Minutes 06/25/1974 - Laserfiche WebLink

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318 June 25, 1974 Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the ~epublic, issue¢ on May 5, 1868 an order pointing May 30 of that year for similar services to the graves of Union soldiers in the North. It is a legal holiday in all states except AEkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Missis- ippi, ~orth Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. Each of these states names it's individ- ual Memorial Day. On Memorial Day our nation recognizes the right to adorn with flowers, wreaths and the flag under which the service men fought. It ~s a revered custom of respect -- extend ed even to the graves of British sailors and soldiers who lie in our soil smnce the American Revolution. On this day THEIR flag flies above them. Long years ago reverence for all Americans who fought in all wars became a day for honoring all our military dead and then s~illed over into decorating with flowers our own family graves. Think not that this began two or three years ago. This was~city wide, loving service of which I was a part from earliest memory. Any family who was not concerned about Memorial Day was just not history-minded.-- just not ~atri~tic! Just not proud of its people! Equally distressing is the unawareness of you gentlemen that this custom is over 100 years old! Where have your.eyes ~een that you could complain that "someone has been placing Confederacy flags for the last three years on each figure or.the monument at Court and. High". ~t is since 1876 that a laurel wreath and flags appropriate to the man': war service have been faithfully placed there by loving ~ands of the United Daugh~s.~f the Confederacy, women who formerly were the Ladies' Memorial Aid Association. This association was the hard-working auxiliary to the Portsmouth and Norfolk County Monument Association which was organized by a large number of prominent Portsmouth citizens in 1875, veterans dedicated to erecting "the finest monument in the South to the brave men who died serving the Confederacy. Though Portsmouth had only 900 voters when the crisis arose, 1,400 men went to f~ght for their constitutional right to secede from the Union. You may be unaware that in 1781 the thirteen original states drew up Confederation Articles which said "Each State retains its sovereighty, its ~reedom, its independence, and every power.,, jurisdiction and right which is not expressly delegated by this con- f.ederation to the United States". When New York's delegation voted to accept the new constitution it said "The powers of government may be reassumed by the people of the State whensoever it shall become necessary to their happiness". ~his meant New York reserved its right to leave the Union and retur~ to self government. So-did all the S~uthern-States i~ resuming their indepen~ dent governments. It should be remembered t~at Virginia, for all the prominent role she played in forming the Union, held off from szgn~ng the Constitution -- held off a long time --re- fusing to sign until a positiYe date was named on which no more slaves would be imported. So it was made unlawful to import slaves after th~ year 1808. Also, Virginia owned all t~e land west of her. She gave all that land stretching to the Mississippi River to the Union specifying that no slavery was ~o be allowed in the seven states ~hich were made of her land over. Loving hearts and hands who decorate the graves of the Confederate dead also honor and decorate the gra~es of the men who established our nation in the Revolutionary War the great American War for Independence -- the% decorate the resting places of our Spanish-American War dead, our World Wars One and Two, our Eorean dead and those who fought in Vietnam. But we do not decorate them with the Eorean flag nor the Vietnam flag for they fought as Americans -- so it would be inappropriate to mark their graves with Korean or Vietnamese flags. A sense of appropriatness is requisite. So Daughters of the Confederacy know it is fitting to decorate a monument with the flag under which soldiers and sailors of the Confederate States of America fought. This flag is an American flag, don't forget. In the Bicentennial of our nation you will hear no protest oK f~ags of the Confederacy. History is history. Overwhelming force may crush truth to earth, but crushed or not, truth is still truth. We, who respect the living and the honored dead, who know the purpose of Memorial Day are not the anarchists who decorate their cars in our city with the flag or red, green and black, which is the flag of Interndtion Communist Comspiracy, who flaunt their hatred of America by obscenely placing our national emblem, on their clothing. We do not hoist the red flag or the black flag, but those who do, do it knowingly, inciting to de- fiance of duly established authority. We are the people who love the Star Spangled Banner above all flags, who stand at attention, hand ove~ heart, eyes full upon it, with a prayer-of thanksgiving when it is presented to view! I humbly but proudly admit to being known natianally as "The Sta~ Spangled Banner Lady". Now who among us present could be more greatly honored? Daughters of the Confederacy in Portsmouth deplore the discrimination you gentlemen exerted against the flags and the ~reatb on our Monument on Memorial Day. What right ~id you have to ~emove in d~shonor these hallowed fla~s and the wreath? How could you not know who placed them there? How could you be so abysmally ignorant Of America's history? 6outd all of you be t~at uninformed that upon complaint of One o£.you all the rest of you fall on your faces zn acquiescebce? Either you don't know what Memorial Day' purpose zs or you don't care! Either ~ay ts inexcusable. D~es the honoring of the flag of the Confederate States of America on thdrday originated for such honoring reduce your pride and glory in the magnificent Star Spangled Banner? If it does then you are also remiss in total flag awareness. Descendants of these brave souls have fought in every war since under the United States flag.