New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-04-18

fright" Mr.. Stamford's version OF tins Deau-
tifnl little myth celebrates without improving
it. 1.-TWO brothers," he said, cone wearing the
"blue and the other the gray, had by strange
coincidence shed their life-blOod on the
"same battlefield. A tender fathers mana
gathered their remains together and bnrled
them in the same grave, over when he
"raised a shaft bearing on its northern lace
'" the name of him who had worn the plue'
"and on its southern face the name OF nm
"who had worn the gray. On the western
"face was the inscription, Erected by the
Glowing hand of father over two boys
equally loved and on the eastern face the
"inscripdOn: Who was right and who was
wrong shall be decided before that Great
Tribunal to which both have gone. l.
"their father, will not decide who was right
"and who wrong" All this might have hap
pcncd, whether it ever did or not. At any
rate it is a good story; it is poetic, touching,
full of pathoS. 1t was first told, we Dehe'e'
at some sort of reunion of soldiers OF the OPP
posing armies, for which occasion 1t was no
doubt invented. 1t would have been unGra-
cious at such a time to cTincise the gushing
utterances of men engaged in celebrating the
return of peace and the restoration OF 1rater-
nal harmony. The emotions were at hlgh
tide and no one thought OF arres'lng the
flow of sympathy for the bereaved parent
hv nuestioninp the fact of his existence
or calling attention to the singular teeDieheSs
of his Judgment and his unusual worthless
ness as a citizen. The story has been III va
rious forms often called into service. The
obyious moral of it is that only God knows
which side was right in the late war. 1t Is
so dark and doubtful question that we must
not pretend TO sit upon it here, but must
leave it to the "Great Tribunal" And Mr..
Stamford "commends the incident to the
" consideration of the House," III ORDER we
presume that both sides may adopt the sem
tment of the Tombstone and unite in saying
they really have no opinion as to which side
was right in the war.
But the exchange of cOurteses and COmpli-
ments upon festive occasions Is one thing;
legislation is quite another. The men who
pnt down the rebellion did not risk their
lives and make the tremendous sacrifices they
did over an issue they were in any doubt
about They had very positive convictions as
to which side was right when they were en-
gagged in the work of maintaining the Union
against its foes and upon that question at
least thew have not changed. If the men who
failed in their rebellion, and who have been
forgiven and restored to the citizenship
they forfeited upon the presumption that
they admitted that the Government was
right and they wrong, desire now to
Withdraw that concession and set up ." OOd
knows which was right" IN its place, there
is nothing to hinder them. With Demo
cratic majority in both houses OF Congress,
they may formally declare it, and so pave the
way to a reOpening Of the unsettled question.
But if they count upon II popular lndorSe-
ment Of such an abandonment OF principle,
they will be disappointed. There Is no queS-
ton whatever in the minds of the Northern
peoDle as To which side was right. They do
propose to answer that question Tor them
selves, and to hold it as permanently
settled and definitely answered for all
time. They believe il quite possible
to maintain this view at the same time
that they entertain the most kindly feelings
toward those whom they believe to have been
in the wrong in the great contest. They do
not desire to revive the animosities or renew
the bitter differences OF the war. They prefer
TO consider them settled and left behind. But
not settled upon any such shifting and uncertain
foundation as this tombstone sentiment, which
would be 10 settlement at all. Settled upon
the Fundamental facts wrought out IN the
flame of war; that the Government was
right, and the men who fought for 1t
were right, and that the rebellion was wrong,
and the men who fought for it were
wrong. We do not desire to thrust these
conclusions upon those to whom they are
offensive; but when they tell us no such con-
cluslon-or any, indeed, except great doubt
was ever reached, we cannot even for con-
citations sake let it go unnoticed
The radical difficulty with our Southern
brethren we suspect is in their confusion Of
ideas and inability to discriminate as to the
motives which govern conduct When Presi
dent HAYES evinced disposition to re-
lieye the Southern States of whatever seemed
like military interference, they at once con-
cluded that he had ceased to act with the
party that elected him, and that henceforward
they might count upon him to do all their
bidding. When the Northern people poured
in their contributions for the relief of the
feyer-stricken districts last Summer, they
overlooked with appreciation, and with great
emotion said "This, now, is the beginning of
ga real reconciliation and lasting peace.'
They evidently received the contributions
as indications of political change,
and looked at the next elections for
large increase in the Democratic vote. They
could not comprehend how the people of the
North could contribute TO their relief and
then vote against them, and the result of the
elections disappointed and confused them. So
they think that because by Northern votes they
have been admitted to citizenship and per
mitted to appear iii Congress, and been put in
possession of both houses of Congress, that