The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-05-13
The North and the South

This was one of the toasts at the lat,
centennial celebration Gen William +
Bartlett, formerly OF Pittsfield. Mass, wa
called upon to respond. OF him the Worlt
says: ''From the halls of Harvard, in
stinct and every possible predisposition O.
birth and education, General Bartlett wen1
to fire, and iron, and the wide -moutheC
wars, where he left leg and an arm and
gained at the Wilderness some two ounces
OF lead Finally he settled at Richmond
near which city he had been captured in
1864. Thus his was the experience of one
who, entering upon keen contest with
the zeal OF partisan superadded to the
courage of soldier, received honorable
wounds and finally settled down in amity
among those with whom he had fought y
We append the response Of Gen Bart
lett, as breathing a magnanimous, gener-
Gus and patriotic spirit:
Mr.. President OF the relations of the North
to the South l am not an unprejudiced OBJ
server. On the contrary | have a prejudice
which is shared by all soldiers, in favor of peace
and think l may safely say that between the
soldiers OF the two great sections of our great
country fraternal relations were established
long ago. have also strong prejudice against
any man or men who would divide or retard or
destroy the prosperity of the nation whose cor
ner stone was laid in the blood of our fathers
100 years ago to-day. Moved by this prejudice
fourteen years ago, opposed the men who
preferred disunion to death. True to this pref
udice, to-day despise the men who would, for
the sake OF self or party, stand in The way of
reconciliation and united country. The dis
tlngulshed soldier who is your chief guest to-
day never came nearer to the hearts of the peo-
pie than when he said LET us have peace"
and, sir, the only really belligerent people in
the country to-day, North and South, are those
who, while the war lasted followed carefully
the paths of peace. Do not believe that the
light and dirty froth which is blown Northward
and scattered over the land (oftentimes for NAL
lcl0uS purpOses) represents the true current of
public opinion at the South. Look to their he
roes, their leaders, their Gordons, their Lees,
their JohnSOns, their Lamar Ransom and Rip
ley, and tell me if you find anything but renew
ed loyalty and devotion to II reunited country.
These are the men, as our great and good Gov.
Andrew told you at the close of the War-theSe
are the men by whom and through whom you
must restore the South, instead of the mcaner
men for whom power is only Il synonym tor
plundcr As | begged you last summer, | en-
treat you again. do not repel the returning love
Of these men by suspicion or indifference. II
you cannot in forgiveness kill the fatted calf"
do not with coldness Kill the prodigal. When
the o4th Massachusetts, regiment made its gal
liant attack on Fort Wagner in July, 1863, it lost,
with hundreds otits brave men, its heroic lead
er and its coOrs. A few weeks ago that flag
was gracefully returned to the Governor OF
Massachusetts by the officer who took it in ae
ton, with these noble words:
''Under the exciting state ofthings, deem
il IpcOrous if a nOSitiNp UntX n
the oblivion of anmositles which led TO and
We're engendered by the war | prefer to look
upon such trophies as mementoes OF the gallant
conduct OF men who like Shaw, Putnam, and
other sons of Massachusetts, sealed with their
lives their devotion to the cause which they
adopted rather than as evidences Of proves ON
the one side or the other The custodans of
such memento should be the authorities of the
state honored by those gallant men, and there
fore transmit the flag to your eXcelleney for
such disposition AS the authorities of MaSSachu-
sets shall determine. Respectfully your obe-
dient servant. r. ;. RIPLEY"
No one but soldiers can know how he would
cling to trophy that he had taken in honorable
battle. No one but soldier knows what it
would cost to give il up unless compelled by
lOtier motives Of chiyalrOtls PATRIOTISM, and
when Gen. Ripley wrote the letter he thought
not of self, not of South urolina, nor of Massa-
chusetts, but Of 4 restored and united country,
and his heart Il continent. There are tattered
tlugS IN lnat sacred mali i'll NOnUer capitol,
around which, in the shock of battle, | have
seen dear friends and brave men fall like all-
tumn leaves. There are flags there thai | can
not look upon without tears Of pride and sol-
row. But there is tlag there which has
to-day for ts deeper significance OF that bears
within its folds a brighter omen of peace on
earth good will to men, than that battle
stained emblem so tenderly restored by Il son
OF South Carolina, whom here in the name OF
the soldiers Of Massachusetts, 1 thank and greet
as brother. And | am proud that he was an
American soldier. A. an American | am as
proud Of the men who charged so bravely with
Picketts division on our lines at Gettysburg,
as | am of the men who bravely met and re-
pulsed them there. Men cannot always choose
the right cause; but when, having chosen that
which conscience dictates, they are ready to
die for it, if they justify not their cause they at
least ennobe themselves, and the men who for
conscience's sake, fought against their govern
ment at Gettysburg, ought easily to be forgiven
by the sons of men, who for cOnsciencc's sake,
fought against their government at Lexington
and Bunker Hill. Oh, sir, as Massachusetts
was first in war, so let her be first iii peace,
and she shall forever be first in the hearts OF
her countrymen. And let lis here resolve that.
true to her ancient motto, while in war enSe
petit pl0cidum, in peace, she demands not only
for herself, but for every inch of this great
country, SuI IibcTfdtp jHiftFn,