Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-12-04
WILMINGTON, DEL.
Wednesday Afternoon, Dec, a.
SENATOR SUMMERS PLAN OF CoECILIA
TION.
HOW RDM. JENKINS,
EDITION.

Mr. Sumner, Of course, means well, in his
proposition to remove from the National records,
the names of battles fought by the Union ar
mics, during the Rebellion. He regards it as
judicious measure tending to efface the eviden-
css Of quarrel and so to harmonize and. unity
the country. In our judgment, his plan is i'll
calculated to produce that result.
The great armies OF volunteer soldiers who at
the summons Of the Nation yentured their lives
and all dependent upon them in the service Of
the country, did this upon understanding
that was as well defined, and must be as relig-
iously observed, as if it were the most sacred
written bond. This understanding was that the
defence OF the Unien was a noble, patriotic,
and glorious duty, the faithful performance OF
which would be remembered and recorded, for
ever. We cannot now repudiate that compact, if we
wished it, The precious thousands of lives sac
rihced upon that belief have hallowed and sancti-
fed the bond. 1t is written in the blood Of brave
men; no country could repudiate snch com
tract, without eternal disgrace and none, having
once incurred the shame of such an act, could
ever again call upon her citizen sons to take up
arms in defence Of her nationality. They would
feel that to die for a country which had coldly
discredited such heroism, and obliterated its
records, when it was no longer in trouble would
be an act superluous. and deprived of all incent-
i've. The disregard OF our financial obligations
has been the synonym for dishonor, but such an
act as this would be still more reckless and
cruel measure Of reputation.
But beyond this, there is no real necessity for
such an act. 1t would injure, rather than help
restorationof peace. The war was fought out
without compromise its results must be Sc
cured without loss or modification. The Union
triumphed at great cost. 1t must have the last
inch and ounce Of all it's sacrifices purchased.
The Slavery-SeCession effort failed - failed
justly as we believe, and as Senator Sumner be-
lieves-and with its failure must go the COM
plete and absolute surrender Of all it represen-
ted. There must be no such compromise of
the Unions triumph as comedies, really or ap-
parently, one jot of respect to the Rebellion
and far less such an abnegation Of the National
henor as implies an equality with Treason which
Assalled it. The disloyalty which Slavery bred
must utterly die out; to re-warm its hopes, or to
re-animate its expiring self respect by the con-
cesston that it is as much entitled to the credit
of Posterity as the patriotic impulses OF loyalty
to the Union, would be measure Of statesman
ship most weak and unwise.
There are, in Southern schools and colleges
some thousands OF intelligent, earnest, young
American citizens, who are being carefully trained
to hate the government under which they live
These are the last hopes Of the Secession Cause
When Senator Sumner says to the Union soldier
- The Republic has hidden away your battle
flags it has obliterated from its records all
mention Of your services in its defence go,
then, aud break your medal, burn your corps
badge and deny that your crippled leg is the
consequence Of your loyal devotion to the Ma
tiOnal Union there will rise, once more n
re-animated purpose in the now smouldering
ashes Of Secession, and new Calhouns and Yam
ceys will be encouraged into active effort. The
Senator from Massachusetts, sincerely meaning
Cancellation and Peace, is in reality urging the
Nation to reward and revive the resolution Of its
domestic enemies.