The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-06-12

il equally. Bul this war will not con
= sent 10 be viewed simply as physi
y cal contest 1t is not for this tina
/ the nation is in solemn procession
: abou. the graves of its patriot sons
q today. 1t was not fight between
r rapacious birds snd ferocious beasts
= a mere display of brute courage anG
: endurance, bu. it was war between
!, meu, men of thought as well IS ac
: tion, and in dead earnest for some
r thing beyond The battle field 1t wa:
not even a war of geography or topo
: grapby ,r of race
; Lands intersec;ed by a narrow firth
+ Abhor each other.
l Mountains iaterposed maze enemies ofnltioas.'
But the sectional character of this
war was merely accidental, and its
least significant feature. 1t was 8
war of ideas, a battle of principles
and ideas which united one section
: and divided the other a war be.
tween the old and new, slavery and
freedom, barbarism and civilization;
between government based upon
the broadcast aud grandest declara-
tion of human rights the world ever
heard or read, and another pretended
government, based upon an open,
bold, and shocking denial of all rights,
except the right of the strongest.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DECORATION
DAY.
Good, wise, and generous men al
the North, in power and out of pow
er, for whose good mentions aud
: patriotism We must all have the
highest respect, dopbt the wisdom OF
observing this memorial day, and
would have US forget and forgive,
slrew flowers alike and lovingly, On
rebel and loyal graves. This senti-
ment is noble and generous, worthy
of all honor as such; but il is only a
sentiment after all, and must sub
NIT to its own rational limitations
There was right side and wrong
side in this late war, which no SEN
timent ought to cause US TO forget,
and while to-day we should have
malice toward none, and charity to-
ward all, it is no part of our duty to
confcund right with wrong, or 10y
atty with treason. If the observance
of this memorial day has any apollo
gy, Office, or significance, it is deriy-
ed from the morsl character of the
war, from the fsr-reaching ,unchange-
able, aud eternal principles il dig
pute, and for which our sons and
brothers encountered hardship, dan
ger, and death Man is said to be
an animal looking before and after.
II is his distinction TO improve the
future by wise consideration Of the
past. In looking back to this tre-
mehdous conflict, after coming gen
eralious viii find much at which
to ma. vel They will mar
vel that men to whom was commit
ted the custody Of the Government,
sworn 10 protect and defend the Con-
stitutiJnand the Union OF the States,
did not Z ush this rebellion in its
egg; that they permitted treason 10
grow up under their very noses, not
only without rebuke or repulse, but
rather with approval, aid, and CON-
fort-vainly thinking thus to concil-
late the rebels; that they permitted
the resources of the Union to be
scattered, and its forts and arsenals
to be taken possession of without
raising voice or fitting finger 10
prevent the crime They will mar
vel that the men who, with broad
blades and bloody hands, sought to
destroy the Government were the
very men who had been through all
its history the most highly favored
by the Government. They will mar
vel at this as when a child stabs the
breast that nursed it into life. They
will marvel still more that, after the
rebellion was suppressed, and trea-
SOB put down by the loss of nearly
half million of men, and after put
ting on the nations neck a debt
heavier than mountain of gold, the
Government has so soon been virtu-
ally captured by the party which
sought its destruction.
OLD METHODS REVIVED.
And what is the attitude of this
same party to-day? We all know
what it was in 1860 The alterna-
tive presented to the nation then
was, give US the Presidency or we
will plunge into all the horrors of
bloody revolution. The position of
that party is the same to-day as
then. The chosen man then was
John c. Breckenridge, of Kentucky.
The chosen man of the party to-day
is Samuel j. Tilden. The man to
be kept out of the Presidential chair
by threat of revolution was Abra-
ham Lincoln. The man to be driv-
en- from the Presidential chair BY the
machinery of political investigation
is Rutherford B. Hayes. Now, as
then, the same rebellious spirit is
much disturbed by the Army and
Navy. In the first instance it was
the policy to scatter, now it is to
starve. The plotters of mischief
hate the Army. 1t is loyal and
true to the Republic
This is not, as l have already
said, day for speech; certainly not
for long speeches. Though the por-
tents upon our national horizon are
dark and sinister; though a some
what reckless disregard of our Ea-
tional obligations and national credit
are shown in the words and votes
of some of our public men; though |
the temper and manner Of the plan
tation, which talk of honor and re
sponsibility. are increasingly mani
fest 10 legislative councils of the ma
tion; though party strife and person
al ambition somewhat distract the
public mind; though efforts are be-
ing made tending to embroil capital
and labor, and to antagonize inter-
ests which it is for the good of each |
to harmonize; though freedom of
speech and of the ballot have for the
present fallen before the shot guns
of the South, aud the party of slav-
cry is now in the ascendant, we need |
bate no jot of heart or hope. The
American people will. in any great
emergency, be true to themselves |