The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1869-02-23
FROM TIFFlN.
IIFFIs, O., Feb. |;

, DEAR SPIRIT: Another year has been
rolled into the abyss of ctcrnity-a veal
full of JOY and sorrow: JOY to the bond
holder and sorrow to the ax-payer; joy
to the Radicals, for they have before
them four more years of plumber and
shoddy contracts; sorrow to the toiling
millions of outraged and oppressed peo-
pie who have to reimburse the Treasury
with that which has been plundcred, and
make good the payments to shoddyism
Joy to the lazy, licentious negro. for fol
him is the Freedmen's Bureau still main
tanned sorrow to the toiling white man
who is compelled to let his children GO
hungry to bed, in order that fanaticism
may filch from him the proceeds of his
toll, to maintain and perpetuate this mon
ster incubus of licentious libertimsm
under the assumed garb of philanthropy
and kindness for an inferior and despised
race; a temporary, vague and visionary
Joy to the sons of Ham in the hopes OF
universal franchisc-a subtle, tempo,
rary, Joy that will be dispelled by the ac,
ton of intelligent Anglo-Americans as
the shadowy mists are dissipated by the
rays of the morning sun; JOY, real and
substantial, that thrills the soul and
arouses the energy of the patriot, that
the popular vote Of the intelligent white
men of the nation, when fairly iascer
tained, would have elected white mans
candidate to the chief executive Office al
the recent national election; joy that not
only thrills the soul, but nerves the arm
to write and the tongue to speak the final
doom Of that spirit Of fanaticism that
has for the last ten years stalked as a
pestilence throughout our land; of JOY
to the people, to the nation,to the world
and to humanity, that one Of their mum
Der could not so far forget the early in.
culcation of correct principles as to be-
come the mere tool of this howling pack
Of modern agrarians, and who, true to
those teachings, and to the high and holy
teachings of an enlightened Christianity
magnified himself as an individual his
position as the chief civil officer Of the
nation, and over and above all his posi-
ton as Commander. in Chief Of the ar,
mics and navies, by extending his mag.
nanimity to fallen. disheartened, re-
pentant enemy-and the time the anniver-
sary of the birth Of the Savior, whether
by design or fortunate coincidence, has
rendered this last public act the great act
in the life of Andrew johnson, and has
craven his name high on one of the bold
tablets of the temple of fame, as a mag
unanimous benefactor of erring and frail
humanity.
And this reminds me, friend West, that
"No radiant pearl that crested fortune wears
Nor glittering gem that hangs from beauties
ears,
Shines with such lustrc as the tear that breaks
For others woes down virtues manly checks.
Sweet drop of pure and pearly light,
In thee the rays of virtue shine,
More calmly sweet more mildly bright,
Than any gem that gilds the mind"
As there seems such resemblance in
the adaptation Of this munificent act of
our Chief Executive to that Of Jehovah
1868 (or 'S2) years ago, am reminded
of Divine injunction that admonishes
us to "let the dead past bury its dead y
and as He who was then SO magnani-
mously given to us, and who spake as
never man spoke, continually exhorting
all men of all parties and everywhere to
return to first principles, and who at no
time ventured to add anything to those
first principles except.a "new command,
ment give l unto you, that We LOVE one
another, even as 1 have loved you that
We also love one another" let us contin-
ually exhort one another to adhere to
the Constitution of our fathers, those
bright consultations in the galaxy OF
freedom that astonished the world with
the brilliancy of their ideas, the force OF
their logic, the wisdom of their Consti
tuition, and oyer and above all their mag
nanimity to fallen, powerless enemy
We can in time forget our recent fratri
cidal strife, but can not, and should moi
if we could, forget that
"The blood that flowed at Lexington and Grim
soned bright Champlain,
Still streams along the Southern gulf, and by
the lakes of Maine;
1t flows in veins that swells above Pacifc's gol
den sand,
And throbs in hearts that love and grieye by
DARK ATLANTIc's STRAND
1t binds in one vast brotherhood, the trapper o.
tho West
With men whose cities class themselves in Erie
classic breast;
And those to whom Scptember brings the fire
sides social hour,
With those who see Deccmbcr's brow enwreath
ed with gorgeous flowers,
From where Columbia laughs II greet the smi
ling western wave,
! To where Potomac sighs beside the patriot-hero'
grave;
And from the streaming everglades, to Huron'
lordly flood,
The glory of our nations past thrills through {
KINDRED BLOOD"
perhaps weary you. l picked uE
my pen to drop you a note informing yor
that my time was out with the "Spirit,
and to enclose two dollars (which yol
will find within) for the coming year
but I am such an old fogy, and have sc
uluCu lOVc lOT Olu anu llllle uOHOrcu III
stitutions and practices that it appears tc
me that every time / take up my pen tc
write to an old friend in "Old Monroe
it runs not with me, and
THE thoughts of former years glide DER IN!
soul
Like swift-shooting meteors DER Ardvcn'
gloomy valc,"
and find they must have an utterance
disconnected and irrelevant tho they be
in the way of a social chat with the
friends of auld lang syne.
"Yes memory hath her honey-cells,
And some of them are ours,
But in the sweetest of them dwells
The memory of early hours"
Far away from the scenes of my early
hours it is not to be wondered at if
have become little prolix in my annua
chat And now, good "Spirit, if in my
annual communications / have afforded
you 1.-THE of the qualification that I re
ceive from your weekly visitations l an
more than satisfied. Yours,
O'CoNNoR.
EyGeneral GRANT, IN order to carry