Life — June 16, 1898 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Cartoon Analysis: "Let Well Enough Alone" This 1908 *Life* magazine page satirizes a proposal to return Confederate flags captured during the Civil War to the South. The main cartoon depicts an ostrich (representing the proposal's supporters) alongside a soldier examining the flags, with the caption "Very Curious Indeed." The article argues against returning these flags, warning that doing so risks "stirring up rancorous objections" and that it's better to leave them where they are—powerless and forgotten. The cartoonist suggests that reviving these symbols would unnecessarily inflame sectional tensions decades after the Civil War's end. The accompanying sketches appear to satirize Southern reactions to the proposal, likely mocking resistance or opposition. The overall message: let sleeping dogs lie regarding Civil War memorabilia.