Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-21
ESTABLISHED 1S4|

ESTABLISHED 1848.
| FALSE sENTIMENTALlTY.
| Wo have frequently written in our
humble way somewhat lengthy edi-
torials upon the subject Of blotting
out the record in our memories and in
our speech, OF the noble men and party
who saved the nation in the great war
of the rebellion. Also we have dwelt
much upon the false sentimentality Of
clssping hands across the bloody chasm
and landing men who gained promin-
ence on the field of battle % general
officers In an army organized to destroy
this Republic, an army Of traitors in
behalf of human slavery. We are of
those who believe that thero 10 grave
danger in the course pursued by many
Of not properly honoring the Union
soldier, while At the same time tempor-
izing and compromising with the un-
faithful 10 indulged In for the sake of
peace.
The North American and United
States Gazette, of Philadelphia, Pa,
expressed its views upon these
matters In quite lengthy editorial
| and 90 pertinently and forcibly that
we transfer 1t to our columns. That
able journal said:
"Iu the course of some sensible re-
marks on the two extremes OF false
sentimentslity in reference to the late
civil war, which at one end is for
bringing everything to the Union
standard and ostracising oil opposed
TO It, and at the other end for humor-
ing and making as much Of the Con-
federate soldiers % Of those whom
they fought against, the Pittsburgh
Dispatch takes occasion to remark:
"The war is . thing Of the past. and
should have no part In the politics of
to-day. But at the same time It is
thing of history and cannot be blotted
out. It 10 enough that the offences OF
the Southern sinsurgents have been
generously, freely and fully forgiven.
Let the North not 70 further, and for
get the patriotism Of her own sons,
much less insult their memory by re-
dncing them to the level of their foes,
lest some day come when the nation,
being In need similar to that of the
olden time, viii not obtain tho old
time response from her citizens"
"Here 10 very important consider
alton that appears to have been forgot
ten by those who have made such an
unnecessary effort to sink the heroism
and achievements Of the Union SOL
diers, and to eulogize those who
fought for tho confederate cause. The
deep sense Of encouragement that has
settled upon many who served the
Republic faithfully in the hour Of dan
ger, can scarcely be appreciated by
those to whom NO sacrifice is too great, |
and no abasement too low, II it is in.
tended to conciliate the inveterate
rebel to WOO back the irreconcilable,
% patch up . seeming internal peace
IKE those over which 90 many gush- |
Ing speeches were delivered la 1880.
and ut other periods Of compromise
between those who were true to free
dom and those who were devoted to
slavery, to the very verge Of that re-
bellion that they at last rushed into.
Let US suppose that - the result Of
oil these sacrifices the cOnfederates |
shall become nationalized and recon-
ciled. They do not at the present
time command one-fonrth of the peo-
pie. And for every inveterate rebel |
who bnrries his hatreds we cmbitter |
tho heart of Southern Union man or
woman, black or white, who was faith |
ful to us when we had most need of
friends In that section. We do not
speak at random. We have listened
with dependency to the expressions
Of feeling from Southern Union men
who had been prosecuted at home and
suffered everything but death, only to
find their bitterest foes become heroes
and patriots before the Northern peo-
pie. Candidly we do not think that
II there were another cause for trouble
We could depend upon any southern
white friends at all. They have been
mortified. disgusted, neglected by
those who should have stood by them.
"But above all what must be the
effect Of this policy upon the North,
which, after all, u the real reliance and
hope Of the nation? In any great war
It is now evident that it is the North
that must furnish the resources, the
craftsmanship. the armies and the
navies, and II the North refuses or
neglects to do il, the South manifestly
cannot. The North furnished every
thing In the civil war. Northern
money and blood were poured out in
torrents. and, at the end of It al!, the
men who did all this are treated as
nero partisan tricksterp, their patriot
ism is set down a. bunkum, and the
cheap services Of those who are now
ready to clasp hands over bloody
chAsms are rated o. the l0ftiest patriot
ism. The military ring" 10 the dig
nified appellation of the heroic SOL
diers OF that tremendous cruaade for
liberty and union.
Every unsuccessful or half-hearted
commander ON the Union side has be-
come severe critic Of every general
who succeeded. Tho splendid Abili-
ties of Sheridan makes no show in
these days, and Grant, Sherman, and
their associates are Of much less con-
sequence than Lee and Joe johnson.
Part Of this is attributable to reach.
Ing after southern trade. part Oft to
political claptrap. and part of it to .
- a.