Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-23
The Era of Good Feeling.

These sunny June days appear to have
put all the world in good humor; the
colliery strikes are at an end and peace
reigns in Lehigh; railroad belligerents
hob and mob together: even the gra>shop-
pers, ashamed of their brutality in such an
amiable atmosphere. have lifted themselves
in a body and gone off to Canada. Visiting
delegations of all sorts are flying to and fro
at all points of the compass, dining and
wtning together, and exchanging mutual
condolences of admiration. To-day the
fire companies start out to seek their for
tune As guests, tomorrow the journalists.
or the photographers, or doctors, or oyster
packers. The very peach..growers, who
invariably hold Il convention this time
every year to groan IN concert, and
announce that there will not be a peach
worth mentioning in all Jersey or Della
ware, have caught the cheerful infection,
and actually came together the other day
to tell Us that they did not know how to
manage the enormous crop of the coming
Summer. and that they expected peaches
to overflow this country and become drug
in the markets of Europe and Canada.
The National Board of Trade in Phila-
delpli1 might at least have been expected
10 conduct matters in practical. I'M
sentimental fashion, but after some dry
discussion of finance and transportation and
rules of trade, they suddenly met over \
dinner table. and overlooked into hand
shaking and patriotism and hearty good
fellowship and unboundcd hospitality.
Chicago sang the praises Of NewIork, and
st. Louis cnlogizcd New-Orlean>, ami
Philadelphia assured them that her latch
string was out for &c. and the least
country town represented in the Board in
Vi cd every city there to visit her. and see
her especial elevator OF pork-packing ap-
p ratus or Normal School; and then in
chorus they sent hearty messages t.
Bunker Hill and England and the universe
IN general. Americans have n world wide,
rep ttation as Il jealous, bilious, cynical
ace. bat there never WAS people more
disposed to take their ease and think well
Of themselves and of all mankind than they
are 1T this present time.
Seriously, the meeting in Boston the
other day struck 4 Keynote of kindly feel
ing that has rcverbcrtted like music III
over The country. Much has been said
since the war of the expectancy and pro
prirty of restoring hearty brotherly feeling
between the North and South. and MANY
individual efforts have been made to tina,
nd. But when Fit. Hugh Lee came TO tn,
celebration of Bunker Hill " because hc
had Il right to be there and was WELDON
a with heartfelt earnstneSs by the mel
If Boston. and when the Maryland troops
quietly laid Il cross of flowers on the gray.
o. Massachusetts soldiers who had fought
glinst them. We all felt that the work o
rrconciliati IL had indeed begun in earn
est.
Personal contact is needed more than
tnything else to bring oar divided peopl,.
together. The great masses of educated
klndlv Northerncrs and Southerners did
not meet and knew nothing of each other
turing the wtr The North Judged of the
South bv the politicians who misrepresen-
led her. and the South rated the North toe
'ften hy the measure Of some few of hel
troops who degraded honorable warfare
Both parties forgot that in war times the
most savage and lowest elements fermenl
md come 10 the surface. 1t is time tina
they should remember it now, and the
decent, cultured, quiet class Of both sec
lions sAould learn to know each other
There is u disposition shown lately to
laugh At the host Of petty and more prcten
lnuS centennial celebrations which hav,
come and are coming. But the more OF
them the better. Let Richmond entertain
l|oston.1 ana Charleston come to New
York. Let Boards of Trade and conven-
ions of doctors or tircmen, or photogra
pliers. exchange visits. Let us all find
ont that, whether we owned slaves on
fought for them. whether we were born on
windy Connecticut hi Is or hot Georgi,
rice >wamp~, we have only grown to be
men and women alike husbands and f..
Jh'r~. and tol,rtblv good honest fellows
1t bottom. If ho>pitalites accepted here
,nd there can leach US that fact it will b,
ot more solid Importance to the countr,
llI1n any ductrin,s of trade OF trtnspnrta-
! non, or honor paid to the deeds of our
lorct,jher> at Banker HIIl or rniladelphi:,
y. /. YribH"9.