The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1876-06-14
DECORATION DAY.

! "Df'Oh WV Ill Ctlfo CouHCIys CIlO Olll.
feeling it excited WAS tho desire to
honor exclusively Northern OF
Southern soldiers. Each gallant
fellow was yet held in kindly remem'
brnncc in his native town or vii.
luge the little flag or bunch OF
flowers WAS most probably laid
above him by hands which his own had
htcly pressed thore was IN indi-
Vidual sonse of loss in tho hearts OF
those who paid this annual trib ute
to his memory, and, it may be. IA lit
ter resentment against those who
slow linn.
Now, when personal sorrow for
the dead has given place to morc
vague but far juster conception OF
the moaning and uses of the war, it
in significant fact that the one
incident Of tho day most eagerly
commented on as important by
press and people is the occasional
honor paid to the brave dead by
their former foes. It is the wreath
laid on the grave Of the boy in gray
which draws attentions away from all
the others, md dims the eyes of the
bystandcrs with IL feeling which has
Il deeper source than even c5rct for
the dead, so strong is the desire in
the people to be friends again with
their brethren. Politicians may
have their own ends to serve in
probing the still gaping wounds, but
the great mass OF intelligent Chris
tiah people in both the South and
North are heartily glad Of any occa
sion which brings them together on
their old footing, or gives them u
chance to show kindly feeling. To-
dny is one of these rare chances.
Last year a marked effort WAS made
to pay respect to the graves of Con
fcdcrate dead in the North, or OF
the Union soldiers in Southern
! graveyards, and we doubt not the
l,rotherly feeling will be more
strongly expressed to-day. A propo-
sition was made il week or two ago by
an association of the First Defenders
the men WHO first took up arms in
the North--that III invitation be
extended to Il like associate in the
South to join them in honoring the
Fourth of July together in the old
Independence Hall The spectacle
OF these two bodies of men, rem
nants of The forces who rushed to
arms against each other for causes
which seemed just to them, march
ing arm i'll arm together, would give
more meaning to the day than all
the splcndor of foreign or home dis
play with which it will be celc-
bratcd.
There is no reason, to look ut the
matter in the light of common sense,
why the alienation between the sec
tions should continue. There is now
no integral difference in their inter.
ests, such as existed before the war,
and made accord well nigh impossi-
bic. The great political issues now
before the country are not based on
geographical divisions. Much of
the heat of resentment still remains,
especially in the farming provinces
of the South, and it is n"tural it
should remain. No agricultural
people can see their homcstends dc
stroyed and land laid waste without
bearing grndge deep and bitter
against the invaders. Men in cities
whose business suffered equally, and
whose losses were perhaps heavier,
feltno personal malice against their
enemies SO wholesome is the effect
of friction on the average mind. But
oven i'll the isolated planter the sense
of injury grows already fainter with
each year. There arc many causes
which will hasten return not only
of peace but of good will No per
sistent feud of this kind has ever
existed among a people of homogc
ncous origin unless it was caused by
religious differences, as in Ireland,
or by irreconcilable political aims, ns
between the Guelphsnnd Ghibcllines.
There is absolutely no irrcconcil; bic
difference, political or religious, be-
tween the people of the South and
North nothing but the heat of re-
cent strife and the American, after
all, particularly the genial, indolent
Southcrner, is IA forgiving, caSy-tcm
perea fellow. A word spoken in
season may make friends of him and
his childrcn's children. For our
sake, and his, let many such words
be spoken to-day with hcartincss
and sincerity. No better time than
the day on which VIC mourn for the
honorable dead can be found to show
that we also honor the living. Ae,c
IOrh: Ir'ib,t,e.
VERY SAp--So the University is
to close on the 18th. This sad m
nomccmcnt is occlsioncd by tho
fact that the money for the bcncii
ciarics cannot DO paid before July I,
1876. Now, next year there should
be no such shortcomings on the
part of the tax payers, and tho stu,
dents should not be permitted to
leave yr'eenet than they come. Let
there be no .fory scheme on the psrt
of the tax payers, or any othcr man,
to avoid assisting this highly bcncf,
ciM institution. If there should be-
some of them may expect to be