American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-06-28
What Henry Ward Beecher Says of Dec
p Grafton Day.

IT was announced from Washington
week ago that on Decoration day TIL
friends of all soldiers, Union or Confe,lel
ate, living buried at Arlington. might visi
their graves and adorn them with flowers
1t seemed that the era of good feeling ha,
really dawned, and all wise and tende
spirits said Amen" But next day it wa
reported that a committee of the Gran,
Army of the Republic had straightwa,
fastened to the War Department to in
quire who is to control the ground on tina
occasion, and to beg that the insult
might be averted. Various journals has
tening also to condemn this kindliness, i
seems worth while to inquire whether
there is any excuse for Withholding SC
simple courtesy.
We recognize, of course, in the profess
OF these gentlemen, staunch loyalty tc
their notion of a patriotism which is in
itself admirable. Their mistake, as il
seems to US, Is misapprehension of the
conditions of the case both past and pres
emit They assert, and with truth, that
aseer victory so dearly bought as ours
there must be no tampering with the
spirit which so nearly overcame u.s. They
also assert, and with error, that honor
offered to our enemy's dead, or concilia-
ton extended to them living, is such tam
pering. And here we take issue
There are two aspects of our late mel
800 "en 70, .Ie NoIsn ooEns
h.s ~ anu wnlch' Pracucaiiy,
y ever TenieMoer- One Is the
- ~. sna', as community, we old consent
me eser;growIhg encroachments OF
slavery, of which war was the logical and
.lnevitable end. Ours was a baser sin than
that of the South For the South had
taught itself to believe that slavery de-
rived its strength from the Bible, and it
Ps.nu usen On .ne aostract right OF the
PsIiAcn'ai ins.itaton. supple doctors
20 uisy SuPpi,eo !. Win scriPturai ar
I'm. I:a me chulches, mcs1 OF mem III
T 1rSs'' uiu no, nesnste 10 ieiioMsnlP IL
liz wnoie SCUM, sehgiousiy,
was son9iy onnooox as II
va sohaly ssavenoldlng' IN an
mo csr I,cI,us. county wnere tne
masses couid neitner reao nor Write, ana
wnele, na.uIaiIy, the newspaper nao a.
r IoS; !. no par. IN sne eo9ca1ion OF me peo-
Pe. II w.s inevitaDie mat new orasofs
anu ponucai managers should control the
oomMunity- 80 thas slavery and the con
seqoent secession were, 10 q remarkable
osgree, tne honest cause OF the whole peo,
P1e, ana win = sp1en9ld courage ana
enoufanee 1ey followed their dlsunlon
= nay ~ ~ounas a1a oeatn as simply ana
s,oss 20 a Ell :. ~ ~. III n .ae Dsnner u .ne
VIZ very ignorant anu "hodIy wrong, out
.ney qieo TOT the pest cause they knew-
T R,,. iuer 8. Psss;o.,sM L..
-hn cr,;1's !. y ~ ~ s.ass ~ pe wlong'
,;f; 49, -, ~ ls-e yur conSciences 70 Jus
styS 60 Sef auu euocuiaScu |.
ssluouSn 1--we VI RoA sno ueslre OF an
.:enooie peace. we tA1gnt the South that
=. $3.50 ~ I1Mano Mnae We snoIiu no.
last sisserv tSres,ensS se n- na.;onaS Af a.
- o" :e. our ceeionaI me,
os tnc useinc. u senPlesefVa.ion
raIner tnan any nobler sentiment which
PiunR. sec restssance. IN tnst goioen sum,
me. =: iooo We went ON ga1neIlhg anu
~ ~ ~ anu living luxurious ives, care
ies5 % ~. Po[u N inc SKY. IN tne
..,r;y, ~. - ~ 49,; ny e.o.S e.e
..sos y. .ne On:on VIM uoucoeo us
49,; "a p,eso.e q own ln.eg II
Co o. ~ s;e "a o.a'e, ale
,,,erchan,. III .roat u 1 L.s army he sisa.
nfssn Az a-u sieae iwye alas, 100
cities, There was nofh;na in the s attstnd as
- m"s no'nlns ~ Tue a''i'uue
~. -, 1c No.n, alMoss up 10 tne moment OF
NC ~ ns on Or. SumsGr, 70 check the
.h ;naIs u ue SOUL aner9 was every,
um;asi, - . .ssse 'ila' inc Union "ouio
- eP4-
- la VIC aIe w NO means innocent
vi .Ie war, therefore, u Denooves us TO
80 I'LL e.1y " our nelIoM SINNERS,
,r o~ ",,ea, We ra aunv ~ OUT coon SIN. ana
sh.r;ag 49, ~ nave HLgo'ten tnaI,
t sha, X. .1 81 gun, NC couIu MOI sn9t
~, ,ne f Uut lroM taat tsaempsson Ior whlch
we iougnt II tne OBJECTS OF the war were
III, . ~ ..;. ssu IegeIe.ated onioH, Dut
o ora, an ' ;naoIaI pn Vi .ateIoSseu NORM
~. az lnsolen' anu uSnSnt oouth' tnen
~ .I ho .ausS was as inucn Deae. tnan oars.
. a. n s: uIsoticn 70 an I1eai' however
d;o or sAe y De.ter man pure VIM
~ s..aS we nase no moral ground
, ~ st1u yPon' put are guiity Oh our
~ oro oTsr oloou, unless we meant 70 make