The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-06-03
FEDERAL SOLDIERS HoNoR1EG THE coNFED-
ERATE DEAD.

II has become trite remark that the soldiers OF
the North and South--the true. the brave and the
magnanimous Of both sections-better understand
each other when they meet thsn any other class of
citizens Men of courage and principle learned
to respect their foes on the battlefield Only the
vulrures of the two armies, preyiDg upon the
>feuds and animosities of past years, have kept up
v;ndictive feelings and hostile attitudes This
applies more directly 10 the scum of the Northern
army, since the people of the South have alone
borne the suffering and oppression consequent
upon the existence Of such unworthy motives
among their late enemies. The preudces and
passions of the Northern masses have been played
upon TO great extent, and the skukers of that re-
eion have done more TO keep alive the spirit of
revenge than any other class. The truly brave
men who fought for the Union unsel6shly have
always shown decent regard for the feelings and
sympathies of the Southern people. They know
that we were in earnest, honestly contendng for
that which we believed to be right and they are
willing to accord to US praise and merit in defend
ing like men the honor and integrity of our Sec
t:on Further than this, we would not have them
90. for it would be inconsistent with their pledges
aud sacrifices TO acknowledge that We were right
and they were entirely wrong. But when an au-
thori,atve utterance of generous feeling is made
BY body of Federal soldiers, it deserves acknowl
edgement and ought to receive it ut our hands.
We are led into these reflections by recent cir
cular promulgated from Post No. l9 Of Pcnnsylva-
MIA, Grand Army of the Republic, an organization
for the most part controlled by party politicians
and unworthy soldiers. This exception is truly
gratifying, and we trust is the harbinger of more
general return to fraternal good feeling among the
Federal soldiery. In announcing the day set
apart MAY 2sl for decorating the graves of their
fallen comrades, the officers Of Post 10 speak as
follows:
Wishing to bury forever the harsh feelings en-
sugeudered by the war; Post l9 has decided not to
pass by the graves of the Confederares in our lines
but 10 divide ench year between the blue and the
eray the first floral offerings of common country
We bnye no poweress foes. Post l9 thinks of the
Southern dead only rs brave men,"
This is the eloquence of bravery and generous
sentiment. Words fly spoken None oher than
the heart of genuine soldier could feel the i'm
pulse running through those lines. How striking
Nv in contrast to the edct sent forth by Post No
Of Washington city, which declared unanimously
that "wh,is We hold no malice against the dead
vho fell in attempting TO haal down our flag and
thereby engepdering the nation, We will not divide
our hunass by decorating Confederate graves and
thereby tain. the character of those who sacrificed
their lives thGt their country might liye." But
we could not expecl generosity to live in the tnnt
ed atmosphere OF Washington city. where scheming
and Vaccinations for our oppression have been in
dustriously wrought Tor the last four years. We
prefer. however, to dwell in recollection upon the
delicate tribute paid by the Pennsylvanians to the
noble dead of the South now lying in their midst,
rather than upon the narrow mindednsss displayed
In the national capital