National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-05-31

nlhll lultEutIS nave seen nOtlllng Ill u Dul Ine
| bnrbarous struggle of an uncnlighteued pcople-a
| series Of vandal raids on one side aud bnrbnrous
| reprisals upon the other such disputes give no
brightness to the American name or character. For
MS the honors Of the war on both sides must ulti-
matey become the common heritage OF Americans,
win all that discrcditcd lis conduct on either side
| become their common rcproach.
These cmblteTcd aud heated charges of Vandal.
ism on ono side and barbary on the other had bet
| row to take IN the whole situation. And If the
war and It's incidents must furnish topics for Con.
| gressonal debate, Instead of historical research
and analysis hope that Our waning statesmen
may dwell OH the proudcr memories OF the contest
of the hard marches, the brilliant strategy, the
| wcl-fought fields, the heroism. and devotion and
indOmitRble courage and endurance of the pnrtiCi.
pants.
War Is dark enough Mt best, but it brings out the
| patriotism, the devotion, the hcroism, the unselr.
| iShnCSs of people; and proves that there Is in
| the hearts of man II more active principle than
mere greed of gain, and higher ambitions than to
reach fame or fortune by way of the Office or the
| shop.
Our war like all wars, had heroism and chiv.
afy III the front; cowardlce malice, and bitterness
IN the rear. IL Is the misfortune of humanity that
| the unsellish and the brave must settle at each
others expense the quarrcls OF contentious sChem.
| ers who control the affairs of state.
Those who bring on the fight disappear from the
arena Mt the first clash of arms aud seek those
places where they may profit by the fray and avoid
It's dangers claim its glorcs flourish on its srllg-
| giles, and miss its sacrifices. Like fungus on the
decaying oak, they flourish on the misery of their
kind Aud when the strife is over, the roar Of the
|
| the banners furled away, then their implncablc
Jury again bursts forth. Like serpents which
crawl into eagles nests while the bird fights the
invader of It's cyrlc they hiss and clOmor to retain
their places.
When the soldiers of the North came home they
found nearly all the places OF honor aud prefer
mcnt filled, ana while great parade was made by
those who had prOiitcd by their efforts, no poll
tcian ever yet snid to the returning vetcran Here
take my place under the Government, IN the
House. In the Senate, or in the Cabinet If ono ever
did So let the name of that undiscovered patriot be
brought to the sunlight ofiamc. oh, moi The pol
| itcinns water their budding aspirations in the
blood the dead soldier, but never yield the fruits
| OF its growth to his surviving comradc. SO when
wars are over they crowd the arena, to search the
record of some other non-combatunt on the other
| side and bring him to confusion in the noisy but
safe warfare OF Congressional debate. The conflict
that
ENDED on TIE FIELD
| begins In the Senate, and such luurcls as never
wrGathCd the herO's sword are won by the politi.
clans jay: on, shade Of the immortal Fo iS
didst at least stab and carry off the body of Percy
while II was yet warm and bleeding. Let thy hard
encd check be sOftencd and thy Drazcn brow
abdshed before the gladintors of our Senate, who
| knock down and drag out the dead bodies of their
enemies some fifteen years after the war.
say again that there Is 10 reason why the war or
| It's sacrifices or its lessons should bo iOrgOtten
oblivion Is not fraternity, nor forgcfulness friend
| ship In spite Of men who sheer and doubt our
comrades here did not die in VAN. The war for
the Union was agrcat success, and its incidents in
vslving the emancipation and enfranchisemcnt of
IUtc, uTc NlOllH llS settlements lOL VIII
stand. Further than that some may not be satisfied
but we did not fight in the interests of any party
ornny plocc'holdcr, or any school of finance, or
American nationality and TO destroy The nsiitiI.
| ton which threatened II.
We desired to make the South source of pros
pcriy to this country In peace and of strength
| IN foreign war. I'm spite of her poverty and the
change of her labor SYSTEM anu the political trou-
bles OF reconstruction, she is already, as of old,
| great exporter of her produce and great pur-
chaser of our wares And who will doubt that the
first foreign gun fired against our flag will find her
sons as ready as of old. i'll the days of the Rcvolu
ton, in the war of 1872, and OH the platcaus of
Mexico, to stand shoulder TO shoulder with the
Northern men, not only In delcnsc of the common
nag OF our common country, but in cmulutionS to
carry III olensc that starry flag i'll triumph over all
its enemies
Some of our people are-and many for interested
reasos-proicss to be alarmed at the extent of our
own success, and point in terror to the Concder-
he soldiers VINO occupy seats in our Capitol us an
element Of danger to this country. As II, in ease
of Necessity, It's people were hot patriotic enough to
guard against In peace the dangers they suppressed
IN war, To my mind il seems TO be the very crown
OF our victory. And rs for the men, | have more
lalth Them than IN any class the South could
send Would that the North, and especially the
great party that controlled the North had rccog.
niHed It's soldiers rs literally.
True, all the leading men of the South were in the
war, while We had many who were not But the sol.
der element is the most conservative the most to be
lrusted the dangerous men are those who lust be.
gan to get mad as the war was over, and are now
NJ white heat. Certain Senators and members left
their places IN the Capitol and went off to take
their states ont of the Union. The Government
sent its armies to bring them back. They resisted
the process, but we did bring them back-thcr
states and themselves, their ineal SUCCESSORS 1t
Is exactly what we were mustered in the service of
the United States TO do. We went after them and
they are hcrc-and they mean to stay.
However hard they resisted the return and
fought to sever the tic which binds nll sections of
this country together; however earnest in cndeav-
oring to cut loose, there are very few who do not
believe that their greatest curse, slavery was re-
moved by the war and that their greatest good is
to be n part of the country of their fathers; that
their best hopes are bound up in its good fortune
and the noblest career that can open for them
theirs is to be part aud parcel Of its destines.
There could be no more acceptable sacrifice to
the memory OF these dead heroes than the complete
remuneration of all schcsms of separate empire,
which their words and acts and presence In their
countrys Capitol implies. Bearing the common
burdens, Interested in the common welfare, sharing
the common honors, and ready to fight and die in
the common defense of that flag and that country
under which, and for which, these, our comrades,
SO that sooner than the most sanguimc could have
hoped IT has come to pass that, with the exception
of few sourcd ana disappointed spirits, and some
bcrcaved and cmbittcrcd women Mt the South, and
some tmorous placement, and Interested partisans,
and rrcconcilablo hatcrs who fear the loss OF place.
or power, or influence in new political adjustments
at the North, there is large class of people be-
tween the lakes and the gulf which regrets the
success Of the war for the Union. 1t was great
war-a war that tried
THE MANHOOD OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
as gold ana SILVER are tried by fire in my country
war full of skillful enterprises and noble achieve
mcnts; not war of relentless, savage, aud COW.
Nrdly baTbarticS, as too many narrow pNrtsAns and
chronicles would make out a war Of awful vast.
ness and desperate stubbornnesS, fought out not
only with a bravery which modern times have not
cqunlcd, but with chivalry which the Middle Ages
never surpassed. with much TO regret, with little
to be ashamed Of its batc.ields and its cemeteries
arc wailing-places over which the cheeks Of North
and South may blanch IN sympathetic sorrow for
their glorious dead, but need never blush with
shame for their Tccreant living.
Forgetting its bitterness and Onmositlcs, let us
cherish its glOrGs and forever remember its warn
ings. Other wars we will have. The millennium
has not come. Notwithstanding our growing
power, and our Occan-waShGd and well protected
frontier, we cannot escape conflict with the powers
of the carth.N New arms make new conditions, and
revolution In military means Is taking place; with
the new arms of precision the individual is becom-
ing more important aga the organization less SO.
And one of those cpOchS of time may be near ut
hand when we may see the sklml barbarian of
the east once thoroughly armed with new weapons,
put in jeopardy organized civilization less fumil.
lar with It's use, The massacrcs of South Africa rs
of our own frontier, show how formidable Savages |
may be with the arms of civilization,
The day has gone by when the American people |
were hunters and rlomcn. The best means should |
be taken to keep up the old universal standard of
excellence In Workmanship aud to keep our Coull-
try provided with officers of thorough military |
It's hands full 1t is not idle. II has no |
easy place. II Is not seeking war. For m Indian |
campaign with its eXhaustng marches its battles |
under the old memorable conditions of savage war
fare, Kill or be killed, Stay or be San to be ridi-
CulCd ii unsuccessful, to be denounced barba- |
rous if triumphant; with no glory in amy event not |
even the empty honor of brcyet Is enough 10 |
make and generally does make the regular soldier |
at frontier post the very apostles ofpeace,
As for myself have no fear for the future of this
great Republic. 1t Is stronger to-day than Russia,
Or Germany or even inOnurchies of II more liberal |
kind. II is strong In the hearts of its citizens and
i'm the homes of Its pcODC, IL Is safe with them,