National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-07-07
RECONCILIATION AND FRATERNITY.

"Walk into my parlOr,' says the spider
"to the fly" The Savannah Recorder sings,
like a sweet syren, the following song Of in-
vitation to commission Of iorgetiulness
and forgiveness, all on one side. But never
theless we will give il the full benefit Of its
seductive minstrelsy, wishing that il meant
more than mere words OF sound and nsin-
cerity:
We do not desire a Solid South" or a solid
marty as against the North We would like to
clasp hands over the bloody clRsm forget the
past in the mutual recognition that both Sec
tions fought from ideas and convictions of
principle, and, US the war is over, the Union
restored, an era of good feeling should be in
augurated and there should be building up
Of two broad, conservative, and national
parties.
In politics men change, aud change often.
The most ultra man sometimes becomes the
most conservative, and the most bitter tho
most forgving. Let the EDMuNDsEs, BLAISEs,
CoSKLINGs, LoGANs, SuERMASs, CoNGERs,
GARFIELDs, and others but become broadly ma
| tional In their feelings and they would he met
| half way. Come not with bitter prcjudices IN
your hearts, suspicious in your minds, suecrs
| and frowns upon youn faces but come like
| friends who have once quarreled, like brothers
| who are willing to be recOnriled, with hearts
| open TO believe and minds willing to hear, and
| there will soon be an era Of good feeling and
| harmonious action. Come with national
| heart to discuss as men and statesmen great
national questions where there may be II differ
! ence Of opinion between brothers from all sec
tOns--a difference not upon sectional lines, but
| upon measures aud policies Of national char
acter, where the questions will not be sectional
| but tnational--where the hard money man Of the
South will agree with the hard-mOnOy mam OF
.t.o gnft. niu N nf T. hp
can shake hands with the soft-mOney man of the
South. The same on the tariff question, the
bank question, on all national questions.
Come, we say 10 the Republican leaders Of
the North forget and bury your pTejudices
Let broad national feeling prevail and let u'
be one people in feeling and in interest. Trns
the South aud the South will trust you. W.
are tired of sectional lines aud sectional hates
We want o national party, led by nationa
men who will say ia the honest expressions q
their hearts, the day for sectional animositl
has passed, and the country must haVo peace
not in words but in acts, and that recognition
which will again make us ono people unlte'
for the general welfare OF our whole country
We are ready for such reconciliation, Wh
) will he bold enough, honest enough, patriotl
enough, national enough Of the old Republican
leaders 10 step upon our platform. We WI
, | not get of If you will come on. We Will nc
forsake our principles because you may en-
brace them
These are sweet, honied, seductive phrase
l throughout and yet in the light Of history
+ observation, and experience, we are con
! strained to distrust them. We fear tina
{ while they appear to be deer in the fore
t "heud they are hound in the heart 1t
q now some fourteen years since the wa
n closed and the South was CONSTITUTIONAL
= and legally reconstructed so far as huma
d enactment could accomplish that work, an
we have only to run the finger and ey
= back over the page OF history during th'
A period to discover how little faith can
= put in the profession Of words and ossu
II alees that are belied by every act IT
n South now iuvokes the Republican leode
4 of the North TO forget and bury their pref
= dices-let broad national feeling prevo
# and let the North and South be one peop
n in feeling and interest under the promi
. that if the North will trust the South Il
r South will trust the North. The South 81
Il I've are tired of sectional lines and Sc
3 " tional hates" All this is delicious to Il
g ear aud grateful TO the heart, but 1t is q
= most too abrupt, after continuous peril