Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-04-14

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and freedom to all men established.
True, socislly il would bs . joyous .
glorious coming together would In
deed crafty them to recount together
their daring and faithful patriotic
deeds, bot In no sense OF love for or
communication Of scenes OF blood aud
carnage, save In order to preserve the
dearest interests. The true Union
soldier takes no pleasure In victories
merely ~ such. The great Joy, the
chief qualification 70 arise In such IN
assemblsge IL that by their efforts and
the efforts Of their slsin comrades, they
are permitted to live and assemble un.
der the same old banner with NO star
erAsed and the country, tho govern.
ment elevated to . higher plane
marked by higher, . moro glorious
| civilization.
The motion, therefore, OF Gen. Stiles
wa happily amended by Gen. White,
which qualified and modified II by I'd.
ding to the invitation to the Confed-
erste soldiers the words, "Thess who
regard the Tag Of the United States 40
the emblem Of undivided and indivis.
ibls nationality"
Ifthere DO those Of The Confederate
soldiers (and that there arc some We
bslievs) who % regard the Dag 1t this
time, aud who would never again DO
found fighting 10 tear down and
trample upon that dag, but on the con-
trary would b found battling for IL II
occasion required, because OF the love
they besr II, then sueh may rejoice
at their own defeat, and with Union
soldiers celebrate the grand triumph
gained over tho rebellion.
We think, however, that before such
On invitation should have been sx-
tended II would have been better to
have known that such Confederate
soldiers desired TO attend such . re.
union-that there were those who re.
| qnessed tho opportunity offered them
to thus make public their own oonfes.
sion Of . former error and renewal OF
unswerving and everlasting feslty to
| the union Of these States. We can readi.
ly conceive that such an invitation OF.
tended unssked for, might not be very
gratefully received. II, however, this
be tho result the fault lies with tho
mover and his friends of the original
resolution. The soldiers of tho Union
cannot nor will not receive within the
fold Of their happy joyous reunion
those who are not In thorough accord
with them In the justice OF the cause
for which they fought and who are not
pledged in sincerity to always stand
BY 4
There must be homogeneity of
thought and desire, In regard to
the indissolubility Of the Union, the
prize gained by tho victors. or there can
b no conSeniality, no..::harmony, no |
rejoicing In common. The victor for
the right, must be honorsa and re.
spsctsd for his deeds, anil the right
ever maintained.
The most thst can be done for the
conquered In . bad cause, 10 to for.
give him, be kind 70 him, and honor
him to Just such An extent ~ he shall
give proof that he has sincerely re.
pented Of the wrong, honestly pledged
himself to the right, and bic works in
the now path he has chosen shall give
satisfactory evidence Of his fsithful-
ness. Its Thus we do with individ-
usls, and the rule 10 equally applicable
to community Of individuals. There |
must be no compromising the dignity |
of virtue that Il may meet on terms Of |
social equality, 10 to speak, with vice. !
Tho votsry of the latter must thor.
oughly admit bis error, and sincerely
pledge himself TO the former, then for.
giveness should promptly step in. snd |
the union 10 not discordsnt |
Tho budding generation Of to-day,
In this country, may have 10 meet |
in their manhood another great !
trial-theY may b called upon to sup.
press rebellion. Whist II they shall
have the example before them-our
example ~ OF having unquestionsd,
freely rsjoiced together, tho upionist !
aud The rebel, esch equally honosed in |
his day, and each still maintaining the
justice Of HE cause and his right to |
assert It In the future. Would this be |
On encouraging example to the ci.z-
isen Of thirty or fifty years hence. TO |
lead him in tho psth Of loyalty 2 !
Would he mot resdily infer that there !
10 little distinction made between the |
loyal and the disloyal-thst meritor.
iousness iies ~ much in ons course ~ |
the other. Hence, what inducenentt I
would there be 10 him to choose the
one course over the other. l
We are not alone acting for to.day
nor for ourselves. The nation may |
again, and In few years, DO in an ex-
and may call for her Sons TO |
dy 10 arms in her defense, by hun.
dreds Of thousands VIII they be In.
sDirsd to do It IL traitorism shall not
have bssn treated % odious-if once
rshsls, without repentance, without
solemn and conscientious pledges OF
future fidelity, aud deeds bedtting the
same, shalt be invited to rejoice with,
and be honored alike with the always
faithful. II stesdfsstness In regard
70 loyalty be not unflinchingly main.
Eained. II true genuine devotion OF
he citizen. 70 the union DO not honored
md it, opposite condemned and
lishonored. al experiences, both ~ 10
ndividusls and nations, teaches no
hat The ums, sooner or later comes,
when there 10 no arm that 10 not pals.
led, no arm equal 70 the task Of avert
Ing . thrsaeened calamity.