The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-07-22
National Fraternization,

cannot be brought out in any other way
When we meet a man face to face, and ex-
change courteses and opinions. there naturally
springs up kindlier feeling than if intercourse
had been sought through the formal method OF
letter writing. The great source OF difference
and misunderstanding between the people OF
the North and South, and the estrangement
that followed, before the war, was the infre-
quency of personal contact in a friendly spirit
between the great body OF the people OF the
two sections. Each section viewed the other
through distorted and prejudiced vision, ana
never allowed the better impulses OF their ma
lures to 90 out in search Of kindred sentiment
and feeling for the purpose OF knitting togeth-
er the citizens of a common country IN
the bonds of a common brotherhood. There
were questions of deep moral import that con-
tributed largely to this condition OF things, but
now that the great cause OF this antipodal re-
lation has been removed, there ought to be no
intervening obstacle to prevent cordial fra
termination between the geographical Localities.
! The late war taught each that it misunderstood
tho other, and that courage and generosity and
yCIJutllC dllu "NAO
common to the people of America. wherever
| born or raised, as the water they drink, or the
air they breathe. They are now better pre-
pared to sympaLhise with each other, and to
appreciate the wonderful blessings that have
been showered upon them in the liberty and
| freedom of our Republican Institutions. The
recent demonstration at Bunker Hill, COM
memorative Ct the fraternity and unity OF our
ancestors, and the unseltish love OF the princi-
pie of liberty that stirred them in the struggle
| for national independence, Irrespective OF sec
ton or geographical line, was indicative OF
what intercourse and cordial determination will
vet accomplish for the people of this great
country. AS an English writer has beautiful
ly expressed it ''What sort Of celebration
would it have been but for the civil war? The
real beauty of the spectacle was that there were
seen together, marshaled in one procession to
one national shrine, Northerners and Southern
ers, Feierals and Confederates. glad to show
how much deeper their union is than their diff
ference. The quafrels Of lovers. says the old
poet are the RENEWALS of love; and it may now
be fairly assumed that the American States are
! less likely to separate or to have any serious
disagreement than before the civil war. Not
only has that issue been tried, not to be tried
again: not only has each side more respect for
the other than when they only talked; tut the
whole matter has been more thoroughly
thought over. and the Union driven more deep
ly into the American heart and SOUL"
Let each study to do justice to the honest
convictions Of the other-to tolerate liberal
difference of opinion on public questions affec-
ting national policy, and accord to the other
an ardent devotion to the principles that un-
derlie our system of goyel nment, whatever Diff
ference of view we may entertain as to the
means for the practical application OF the
principles and the resultant benefits The
s'yankee'' blue coat and the ''rebcF' gray
coat, who met on the tented fields, and exchan-
ged the bloody compliments OF war, understand
the relations of the sections better than the
plotting politicians who are constantly seeking
to excite prejudices for party purposes and sell
fish gain. instead of intoxicating sentiment OF
national determination and national affection
The popular heart OF the country responds cor
daily to the unity and oneness OF the country
the perpetuity Of our institutions, and the
common brotherhood of the sections. The
marplots and ncendiaries who are constantly
| fomenting strfe-arraying section against
section. and seeking to open the questions set
tied by the war by changing State constitutions
and eliminating those features which pledge
the acceptance Of the results of chat bloody ar
bitrament-should be frowned into sienc. land
the grander sentiment proclaimed and fastened
on the American consciousness, that the
constitution. as it is, must be maintained and
the Union, in all its yigor and comprehensive
ness preserved, in the sense that this is a ma
ton, paramount in it's autonomy, infusing its
vitalizing power to the States that revolve
around it in their distinct ard separate
spheres.
The Dispatch says that the editor of the
/ VIRaINIAN and Gen. Butler both belonged to
the Democratic party in 1861. True, but we
divexzed at Charleston, when Butler took up
jeff Davis and we supported Stephen A.
Douglas. We have no disposition to dlsclam
the facts of that memorable occasion, for we
are now controlled by the same sentiment and
conviction tasst then influenced us to oppose
the ''Scarlet Letter" and ''Cotton States
League plan of Yancey. We do not believe
that the Yaneey and Davis theory of govern
hment can be practically enforced. and those
who still hug that delusion are enemies to the
| IF 4 Ay,a e ~