North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1870-06-22
Blue and GRAY.

Blue and Gray.
The work of pacifcation in the result
OF the war on the part of the people of tn
south goes on with steadiness and certain
ty. The good work is more rapid ant
most satisfactory where the Northern ele
nent is the stronger and where Northern
enterprise and capital has demonstrated t,
the Southern people the great benefits o
the new civilization. As an illustration O
what the presence Of Northern business
men in large force and influence can do
the ceremony of decorating the graves o
the fallen soldiers at Chattanooga, Tennes
see, was attended by most remarkable
state of things. Immediately after tn,
close OF the war large number of Unior
officers and soldiers settled in Chattanooga
and they have been Joined by hundreds o.
others, soldiers and civilians. Some o.
Cleveland's best and most enterprising cit
izens have invested more than q hundred
thousand dollars there. On Sunday thu
graves of the Confederate dead were strewr
with flowers, and an grafton made by Col
D. M. Key, Confederate officer. Many
Federal officers and soldiers were present
and participated in the ceremony. Colone
Key said:
| am not here to day to re-open''t ''th,
wounds inflicted in those conflicts, nor Il
revive the war that has ended. wouli
rather mollify the asperities that then ex
listed, and forget the war-like sounds WI
once heard. do not come here to defenG
the cause in which those men fought
whom we are here to-day to honor. Tha
would be useless. The armies in which
they fought are disbanded, the governm'
they served has perished, the cause fol
which they fought is lost, hopelessly lost
and it were useless to defend it now.
Nor would assail the victors. Thei,
flag floats proudly over us now, and wher
ever there is American soil, wherever there
floats an American ship, in every quarter
Of the globe that flag waves proudly, vic
toriously, and that government is honoret
and respected. 1 would not now tear dowr
that flag nor that government if 1 could.
But it is meet that we should honor th.
men who fought and died in the cause
which was lost. That cause was our cause
and right or wrong we stood by it. W.
encouraged these men to 20 forth and fgh
for it, and now that they have fallen w
should be dead to every principle Of man
hood, if We did not honor these men who
gave up their lives for the cause they be
lieved to be right. Those who fought vi
cannot surely blame US, if on this holy
day we meet to shed tear over those who
died for US.
That contest is ended and its results car
not be overturned. There renains tc
those who survive from the defeated party
q higher duty than fell to those whom W,
haze met to-day to honor. In the heat o.
battle, amid the stirring notes of war, the
roar of artillery, the shrek of shot and
shell, the whistle of bullets, the rattle Of
drums and the call of bugles, few there
are who cannot be reused to deeds of val
or. But when the flag we henored and
fought for trails in the dust, and the sound
OF war is hushed, when the settled convic.
tions of life time are overthrown and
trampled upon, and you are at the mercy
of the victors, then it takes man to ap-
preciate and rouse himself 10 act upon the
duty of the hour.
When disputes arise between man and
man, an appeal is made to the courts, and
by their decision both must abide. We
appealed to the supreme arbitrament OF
arms. The question has been decided
against us by the tribunal to which we our.
selves appealed, and he who will not now
abide the issue is moral coward. This
is the duty which l wish to inculcate.-
That we should submit cheerfully to the
decision against US. Cheerfally, l say,
and not as GROWERS. l have but little re.
spect for the man who, when he has re-
ceived a trifing wound, makes the air re-
sound with his groans and imprecations,
as though he were at deaths door. pre-
fer, rather, to applaud the man who bears
the anguish of some fearful wound OF
painful operation with calmness and resig-
nation in silence.
1t is no dishonor to the Federal soldiers
that they were at times driven back from
the gallant front of tho Confederate SOL
diers. 1t is rather an honor that finally
they triumphed over so resolute an adver-
sary.
l have often thought, that neither side
had sufficient regard for the integrity of
the other, and that neither construed the
action of the other with that charity
which they ought. 1t was evident to all
studying the history of the country and
considering it's condition that sooner or la
ter war must come. We in the South were
taught from infancy that slavery was right.
1t was an Inheritance from our politicians,
and statesmen said it was protected by the
Constitution. Our minister told us that il
was right and was supported by the word
Of God. But these men who sleep here
did not all own slaves. There was anoth.
er dogma which inspired the South. il
was believed that the abolition of slavery
would lead to political and social equality
of the races. The South had been taught
Il. L. Al IL IL