The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1866-02-15
Miscellaneous.


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supporters of the war did not conceal
from themselves, at times, certain
degree of anxiety as to the future of
the great armies devastatingt United
States. So long as they were held in
the stern grasp of military authority,
they were merely instruments of war.
Their warlike life was, however, a re
generation. 1t taught them new hab-
its and lessons, familiarizcd them with
new scenes, destroyed the shrinking
humanity that always trcmbled at a
wound, and made the physical tenure
of life the burden of mocking song.
Even Death himself is not so terrible
when we come to know him; and we
feared that the lessons in devastation
and blOodshed taught by such inexora-
bic masters. as Sherman and Grant
would be remembered and repeated
when the conquerors of Richmond and
Savannah were freed from the control
of their leaders. This was natural.
We remember how nearly every war
has been followed by scenes of internal
commotion and rapine, and particular
lya war like ours, where Il rebellion
was to be suppressed and a great peo-
pie brought under the dominion of
laws they had spurned. ......'.-.
Look at the rank and file Of the
army! Where are the hundreds of
thousands of gallant, sun-bronzed men
EwhO MARCHED up Pennsylvania avenue
not many months ago! %. They had
passed like stOrm-cloud over ma
IFfAt,
Etempests of blood, and hurricanesmote
dreadful than any commotions of ma
ture. The cloud has broken; and this
aggravatiOn of violence and power
sunk into the earth like so much sweet
and grateful rain, to freShcn and
strengthen, to send forth hafvcsts and
manutaCtOrieS and wealth, homes made
=, happy, virtue and peace and rest.
= Every village has its hero: every fire
side has IT'S chrOniCler of the war.
Every long winter night finds Grant,
and Sherman, and Thomas, fighting
their battles over again-under the di-
rection Of village Homers, who sing
their Iliad and Odyssey to every list
Iening company. What magnificent
strategy with broom and shovel, and
what tremendous work the poker has
to do in carrying the dreadful heights!
Then look at that vast multitude OF
routed, beaten, discounted men,
whose Valor has almost atOned for the
sins of Rebellion. What dreadful
things they were going to do! They
would make the South a Mexico.
They would be like the Spaniards
when BOnaparte was placed over
them. They would become the most
desperate bandits on the earth. The
guerrillas would be mere haberdashcrs
compared with them. They would
IF burn, murder, destroy. Woe to the
Yankee trader who came among them
Woe to the Northern laborer or capi-
talist who presumed to take an acre
., of their most sacred soil. Better they
y had never been born. They would
e become assassins, and shoot them at
r night, on their farms-ycs, in the very
u church, at the foot of the altar Lees
capitulation ended the War-only to
i begin strife infinitely more deadly.
As for the Union! Come back to it?
Is thy servant dog? Better q grave
by the banks of the Suwanee river
than q palace on the Hudson. Better
the Stars and Bars for shroud than
the Stars and Stripes for flag. We
know how angry men will talk. But
men do not remain angry for more
than a week-and our" gallant gray
II brothers are even now clamoring
around Washington, and kicking at
the doors of Congress, and bcscechine
to come in. Oh, how good they will
be! Swear! Yes, all the oaths that
A. ever were recorded in Heaven. Rebel
=, May their tongues cleave to the roof
of their mOuths-may. their right
. hands forget -. Patience, anxious
N brethren in gray! The door will M
o doubt be opened in time. You closeC
ie it unceremoniously in 1860. Yot
fought hard for five years to keep il
!" closed. After five years of fighting, is
,u it too much to ask for Ave years. o
" praying? 90. r-m.' r.'t 80
"a "Wars bcget military ambition
military ambition always destroys Re
.. publics." Every profound sophomort
n; and freshman has proved this from
co numberless platforms and to the ut
er most satisfaction Of adniring audi
II ences of bread-and-butter school-misses
b.. Did not Caesar cross the Rubicon, anC
' Napoleon chase crowd of Deputies
into the street, and so on? Ne ar
range things differently in America
One of our leaders is now in charge o
a machine for patent pumping; anoth
sr is building railway through tn,
y oil country. One Of the first soldier
= of the Army of the Potomac is in tn,
pistol business, another keeps retail
,, grocery store; while one Of Sherman
" most trusted lieutenants il clain
en- agent. One Major General prints
s- weekly Journal in Baltimore. Som
N of our officers have drifted into Con
gress;. Others are on their way to dis
re re tant Courts TO represent the honor ofs
!, nation they did so much to sustain
These starred and belted gentlemen G
. down from the command of cohorts t
become agents and partners and deal
is ers perhaps with the Orderly VIII
II, stood before. their tents or the priyat
lis who held their stirrup So'with IN
IN Generals of the Rebellion. - The grea
n est Of themssall is now a teacher {
.HlilIuIN r..HH.H