Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
There was a time when southern gentlemen prided themselves on their faith, fidelity and honor.
Confederate General Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson was the epitome of this view - respected by friend and foe alike for his courage and determination in the face of overwhelming odds, his fidelity to his men and his deep and abiding religious faith. These qualities made the term "Stonewall" one of respect for generations following the Civil War.
That is until another southern "gentleman" happened onto the American scene. One who has taken the term "stonewall" to a new, much baser level.
President William Jefferson (Stonewall) Clinton has shown none of the honor nor courage exhibited by Jackson. And while his stubborn determination may equal Jackson's in intensity, it is nowhere near as honorable and faithful.
General Stonewall is remembered for his deep religious convictions, his tenaciousness in battle, and his unflinching devotion to the men under his command. Stonewall Clinton will be remembered for his dubious moral character, his unconscionable rigidity in defying a duly authorized investigation into allegations for criminal activities he may have been involved in, and a loyalty to his underlings that is more fleeting than the morning dew.
No. President Stonewall is changing the connotation of that nickname to one of subterfuge and deceit.
General Stonewall would have never thought to leave his compatriots and underlings hanging out to dry in the heat of battle. In fact the General was died in 1863 from wounds he received during the battle for Chancellorsville (Virg.) while leading his men into the overwhelming fire of the enemy.
President Stonewall sees friends supporters as mere cover when the political and legal bullets start to fly. Just ask Jim Guy Tucker and Webb Hubbell about President Stonewall's fidelity when push came to shove. We can't ask James McDougall how the President Stonewall tool the legal bullet for him - McDougall died in a prison infirmary of cancer, while serving time for a crime President Stonewall let him take the fall for alone.
The idea that General Stonewall would have collaborated with is Union equals is ludicrous. Yet, President Stonewall has no qualms about selling technology and influence to the Chinese, our ideological enemies now, and a much more formidable military foe if that ideology ever pushes our relations past the breaking point.
No, President Stonewall will go down in history as a leader much less honorable, much less faithful, much less a gentleman than General Stonewall's legacy.
And one has to wonder, if the General would want to keep the nickname he proudly earned and has carried through history. Or, would he now renounce it since r the term "Stonewall" no longer is synonymous with the admirable qualities he brought to it.
