The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-05-06
A., Era of Good Feeling.

,,ood fec,;ne" through the Pfesldehtiaieiee-
g. rho canvass for which has commenced
Af,.r the war of 1912 there was cessation
-, n,,ty hostilities. The country was at rest,
and national devotion and general harmony
nrevsiled. Mr. MONROE went into the Presl'
dency in 1877, with that excellent gentleman
DANIEL. D. ToMfKlNs, Of New York, rs VICE
President. The MONROE Administration was
least disturbed by party feeling OF all tha'
the country ever had. Mr.. MONROE WAS ''p ''
raj In policy and mild in his opinions 90
free from rarty feeling was bis rule tlat party
spirit nearly died out a'l over the country
There were no such things as party nomina-
t;onx candidates proclaimed themselves,
and run upon their individual merits ana
everywhere there were profound rest aud
res,,ite from heated political discussions.
MIR. MONROE, in a reply to an address from
the people of Maine, happily expressed his
own feelings and the spirit Of his Admins
tration as follows:
"The further advance i'll my progress iii
fhe country the more | perceive that we ~"
NIL Americans; that we compose but OIL"
f.miIv: that our Republican institutions WIZ
he supported aud pcrIstuated by the up.tc'
zeal and patriotism Of MI. Nothing conl;'
p;ye me greater satisfaction than TO behold 4
Derfect union among oursclyes-a uniol,
which is necessary to restore to socnl inter-
coirse its former charms. and to render our
hanpiness rs q nation unmiXed and complete.
To promote this desirable result requires no
COMPROMISE of principle, and promise to
give it my continued attention and my best
endeayors.'
This was the heartfelt utterancc OF an hon
est man. and bis conduct proved the sincerity
of bis professions. The country had passed
through a war-not very bloody one, but
one that tried the national devotion and pro-
duced the pccunIary difficulties that so often
follow wars The event kindled warm sen-
timents Of patriotism, and citizens were in
clined to forget the aspcrities of party. Mt.
MONROE encouraged this tendency and COM
pletelv established the harmony of sections
and States which he 50 ardcntly desired to
see.
In HORACE GREELEY We have man whose
national devotion is as comprehensive as that
of MI. MONROE was; and he is as ardent in his
desire for thorough reunion of the people
md the States as ever Mr.. MONROE could have
been. He has been the main instrument in
the formation of new party out of the cruel
and unrclcntin: war party. whose reign eN-
cludcS all possibility Of peace and good feel
ing. Its disruption affords the only hope OF
the restoration of harmony. 1t cannot he
detbroned In any other way; and If the move
mcnt thus begun by Mr.. GREELEY is sls-
tanned bv the union of all patriotic and liberal
rsoplc. the object he had in view i'll separat- |
Ing from the party in power Will be eflectu-
nliy accomplished-yiz.,t the REIMBURSEMENT
of the Union in the hearts of the people and
the restoration of harmony and good will
throughout the land.
II the country has not been at war with a
foreign foe it has been torn by a civil war,
which is far more terrible in its effects, and
yividly brings before our minds the bless
inss of peace compared with the worst hor-
rors of war Thus disposed ny recent pail
full experiences. the public heart should all
sorb as readily tine sweet waters Of peace rs
does the dry sand the gentle rains of heaven.
Then, why may we not have another "ela
OF good feeling" another period of rest and
of recreation of the patriotic impulses Of the
people9 1t is needed-we have the means
and dispositions to accomplish it--and no.
thing but judicial blindness andmadness can
defeat 1t.
As we have said, the disruption Of the
war party can alone ensure this era of
harmony and rest. If itstands firmly united
it cannot be defeated. Nor can party sepa-
ruted from it triumph, unless it has the sup
port OF the whole body Of the people who
disapprove of the policy Of the war party.
But with such great things to gain by giving
their support to this separated party, will
they fail to give that support heartily and
unanimously They need peace; we all
need rest and chance to recover from
prostration the whole people need to
renew their proper love for their coun-
try; the oil in their lamps has run
low; these need replenishing and to be light
ed anew with fire from the altar of the coun-
try. And unless this time of recuperation
and national harmony comes to the nation,
we shall go on in the ways of bitterness and
alienation to the destruction of the peace
and harmony Of the land, and with daily in
creasing peril to the Government.
If the nation is wise 1t will determine that
the era of. good feeling shall now occur, and
that the nation shall he rciSsured in its har-
mony and good faith.