Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-09-15


honors to the remains of the gallant
SYDNEY JOHNSTON, and when the decora-
ton of Confederate graves at Arlington
was insultingly forbidden. But We do
not hold the government, the flag, or the
North. as such, responsible for these. any
more than we do for the threatened desc
Grafton of the remains Of our dead by o
few Gettysburg farmers. E.
But the ''forgiving flag is ''glittering
generality" mere tour du phrase, which
means nothing, Or rather, perhaps, we
should say, means too much. That the
government has shown lenien,y. in some
respects, we are not disposed to deny !;
but
1.-THE quality of mercy is not strained
and the demonstrations of clemency have
been neither graceful nor complete-nay,
rather, have been Offset by counter-ex-
hibitions Of oppression, OF GENUINELY and
of prescription. When we use the ex~
pressions "clemency" and "leniency," by
the way, we are not to be understood as
conceding that the South honestly abid-
ing, now, every issue determined by the
war; did anything, morally, that admitted
the necessity of such forgiveness" but,
still. the strong may add flowers to his
wreath of victory, by forbearing to abuse
his vAnquished and weaker foe, and he
should always remember that while it is
glorious to have giants strength, sit is
tyrannous to use it like giant"
The father of the gallant young soldier
alluded to above. if living. in all proba-
bility cannot hold the slightest Office,
while his boot-biack or carriage-driyer
can. II he should discharge that boot,
black from his employment. for reasons
satisfactory to himself, he might, on
trumped-up charge, (under Federal law,
intended for the humiliation and oppres-
sion of Southern gentlemen.) or upon the
suborned evidence of perjurers, be arrest
ed for intimidation of voters" carried
for hundreds of miles from his home, IN
der bayonets, and incarcerate /, without
the privilege of bail "Forgiving Flsgp
II that young man, himself, was now
living. and bad, before the war, held the
common Office of Justice of the Peace.
lie could not fill the slightest public posi-
ton. under the "forgiving folds of that
the Times, it is srch privilege to sleep in
death
A sovereign State $50 called) elects one
of It's most honored, eminent and worthy
citizens to represent its interests in the
National Councils. He fought on the side
cf. or sympathized with, his State-the
and of his nativity and his affections,
in the great civil war, and hence, because
he has heretofore been thus honored in
Office at the hands of his countrymen, be-
cause he was not recresnt to his kindred
and his neighbors, he is excluded fro n the
Halls of Representation, while some
carpet bag military popiniay, like Ames.
of Mississippi, (also " SO called y without
age, without experience, without identif-
cation with the people, without acquain-
lance, with no interest in the affairs of the
State. is allowed, under the " forgiving
folds," to sign with the sword his o10n
credentials as United States Senator.
elected by the negro, by fraud and by the
Oayonet
Verify, "the folds" of the flag. as waved
by those eatraps Of Reconstruction,
Sicklee. Candy, Ames & Co.. did not shine
with very radiantly "forgiving hues -
There be many, unfortunately, who, at
his day, with the accumulated experier ce
of past a, j present upon them, can only
see on the " forgiving folds the " stars "
for one section and the " stripes - for an
other