The Sentinel of Trenton, New Jersey was in press for only a short span between 1880 and 1882. In that brief run, they published three articles commenting on Confederate commemoration. Two of these articles covered the erection of monuments in Culpeper, Virginia and Frederick, Maryland. These items were one-sentence briefs.[1] Although the Sentinel did not comment at length, its editorial staff were clearly concerned with what was happening just south of the Mason-Dixon line.
The Sentinel also published one editorial directly criticizing Confederate commemoration. In a harsh response to an article in the white-run Memphis Appeal, the Sentinel rejected the confidence “that the Negro’s rights will be safe in the custody of his late master.”[2] The article questioned whether the South was truly repentant and trustworthy, questioning the notion that “the Southern fire eater is no more; that the South has accepted the results of the war, and that popular sentiment in that section is as loyal to the Union as it is in New Jersey.”[3] As evidence of this continued disloyalty, it referenced the dedication of the monument in Antietam National Cemetery. At its dedication, the Sentinel noted, “the name of Jefferson Davis was loudly cheered, and mention of the emancipation proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, brought forth hisses from many throats.”[4]
The article—published just before the 1880 election—also attacked Democratic politicians who continued to insist that their primary constituency was white voters.[4:1] The editorial concluded with a series of frustrated questions:
Have we been told the truth? Does anyone really believe that the south has accepted the results of the war? That the finances of the country will be safe under Southern control? Would the black man who voted for Wm. H. English have an ounce of self-respect? As long as Mr. Ludlow studiously avoids asking the support of any but white men, would it be wise for black men to vote for him? Would it be right to vote for either?[5]
The Sentinel offered a straightforward diagnosis of the link between white supremacism, the Democratic party, sectional resentment, the assault on Black voting rights, and Confederate commemoration.
Justin Seward
Please cite as:
Seward, Justin. “‘Safe in the Custody of His Late Master’: The New Jersey Sentinel Connects White Supremacism and Confederate Commemoration.” False Image of History: Perspectives on Confederate Commemoration from the Black Press (online). Fall 2024 Edition. Schaefer, Donovan O., ed. URL = https://falseimage.pennds.org/essay/“safe-in-the-custody-of-his-late-master”-the-new-jersey-sentinel-connects-white-supremacism-and-confederate-commemoration/.
References
Associated Press. “Confederate General’s Remains Moved to Virginia Hometown.” Accessed August 9, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/politics-richmond-virginia-horses-035f89128ca4268d50356fd1f103a4fc.
Associated Press. “Confederate Statue Toppled, Monuments Defaced in Maryland.” July 1, 2020. https://apnews.com/06b80dbd99d73bb65649dc4dfc31d845.
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “A Monument to the Confederate Dead was Unveiled a Few Days Ago.” July 30, 1881.
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “A Monument to the Confederate Dead was Unveiled at Frederick.” June 11, 1881.
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “Would it be Right?” September 25, 1880.
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “A Monument to the Confederate Dead Was Unveiled a Few Days Ago”; Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “A Monument to the Confederate Dead Was Unveiled at Frederick.” The monument in Culpeper contained the remains of CSA General A.P. Hill, later moved to Richmond, but removed in 2023 following pressure from the Black Lives Matter movement and reinterred in Culpeper’s Fairview Cemetery. The Frederick monument was erected by the Ladies Monumental Association of Frederick County to honor the unknown Confederate dead in Mount Olivet Cemetery. The statue and accompanying Confederate flags were destroyed by Black Lives Matter protestors in 2020. (Associated Press. “Confederate General’s Remains Moved to Virginia Hometown”; Associated Press. “Confederate Statue Toppled, Monuments Defaced in Maryland.”) ↩︎
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “Would it be Right?” ↩︎
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “Would it be Right?” ↩︎
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “Would it be Right?” ↩︎ ↩︎
Sentinel (Trenton, NJ). “Would it be Right?” ↩︎