‘Silent Sam’ needs company (NC)

Posted October 22, 2015 - 12:02am
By Bob Morrison

... I paused to see the controversial statue of “Silent Sam,” a memorial to students who joined the Confederate army ...

Julian Carr, a wealthy Civil War veteran who delivered the keynote speech at Silent Sam’s 1913 dedication, made it clear that the monument was erected to honor and perpetuate the cause of white supremacy. Here are a few of his words.

“The present generation … scarcely takes note of what the Confederate soldier meant to the Anglo-Saxon race … the purest strain of the Anglo-Saxon is to be found in the thirteen Southern States — Praise God … One hundred yards from where we stand, I horse-whipped a negro wench until her skirts hung in shreds, because upon the streets of this quiet village she had publicly insulted … a southern lady …”

Today, a century after the statue was erected, that speech is proudly displayed on the website of the Durham Sons of Confederate Veterans ...

http://courier-tribune.com/opinion/staff-columns/silent-sam-needs-company