Letters To The Editor

Originally published March 2018 · p. 2

TO THE EDITOR: Harold Holzer’s oration on the 154th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address (January 2018 CWN issue) was timely and informative. His focus on the uproar in recent months over whether Civil War monuments should stay or go poses difficult questions that require answers from elected officials in this country. The controversy related to these monuments stems to a great extent from changes in society over the years. Demographic shifts in cities and towns have brought about calls for removal of the monuments by the racial or ethnic groups that replaced prior inhabitants who either favored these memorials or were neutral regarding their existence. Given this state of affairs, the current predominant group or voting bloc should have a say in whether these monuments continue to have a rightful place in their communities. What should not happen, however, is the destruction or defacing of these images. Those who are guilty of such activity should be prosecuted. At the same time, an effort should be made, as Mr. Holzer suggested, to have the now unwanted memorials removed to a park or museum where they can be preserved for posterity. While Harold’s overall premise is commendable, his dismissal of selective monuments from protection is unwise. While Jefferson Davis may not be one of his heroes, others undoubtedly think differently; the comment about Davis comes across as a form of political correctness. Once you allow an exception, thereby encouraging the defacing or destruction of any one monument, the door is open for many more exceptions to follow. It will indeed become the rule. The U.S. Congress should pass a law protecting all historical monuments, without exception, from being defaced or damaged. At the same time, the law should delegate the disposition of these monuments to state and municipal authorities, thereby allowing local residents to have a say in whether to keep them in their particular areas. However, it should be mandatory that arrangements be made for a public or private group to take ownership of the no longer wanted monuments so they can serve to inform future generations about the history of this country. Tom Ryan Bethany Beach, DE Former president, Central Delaware CWRT

TO THE EDITOR: It’s a shame what’s happening to the Confederate monuments throughout the South. One wonders if the offended citizens possess any knowledge of World War II much less the intricacies of the Civil War or really care. Perhaps the next lesson taught would be self-reliance rather than self pity. Michael D’Antonio Metairie, La. TO THE EDITOR: I have been reading CWN and really liked the great article about Nathan Bedford Forrest that appears in the February issue. I have a half dozen books pertaining to Forrest, he deserves a better place in the history of the Confederacy. John A. Punola Madison, N.J. TO THE EDITOR: Confederate monuments will continue to be removed as long as people, like yourself, write and say, that the Civil War was fought, “over whether to abolish slavery.” Most everyone who reads your article knows the complexities and many causes for which that war was fought but you chose to simplify it. Larry Koval Warren, Ohio TO THE EDITOR: To add to my thoughts which I gave in my Sept. 2017 letter; since then, officials in Boston, Mass., removed a Confederate monument at Fort Warren, George’s Island. The monument had been made during the Civil War Centennial, by the then Boston Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, in memory of the Confederates who died at Fort Warren as Prisoners of War. Their remains had been moved elsewhere years before the Civil War Centennial. Now, the famous historical Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston may be re-named, because the original donor, Peter Faneuil (1700-43), owned slaves, even though slavery was legal in Massachusetts until the Revolutionary War. One possibility would be to re-name it the Martin Luther King Hall, as he had strong ties to Boston. It appears to me that many descendants of slaves, their elected officials, and their political supporters, nation-wide, are having Confederate monuments and statues removed for two reasons: (1) to PUNISH the names and remembrance of Confederates and slave-owners, and possibly to also punish the descendants of Confederates by removing the monuments and statues of their beloved ancestors; and (2), to attempt to ERASE rather than remember the historical institution of slavery. They are able to do so, particularly in bigger cities that now have large populations of slave descendants. It is their right, with the help of their elected officials and political supporters, and it cannot be stopped. I believe Confederate descendants, like myself, have to live with it, and must adjust to the new norm. Hopefully, it will always remain legal to have Confederate books and pictures in your home. Leon Basile Woburn, Mass. TO THE EDITOR: Received the February issue of Civil War News the other day. It is, as usual, a great read. I was especially struck by your “From The Low Country” editorial as well as the front page article by Steve Davis. The editorial was, as far as I’m concerned, spot-on. It’s sad that there are citizens in this country who are completely lost when it comes to American history; almost blind to it. They would seem to want the rest of us to celebrate their history/heritage, but do not want us to remember ours. Indeed, there are those whose idea of “history” is what they had for lunch. One has to wonder if city council people, county supervisors, and the like, are more worried about their reelection prospects than having an educated dialogue with the public. Columbus Day, in San Francisco, has officially been renamed “Indigenous Peoples Day;” I kid you not. As a long time Civil War reenactor (32 years) it is especially disturbing to hear that reenactment events might become possible targets of violence. Every reenactment I have participated in has had education as its very foundation, so much so that historical education of the public is written into club by-laws. I hope we’re not fighting a losing battle.