Beltway Confidential

Confederate statues honor soldiers’ valor, not beliefs

By James Bowman

Published August 18, 2017 7:38pm ET

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Confederate statues honor soldiers’ valor, not beliefs — It is understandable why the descendants of black slaves should regard the idea of a statue commemorating the Confederate dead as a monument to hate. But if they look at "Appomattox" they may be able to see that there is no trace of hate in it. (Flickr)

A few blocks from where I live in Alexandria, Va., at the intersection of Prince and Washington Streets, there stands a bronze statue — fully worthy of President Trump’s epithet “beautiful” — of a young man, his head bowed, his arms folded across his chest and a broad-brimmed hat in one hand. A canteen and an ammunition bag slung around one shoulder and hanging by his side is the only indication of his military career. He is facing south.

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