 have taken Washington the night after the battle of Bull Run. The north should for as long as he was alive it got beautifully trimmed every time one of its armies got anywhere near Jack son. He was the one great general of the war. Lee was a noble man and there is naugnt that can be said against him, for the south paid more pro rata for his education than did the north and he more than repaid both sec6ons by his years of faithful service in the army. But Lee was not great general. He was an engineer who could defend earthworks and halt the enemy's offensive, but he was never known to exhibit any signal ability as general when he took the offensive. His genius laid alone in defensive fighting, while Jackson was not only great on both the offensive and defensive, but also possessed mar velouS strategic ability and his char acter while inclining to the fanatic was as clean as Lees.
 As matter of fact there were rights and wrongs on both sides. Each misunderstood the other N>cause tiyes. There was no man in the south who was more of an arch-traitor to the north than was William Lloyd Garrison to the north. As for Thad- deus Stevens, his name alone is offen- sive to any man who pretends to a scintilla of honor and morality, no matter what his townSpeople may have done. Had the north had any treason under the constitution, you may rest assured that Stevens and his vagabond crew of carpet-baggers, many of whom were smeared with the Ben Butler brand would never have permitted him to escape trial They had no case against him an6 they knew it. War records show that a larger percentage of southern prison CTS died in the north than did north ern prisoners in the south. Many northern lives were sacrificed because the blockade kept out medicines and Grant refused to exchange prisoners. This is indisputable history The south was literally starved out.
 The north has it's hands too full of mistreatment of prisoners to rail at the south for Andersonville and Libby, though God knows both here h. holes the same as were Johnson's Island and Fort Warren.
 Respectfully,
 SOUTHERNER.
 Norwich, Feb. Il, 1917.