The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-06-12

VANCOUVER, w. T., June 7, 1879.

In an article on Decoration Day, pub
lished in your last issue, l notice the fol-
lowing:
"Hon N. H. Bloomfield delivered an adj
dress which, though able and well consid
cred, was regarded by many of his hearers
as too conservative; as the 'minglng of the
blue and gray cannot be made popular
while the gray are again grasping at the
threats of the blue.
Acquiring you of any intentional injus-
tice in the language above quoted, deem
it but right to say that in my opinion Mr..
Bloomfield did not, on that occasion, use
any language which could be fairly called
conservative. On the contrary, he has been
so often charged with radicalism, that the
conservative expressions thus imputed to
him would seem to be anomalous. l quote
the following from his address:
"While we shed tears for the boys in blue,
we should not forget those who, erring, fell
with them. At such time as this the
whole nation should experience that bound
less spirit of magnanimity which, hand in
hand with the generosity of a noble nature,
moves on to eternity-breathing nothing
but peace and good will toward men,"
The speaker further used the following
language as a lesson to be taken from the
experiences of civil war:
"Neither should we forget that our coun-
try was flooded with the blood of its chill
dren; that these sacrifices were not made
to be forgotten in the short space of twenty
years, or less-but that this nation should
live; that while the nation stood weeping
over the dying forms of her valorous de-
fenders and the dove futtered hither and
thither searching for a place safely to de-
posit the olive branch of peace, it was for a
peace which should be lasting and perma-
nent. Let us pray that it may be so-that
history may not repeat itself; for we can
not disguise the well founded apprehension
that dangers still surround and menace us;
and that there may yet come time when
the patriotism of the nation may again be
put to the test, and our war proven a failure.
God forbid !"
As the first quotation l have made was to
the memory of the dead, so, on the other
hand, was this last quotation made for the
benefit of the living. How could any one
confound these two expressions?
Here let me make a quotation from the
speech of Rev. Mr.. Cruzan, delivered in
Portland on the same day and same occasion
He said:
81 honor every Southern soldier who
| fought for what he believed to be the right
who sprang to arms at what he believed to
be the call of duty l honor them all for
their unhinching bravery and their heroic
sacrifices in defense of their lost cause. No
man more cordially than would clasp the
hand of every Southern soldier who man
fully accepts the results of the war as final
and Interchangeable. For every such prodi-
gal, brothers welcome-the fatted calf
the music and dancing of reconciliation.
Notwithstanding the language, Mr.. Cru
Fan has been charged with Haunting the
bloody shirt with being too radical. On
the other hand, Mr.. Bloomfield, notwith-
standing his language as have quoted it.,
is charged with being too conservative. The
truth is, different persons see with different
eyes and hear with different ears Those
who misunderstood Mr.. Bloomfield on Dec
Grafton Day. doubtless reached that misun-
derstanding by constituting the kind senti-
ment of charity which he expressed for the
dead as a tribute to the errors of the living
Surely there is vast difference between
charity and conservatism. Indeed, l be-
leve that it is generally admitted that those
persons who are cast in the most radical
mould, are, as rule, the most charitable
and forgiving i'll disposition. Charity to
the dead and conservatism to the living are
entirely different things. Charity for the
dead is simply forgiveness of the past-with
all it's wrongs; but conservatism, in more
general sense, may be said to be an apology
for the present, and defense of the future.
with all the evil consequences it may reveal
Surely no rejecting person possessing any
of those tender emotions which give vitality
to the human soul can deem ''our Decora-
ton Day" the proper time-or the grave the
proper place, to parade feeling of NAL
ice or revenge toward even the living.
With every civilized nation of earth there
has been, from the earliest times, q senti-
ment of charity and forgiveness over the
grave. To have carried the vindictive feel
ing beyond the life of even an adversary, in
old Rome, was only to court public condem-
nation. AAong the grand maxims which
have come down to us from other times
none express such noble and thoughtful
charity as that of the old Latins: 'Say only
Al