The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-05-12
CUTTING IRONY.
Mr.. Acting President Hayes's Course
Ridiculed Numerically.

Grace Greenwood In the NeV York times.
VUe les commissioner But ali, why
must we ever learn wisdom by bitter ex-
perience? What treasure, what tolls,
what dreadful marches, what rich young
blood, what precious lives, what unspeak |
able aQonies, might have been saved. If in |
the beginning of that fearful, cruel, useless |
war waged for the union and the brilliant |
distractions" of the declaration of indie. |
pendence, a commission had been sent |
south, with instructions to treat with the |
insurgents on their own terms, and it had
treated and been treated, and returned to
report that though the federal government
was the government de jure there, the
confederate was the government de fdct0.
Then, ii the entire north, as one man and
one woman, had uttered benedictory dis
missa in the sublime words of Scott,
"Wayward sisters, 20 10 Ueace" and they
had gone their way, and taken a king, and
we had gone ours, and kept our tempers,
our bank deposits, our canned fruits and
jellies, our fathers, brothers, husbands,
sons, and all that sort of thing, how much
wiser we would have been then; and how
much more fore-handed nowl True, we
should have been poorer in crippled brig
adiers, military monuments, anatomical
museums, and such like ornaments of life,
but richer in the solid essentials of worldly
salvation. Ii really seems that we have
all been mistaken-woefully, fatally mis-
taken-but we will never err in that way
again. The republic has outgrown it's
salad days, when it was green in judg-
ment." The time comes on apace when
even rural pilgrims will be scarce beside
that grave 10 Springfield, or before the
great Ream statue in the capitol. Mar
tyred presidents and emancipation procla-
nations have gone out of fashion, the
boys in Blue" have become so many
bores and bug-besrs, union victories must
no longer be mentioned to ears polite, ]"
the Battle Hymn Of the Republic" sounds
only in reunions on the other side of Jor-
dan, and John Browns soul has gone into
eternal bivouac. We read that extensive
preparations are being made for the deco
ration, this season, of confederate graves
in northern cemeteries, and at the same
time we read that in the decorations OF
April 26, in Florida. where, if anywhere,
flowers are plenty and cheap, nc
federal soldiers grave received as
mucE as a sprig OF rosemary for re,
membrance," or bunch of "pansies,
for. thought" Yet this little fact should
not be considered We are a generous
people, we fill the cup of kindness till il
slops over, if We fill it at all, and there Is
Of course, large, magnanimous, muni6
cent, lop sidedness about this Cancellation
business that is most honorable TO us
We must continue to do good, hoping fol
no return In the shape Of a converted
Democrat, a conciliated old Wing, or
regenerated Kuklux; certainly, for not 81
much as handful of roses flung on tn
southern graves of our fallen heroes, t.
cheer for little their sad exile of death
L surely have no word to say against dec
Grating the graves of the confederate dead
Between them aud us there is eternal peace
| remember that on the FIRST decoration
day at Arlington, l, with my little daugh
ter, sought out the graves Of the rebels [
beg pardon for the word; we used to US
it tEen), and left on them all our offerings
They had such lowly, lonely, home -sicl
look. II l could, | would scatter swee
flowers over the graves of all the bray
men our foes, as token of forgiveness,
but l would plant on none poppy an
mandragora' as a sign OF forgetfulnes
y IS, tines and manners are changing; NJ
only are long neglected confederate grave
IN demand, but confederate literature
looking up. 1t is stated that hourishiu
journal has agreed to give Mrs. StOnewe
Jackson 500 column for personal reco
lections OF the private life Of the sail
militant of Virginia Can such thin:
be!and overcome US old fogies like IA SUI
mer cloud without our special wonder
Surely, the relict Of the fighting bishop
Tennessee, if there be such lady. shou
take hint trom Mrs. Jackson, and edit
collection OF Campfire Meditations
"ExhortatIoDs from the Saddle and d
not the mysterious Quantrel leave
widow Is there not Mrs. Forrest al
Nine. Wirz, who could give an accou
OF the brilliant raid on Lawrence, ''Firesi
Stories Of Fort Pillow and 'Idyls
Andersonville? Such contributions won
make the fortune of a northern illustrate
i,urnal inof noun