, 1873-06-01
SECTIONAL ANIM0SITY.

ratio.
SECTIONAL ANIM0sITY.
To ths Editor Of TIE Chicago Tribune:
sR: There was an article In Tuesdays TRIBUNE
rejecting upon the action Of he Grand Army OF the
Republic In reference to the decoration Of the Con-
federate graves Arlington the day appoint
ed to decorate the graves Of the Union soldiers As
woman. and, therefore, not one Of those bugbeArs
Of the radical press, the military" please allow lie
to say few words:
"The Grand Army Of the Republic may or may
not be political organization; !" but 1t would Seem
that when they choose day to do honor to their dead
comrades,-a day recognized nu over the land as
sacred to the memory Of thoeo who gave their lives
to cruah q most wicked Rebellon,-"it ia an IN
suit to wish them to offer the homer md respect
to the loyal and disloynl ake-to place the same
level the who Rsved the country, md those who
fought to destroy 1t. We must not pass over
mans mistakes crimes because he has
gone where ne cannot help or harm him.
His deeds live after him, and by thom he shall bee
Judged. They are written on the pages Of history
and VIC must honor the true aud condemn tho false.
An unjust war cannot be excused because faction
choose to think tkoy are right" What nation has
not thought so, no matter how unjust the war7
Thcro is grcat amount Of sentimental sympathy
wasted upon tho South; but, only a few weeks ago,
one Of these men and brothers" rejoicing at the
long List Of Union Generals who hare passed away.
May !" the Grand Army Ct tho Republic" long keep
Deooration-Day sacred to the memory OF tho Union
soldiers, and keep alive spirt Of loyalty and graft
tude for their services. NJ
REMARKS.
TIE were not aware that anybody wished " the !
Grand Army Of the Republic" to decorate the
graves Of the Confederate dead, or expected
that they would do so. AL TINT WAS desired
Was, that the relatives and friends of those dead
might be permitted to pay tribute to their
memory. Can any person of common sense, to
aay nothing of common docency, SEQ anything
wrong in that? And, if a friend Ct the Union
cause one who mourns the 1oss Of noar ands
dear one who fought in the Union ranks-should
place garland upon the mound covering tho
body of one who marched under the opposing
flag, and who, however wrong the Cause
which he egpoused, believed in it's rightfu1ness,
gave his life in it's behalf, and left behind him
desolated home, could any person Of common
sense, to say nothing Of common decency, regard
such an action otherwise than as doed Of mag
nanimity, as deed worthy Of high praise? Was
not the decoration Of the grave Of the Rebel
Captain at Calvary Cemetery noble act2 Did
not Judge Steele, at Springfield, speak rightly
when hesaid of the Rebel dead: sIet us notforget,
while We condemn their courHe, that they we're
flesh of our flesh and blood Of our blood and in
pity, then, let us pause and drop flowers upon
their graves"2 Did not GOV. Washburn, Of
Wisconsin, do honor to himself and his posi-
ton when he suggested "the propriety Of laying
floral tributes On the graves of our late enemies,
not IS countenancing the crime or er1ors Of
those who sought to destroy the Union, but as
the token Of desire to bury in the grave all
bitterness and animosity Of the past"? Was not
noble sight presented at Jefferson Barracks,
when, after orntions by both Union and Con-
federate officers. tributes we're paid to Blue and
Gray a1ike,-of a, 900 graves not one being
passed unheeded, no distinction being made as
to Loyal or Rebel, white or black? 80.
Our correspondent speaks Of sentimental
sympathy wasted upon the South" and cites,
as reason why no sympathy should
be extended to that section, the fact that a
6outherner rejoiced at the death Of Gen. Candy.
Does the South hold monopoly Of foolish and
unfee1ing people2 Does not the letter Of our
correspondent breathe the same spirit as that
which actuated the Southernor to whom she
refers? Docs not GOV. Washburn properly
characterize this spirit when ho says that " The
bitterness engendered by the war is only kept
a1iye by the Vaccinations Of bad men
for base purposes"2 And is it not desir-
able, in the interest Of the North as
well as OF the South, OF the Nation Us we'll as OF
Society, that this spirit, on both aides should be
extinguished as soon as possible. should be
utterly crushed out by the weight Of popular in
dignation and contempt; and that, in its stead,
to use the language Of the Rebal Col. slayback,
there should be ''peace, reconciliation, frater-
nal feeling, and hearty corporation in all things
calculated to promote harmony and conduce to
the prosperity and glory Of. our common coun-
try"7
The sentence Of whipping and pi1lorying has
hean nrnnnuncad apainst a cn1ored e7ir1 in ne1a-