The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-12-18

The war is over. Peace with its soft
gentle white wings, now reigns supreme
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The
war did not end with the surrender OF
Lee, or of Johnston. The spirit of war,
extent still prevailed. Never until the
first Tuesday in November last, did the
Confederate in his grey, or the Northern
man in his blue feel that all alike, the
Confederate and the Federal, the Blue
and the Grey, were both the children of
the same great country, which had been
at war the one with the other, war IN
which each had signalized himself as the
representative of a section, but in which
each showed himself to be the representa-
tive of the great Observation-Disclosures
soldier. Up to November the Southern
man felt that he had been overpOwered,
not l1hipped, but now he feels that whether
JChipped or OUerpOI0ered, he is in the
hands of brave men and not of tyrants.
lie feels, and feels most truly, that hence
forward his fate, his home, his children,
his county, are in the hands of Ten who
can forget all that is unpleasant in the
past, and, remember only all that is
glorious on both sides in the past, and
hope for all that is pleasant, bright, pure,
and free in the great future.
What, says true philosophy, aye true
patriotism, nOw2 The poor South stood
like a lamb ready for the hands of the
slayer. The South had none but moral
power to resist the slayer. What said
the slayer? In an hour of magnanimity
having looked upon the dumb lamb tor
years, a voice was heard from the great
and mighty North, Stay thy hand.
Thus far mayest thou go and no farther.
Corruption, faithlessness, and, mlsrule
must stop aud freedom, equality, and
constitutional ideas be restored.
Now what shall tennessee, what shall
the South say? Shall we remember with
regrets and complaints the past, or shall
we look to the future, to that future which
is for us and our posterity forever? We
say emphatically, the United States has
ceased TO be sectional and is now Nation
al The States have since November
resumed positions as States with powers
to administer local self-gOyernment.
This country is oHrs-its destlnies and
its hopes, its glorics, and its downfall,
If downfall it may have, is ours.
Shall we endeavor to build up or
destroy? We say, let us help to build up.
Let US do all in our power to make
America what our fathers intended 1t to
he, the hons Of the oppressed and the
land of constitutional irseGOm, If we do
less than this we are not worthy Of our
fathers. Repceforth, if we are true to
ourselves ard our history, we will hear
no more Of North or South, or Fast or
West, but a broad, liberal nationality will
distinguish our utteraHces end our con
duet. We shall hencefOrth ask not, ID he
of the North or of the South, but we will
return to that standard of our Cwn great
constitutional leader, and ask, ''is he
honest?' SIS he iaithfGR' is he capa-
bIc?"
Let each man when he meets his coun-
tryman, whether he comes from Maine or
California, or South Carolina, or Missis.
sippi, or elsewhere, greet him as a citizen
OF common country, having common
origin and common destiny.
No distracting sectional issues divide
us. All issues look to the good of the
whole, and that party which recognizes
this and acts on it, will succeed. Any
party which attempts to base ITS hopes OF
success on sectional ideas, must fail, and
ought to fail. The perpetuity of cOnStitu-
tional liberty, the rights of the States to
control local affairs, the Independence OF
each and every department OF the govern
ment, the honest administration of gov
eminent, State and National; economy,
purity and honesty, will be the watch
words in the future.