Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-05-07
GEsEssaL BARTLETT IN Hs<ER-
YaOND.


1OND.
I General ". F. Bartlett, the Fedora
soldier whose brave words at LexIpg
ton have been SO universally approved
all over the country, was sereDaded al
Richmond on last Wednesday night.
General Bartlett maintained his prin-
clples during the war at the point oi
the swCId, having lost limb in tie
service, and IS noy citizen of Rich
I nl0nd, that "hot-bed of treason" as
! some Of the stay at bones still persist
ealing it. In response to a few
C )mplimentary remarks from General
Bradley L. Johnson, General Bartl, tt
said:
! ''While ] appreciate deeply this
mark of your esteem and approval.
cannot allow You to give me undue
credit. | cannot allow you to suppose.
! that It r, quired any courage to tell lhe,
audience at Lexington the truth thar
/ came TO NY lips. Had il been my lot
! to tell tLCm unpleasant truths that
might mar tn ir JOY or excite til; ir 10
I dignatIOn-had [ been forced to admit
/ that the war was not vet over; that a
Northern man could net live paactably
al the Suuth and be true to his ca
nectIOns: that the men of the South,
having appealed to the dread arbltra-
! non OF the awo!d, had, regardless of
honor, refused TO abide hv its stern
decree. then, L grant you, my task
would have been heavy-my courage
W '!id have beeu tested. But, sir, the
trnths that [ uttt red were the most
W lcoine tdlngs they received on that
! day OF Jnhliee, aud what you now ap-
prove aud confirm has already been
most heart Y eudors. by the penp'~
aTu press OF the North [ only spoke
tie hopes and feelings of rnv
people. The chord of love aud
harmony was there, ard only waited
for the touch. The chief def, ct in
the great fabric OF our n,lion which,
whl'e 1t existed, rendered pel feet
harmony OF Interests Impossible has
been rudely swept away, leaving
structure more permanent, more full
OF glorious possibilities than our faith
ers dared to hope for. To cement tls
new uuion on a sOunder foundations
and avail ourselves of the promises Of
10 these centennial years. AS soldiers
who fought the battle ont in good
faith you can WELD the strongest III
Huence for peace and light. Your
worst enemies at the South are tine
few men here and there who talk more
oravely than they fought, and it is the
>ame at the North, but the people
there are tired OF these politicians
whose voice is still for war;" are fast
replacing them by men of less selfish
purpose, whose views are bounded 10y
no harrow liues Of State or section OF
party. but who de.lre justice and pros
per!Jy for all. The war through which
we passed developed and proved on
both sides the noble qualities of Amer
ican manhood. 1t has left to US sold
Iers, once foes. now friends, a memory
of hard fought fields. of peaceful sacri
fees, of heroic valor, and has taught
lesson TO be transmitted to our child
rem that divid, d We were terrible. |
united we are invincible.
This is the testimony of man OF
Northern birth, and soldier III the !
Federal army all through the war. A
native Of Mas -achusette, with friends !
aud relatives Of pro-ljtence III that
State, he is as fully qualified to speak
of the sentiments ana wishes Of the
people Of that section as of those IN
the South amorg whom he now re
sides And yet. such sheets as the
Washington Rel)u6}icaa and Chicago
Inter- ocean, eiited and controlled by
N n who oid not hear gun fired dn-
ring he war. still Insist upon it that
the war is not yet over and that the
SJuth il a slunbering volcano ready
to burst ont at any time into renewed
r bel!IOn 10 the Government General
Bartlett thinks, very correctly, that
hose on both sides who burnt guC:-
powder during the four long years OF
the war were sufficiently amused ard
are now ready to turn their attention
to employments of g more peaceful
nature. Those who now insist upOu
tie existence of a continued war feel
iDg in the South, merely express the
wish that is father to the thought,
and are OF those who, in such an i'm
p Dssibie event, would have everything
to gain and nothing to lose.