The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-05-25
NEED NO DEFENSE.

When Congressman Stedman, who
served as general in the Confederate
army, replying to Congressman Mad
den, of Illinois. said the memory OF
Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson
will I've when the the walls OF the
Arlington amphttheater have crum-
bled to dust" and that the Chicago man
stands isolated and alone In wild
derness Of his own creation, he spoke
sanely and wisely. The heroes of the
South need no monuments OF marble
or masonry to keep their names en-
blazoned on the scroll of fame and to
carry their deeds OF valor down the
ages. They shall live as long as there
is left a heart to pulse to courage and
truth.
Congressman Madden only displayed
his ignorance of the history Of his
country when he called the southern
heroes traitors. They were never
called so by Abraham Lincoln. Neither
Lincoln nor Lee were in favor CT the
civil war. Lee was opposed to seces-
sion and Lincoln was in favor Of pay
ing the south for their slaves. But
when war became inevitable, Lee re-
signed his commission in the United
States army to fight for his home
and hearthstone, and Lincoln became
Commander in Chief Of the United
States army.
Had it not been for the mad Booth,
and Lincoln's life had been spared to
his country, the South would not to-
day look back with such bitter memo
ries to the days of reconstruction. But
time has healed those wounds. And
no mailman, such as Madden, can with
his vain and senseless attacks, heap in
suit on the South. For such a man to
asperse the names of Lee and Stone
wall jackson, is like an uncleah crea-
ture casting mud upon the name Of the
Perfect Man. Those names are sacred.
They stand for the highest form of
courage; for love and loyalty; for de-
votion to principles and conservation
to duty.
Lee and jackson, and such as they
have been lifted too high, are too far
above the need of the chiseled or
spoken word, to need any defense
from the southland. And the south
needs no words to make it's record
straight. Since the civil war ended and
the South once more gave its ale
glance to the Stars and Stripes. it has
held its honor sacred and given way to
no man for loyalty to this country. In
the Spanish American war and in the
world conflict, the names of southern
men ara enrolled as patriots and heroes.
When the war of the states was end
ed the South; once the richest section
of this country, took up it's burden of
reconstruction and went forward with
courage against difficulties as the
world has never known. From wealth
the southerners were plunged to deep
est poverty; they returned to face the
most hellish administration that any
country has ever had to face; they
were prosecuted as no other nation
has ever been prosecuted. Men of cIl-
ture and intelligence, women Of refine
mnt, facing such indignities as are
matter of history. and too cruel for
even casual mention here. The Birth
of a Nation is not an imaginative
picture, it is transcription of history;
it is the truth, naked and terrible. Any
southern man or woman of today
whose ancestors passed through those
trying days of reconstruction has heard
about the family fireside, recital OF
outrages too terrible to record.
But the South came through. Shorn
of all that was material, believing in
ultimate justice and looking to the
God of Hosts out of their failure to
bring them victory, they were not dis
appointed. God has been good to the
South; He has blessed it's people; He
laid his healing spirit upon them and
took the rancor from the wounds.
Southern children have been brought
UP to revere the memory of the Con-
fad 10 crcsd bouond
to keep the memory of their fathers
have been taught to hold their coun-
try's flag sacred and to hold their
country's honor high-they could not
be the descendants of Lee and Jack
son. and do less. Lee and Jackson
and their followers fought for their
homes, for the honor of their firesides,
for the defense of their women and lit
lie children. They were not the in
vadors. They were the invaded. The
war was brought by the enemy into
their camp. Craven would have been
he man who would have failed to of
Ter his life for his own; to protect the
honor of his women and little children,
% repel the invader from his house
md lands. Had the South done this
u WOulo NAVE lIlUceU ueeIl UidlIOT TO al
hat man holds sacred.
Madden and such as he are like
some poisonous growth that cannot be
1illed. Long since the South has for
given her enemies. Long since the
North has held out the olive branch
If peace, and over the chasm the two
lave shaken hands.
A great mistake was made when the
names of Lee and jackson were not
placed upon the tablet at Arlington
cemetery; there sleep the men of the
,rey as well as the men who wore the
blue. But there are other ways for
Justice to find expression; and no man
such as Madden, waving his Bloody
Shirt, can bring dissention between the
North and the South at this time in
he history of the country.
The South does not need commenda-
ion; it's heroes do not need defense;
is deeds speak for it. It has given
ne best men to this country that
lave ever served it; the greatest
tatesmen that have ever guided the
Iestiries of this nation have been