Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-04-15
TEE CHIEF EsSEE.

The Democratic press and Democratic
,rators have had much to say in dersive
way. about the Bloody Shirt" which
It was alleged the Republican leaders were
1aunting to arouse the sectional feeling OF
the North, and again carry the party to
another Presidential term. In this gen.
eral term is included all allusions made |.
by the Republican side to any event Of
the war for the L Mon, or any OF the ex
cesses committed by Southern people in
consequence of results which have grown
out Of the war. The idea held up in this
term Of derision is this-that as the South
was conquered and acknowledged the ma
tional supremacy, all that passed at that
time should be ignored and suffered to
rest in oblivion. The idea is a very pret-
ty one, but unfortunately it is impractic-
able, simply because the leading elements
in the South will not permit sectional feel
ing to die out there.
We believe that no rebellion subdued
nimty upon the part of the victors than
the one which our country has had to deal
with. If we are asked for the proof of
this we have but to point to the material
Of which the present National Legislature
is composed. On the part Of those who
were earnest Unionists, North as well as
South, there has been an earnest desire to
show that the past, if not forgotten, is
forgiven. Such, however, has not been
the case on the other side. While Re-
pubicans and Unionists, recognizing that
peace was declared, have divided up on
questions Of local or financial import, the
apparent aim Of Democracy has been to
recognize merit in those only who were
serving the South in her struggle for the
dissolution Of the Union. SO fast as the
Democratic party regancd ascendency in
the different States, did the ex-rebel Gle
ment Of the party push itself forward,
and as the present Congress is constituted
that is the element which controls and di-
reefs the Democratic party policy in the
nation. The South is represented by
those who were in the Confederate SER
vice, military or civil the North, where
Democracy tliumphed, sent those who
were earnest sympathizers with the re-
belion. They who speak dersively Of
the Bloody Shirt" ignore the fact that
/ there is scarce Democrat in Congress
/ from North Of Mason and Dixon's line,
but owes his position directly to the sup
port Of men who were true Unionists
while the war of secession was progress
! ing. Had sectional feeling been kept
alive, had the Stars and Stripes been
waved before Union men with such eff
feet as the Stars and Bars have had upon
Contederates, the Democratic repre-
sentation from the North would now be
as slim as in the days Of the rebellion.
But in point of fact there never was sec
tional feeling in the North. The feeling
which sent men to do battle for the Union
was pre-eminently national. It sought
not to subdue, but to restore, and when
/ that object was effected the political tide
/ set in its old channels. But this did not
! signify that we were, or should be, asham-
ed Of the part so gallantly borne by the
men of the North in putting down that
rebellion. That became a part of our
ational glory, not to be brought forward
to wound the feelings of the vanquished,
but to be held in grateful remembrance.
Aside from the petty issues which give
the opportunities for forming po itical
capital, this Southern question will be
the prominent one in the campaign next
/ fall. The Republicans can look back to
II series Of progressive legislation, none of
/ which they could wish to see undone.-
/ They know that in the event of Demo-
cratic triumph, the attempt would be
made to render all that has been done
nugatory; to place matters as near as
possible in the state they occupied fifteen
years ago. In all its measures of pro-
gress it has encountered the stubborn op.
position of the Democrats on one preteXt
or another, and from the temper shown
by the element which guides that party
in Congress, it is clear that, not in this
generation can the Democracy be trusted
with unbridled power. Unless we are
prepared oplace those who fought against
/, the Union with those who fought for it
, to have claims for untold millions raked
= u and pressed through Il Congress whose
t blind partisanship will make it venal
r to have the passport to political honor
be a gool record il the G. Moderate ser
vic, we must fight and win the battl,
th fall on the issue of standing by the
results of the war. We 60 rot propose
to turn our backs upon either the ir ell
men, nor upon those who aided to give
r them their privileges of citizenship. Thi
is all there /; of consequence between th,
} parties-on other questions there is
, IA division OF opinion, where men o
both parties think alike. But in tn,
question Of Southern reconstruction th,
Iarty viii t.nl by its reco d and on thi
will the Ccntenuial campaign be fought
=~-----4-s4----s-.s
LAW OF THE UMBLELLA.-It was moi
supposed that the umbrella was tolcen No.