The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-04-13

Confederate battle flags captured in
the Civil war were returned to the
Dixie states of Virginia, North Caro-
lima and Texas with impressive cere-
monies at the capitol on December IS.
1927. The above photograph shows
Gov. Ralph Brewster of Maine Qeft),
President Coolidge (center), and Gen.
w. 3. Freeman of Richmond (right),
honorary commander of the United
Confederate Veterans, with some of
the flags returned.
that the number would be less than TO-
600. How do 1 gather that, or, rather,
how do they reach that estimate? They
reach 1t by taking the figures of the
pension commissioner, which show that
in round numbers $4,000 of the $4,000
living Union soldiers are now physical
~ incapacitated, requiring the constant
aid and attention of some other person
to care for them because of infirmity;
and of the remainder, the estimate is
made by those who have taken account
of the attendance at the annual re-
unions of the Grand Army of the Re-
public and of the United Confederate
Veterans.
He then referred to the scene,
shown in the picture above, as fol-
lows:
Out here this morning on the steps
of the capitol we witnessed the return
of some captured Confederate flags by
the people of the Northern state of
Maine to the people of North Carolina.
Those people up there in Maine, whom
the Southecners used to call the cold
blooded Yankees, are now warm, and
they come down here bearing their cap
tured flags to the North Carolinians,
and I understand that If North Caro-
lima did capture flags from the Maine
regiments she has already or is to re-
turn them to the state of Maine.
/ recall an incident a little while
ago when the state of New Jersey,
through its governor, returned some
Confederate flags to a Southern state
1 think 1t was North Carolina elso-
and here have little editorial from
the new York Times, which says OF
that action:
1.-The decision of the governor of New
Jersey to return to North Carolina
flags of that state captured by New
Jersey regiments during the Civil war
will be approved in the North as we'll
as In the South. Ever since the World
war brought the sons of Northern and
Southern veterans into close contact,
the last remaining vestige of regional
feeling has disappeared. The North
has taken Lee to heart as great
American. The South has recognized
the splendor of Lincoln. AS one mark
of the new spirit, many Confederate
flags taken by Northern troops and
Union flags taken by the Southerners
have been returned. In following this
custom New Jersey is contributing her
share to the obliteration of unpleasant
memories"
that / might leave with you, my
friends, as a last remark on this sub :
ject, than to quote some of the utter
ances by the splendid ones who have
represented us in high capacity in our
government in peace and in war.
j recail-it may have been at Apo
! mattox, / do not know, but certainly
soon thereafter-when the great Cen
eral Grant uttered that immortal ex-
| preston, Let US have peace" 1t was
only little while after that that the
| wonderful Lee said, 1--WE are all one
now" 1t was not long after when
dear, old General Gordon said, The
| American people will forever remain
| an unbroken brotherhood from sea to
| sea-; and it was not long after when
the princely Mckinley said, Let us
| strew flowers alike on the graves of
those who wore the Blue and those
who wore the Gray, for American
vaIor is the common heritage of the
nation"
Living here in Washington today is
| a wonderful old soldier of the Confed-
| eracy. All, he knew what service was
| and he knew what suffering was He
was in the war for four and a half
years. and the last part of it he spent
in prison His heart is so full of de.
sire to accomplish a final wiping away
of all thought of bitterness between
the two peoples that he has written a
poem which has been set to music un-