, 1873-05-27

a sCRIMMAGE IN A GRAVEYARD.
Tho action Of tho ''drand Army Of tho Ropub-
1c,' at Washington City, with reference to tho
decoration Of graves at Arlington on tho ensuing
Goth Of May, showa very conc'usiyo1y TINT
tho political organization which Inns adopted TINT
ligh-sounding titlo Is capable Of doing all tn
n1anly md mihchiovous thing, Which should
cause its mombors to blusl for shamo. A fow
days ago, tho announcement was mailo that tho
graves Of tho Confederate 1oad ut Arlington
woro to bo decorated on tho eamo day with tho
graves Of Union soldiers, wloroupon committee
Of tho Grand Army Of tho Republic waited upon
tho War Department and requested that this
"inault" should bo prevented. Tho War Do
partmont accedod to the request, md conso-
quontly tho gravoa Of tho Confederate doad will
go undccoratod on tint day, except with those
dowors with which impartial Naturo docoratos
oil graves aliko. Wo almost wonder that
this Grand Army ;;of tho Republic which
carrios its offlco-grabbing animositiea even
into tho grayo md yontB it's spite upon tho dead,
did not pass somo resolutions protesting against
tho Almighty, Mho allows tho shmo flowers to
grow upon thoBo graves, who wators thon with
tho Same rains, boautilos thom with tho samo
sunshine, and creates the Same birds to sing
above them.
Tho Grand Army Of tho Republic do we'll to
decorate tho graves OF their comrades, aud to
keep nlivc spirit Of loyalty and patriotism in
those degenerate days, when it saems at times III
il eyory spark of patriotism Ind boon oxtin-
tinguished with greonbachu. 1t is well to ro-
molnbor thoHo who diod for their country, to
rocall thoir galantry, aud to honor thoir memo-
ry. But is it Roldiorly or manly to pursue a re-
sontn,ent into m onomy'a grayc7 Ii 1t charita-
bio to say TINT tho turf which covers the doad
shall not cover tho miBtakos, or, il you
ploase, tho crimes, which they committed
Aro TIC noyor to forgot that Into
which uas born In tho passions
Of q sectional war, but go on cherishing 1t and
wroaking our petty vengeance upon tho turf that
covers those whq were Our foos, and gave their
lives for the cause i'll which thoy believed in as
forvontly Us Wc did in ours? Is tinao, which
softons everything elso, and grasses the scars Of
tho battlefield, neyor to romovo thoBo old on1ni-
ties, but must they 50 on rambling in our breast
and be kept alive by blowing the old enlbcrs into
fame and adding now fuel OH every annivor-
anry?
Tho Union and Confederate soldiers sleep sido
by sido in that dark aud silent rest where oil
mon are brothers md tho samo flowers blossom
oyor thom. No malice can reach them. They
woro citizenB Of C. common country. They woro
equally brave. They fought fora causo which oach
thought equally rIghtoouD. They gov" tllel1 lireo
with equal roadineau. Those of thoir comrades
who have lived hayo acknowledged their dofoat,
l,avo returned to their foalty to the Union, and
hnye extended tho fratornal hand to the North
in token ofreconciliation aud submission. Those
who actually boro armB agninnt tho Union have
displayed tho most loyalty, They wero the first
to rouew thoir allegiance to their country. There
is no diBloyalty in the South to-day among those
who boro tho Confederate flag in baltic. And
now, instead Of extending tho hand and throw
ing the mantle OF charity oyor tho past, tlis
grand army Of of1lce-holdors propose once moro
to keep alivo tho old animoaitos.
The protonso that tloro might bo a collision
if tho two sets Of graves were decorated on the
Bame day is pretonso merely. Tho public
would like to Lnow which party would taao
tho initiative in atarting Hcrimmago over tho
bones of tho dead. Tho information would pos
soas considerable yaluo in itHelf II thoro bo my
among us, either North or South, who layo 80
little sonso Of deeonoy as to desecrato Gods
aero on day Ret apart for q SOLEMN ceremony, it
would bo highly usoful aud advantageous to havo
their names published, so that they might bo OK
cludod hereafter from oil cemotories whatsoever.
| But, in point Of fact, thoro was no apprehension
Of fight in the Arlington graveyard. Tho
Grand Army Of tho Republic is o secret political,
not military, organization. It's purpose is to got
ollco for some members Of the Republican party
and to withhold it from othera-to get onlco for
some soltliera and to withhold it from others. It
is caucus, and its military mumnory is merely
tho badge which it Inns adopted to give III air OF
/ respectability to its roal purposes.
Tho world las made 30 littlo progress in the