THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602090011
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 28 lines
Regarding Michael Maltinsky's ``Insulting celebration coverage'' (letter, Jan. 30): In more than 20 years of study of the War Between the States, I have never heard anyone even hint that Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were anything but American. Even people of the Northern states who had cause to dislike them would never make such a statement.
It might well serve Mr. Maltinsky to study the Constitution of the United States. The last sentence in Article I says that a state has the right to fight, enter into agreement or compact with another state or foreign power. And in fact engage in war if invaded, or if in imminent danger of being invaded.
In 1861, the occupation of Fort Sumter by U.S. troops was considered an invasion; they had every right to fight and to compact with other states - and even foreign powers.
ED SHERMAN
Suffolk, Jan. 31, 1996 by CNB