New-York tribune., 1879-09-20

forgot their victories in their gcntleness TO-
ward the vanduished.
No intelligent observer OF the currents ol
popular feeling aud public opinion can ''ii
to remark the change which the oemohS'i"-
ton mt Hartford indicates. Not thai there -
any revival of the bitterness al the war; "i
any disposition row, more than at any p'c-
yious peri0d, to boast of Union victories Oh
glory over defeated enemy. There was
no touch of this IN the whole TRANSACTION 10
intimation of such feeling in any OF the pro
cecdings. But under it all there was pro-
found feeling, unuitcrcd and unexpressed' the
i,.nirstion of the OCCASION and its ruiing mo-
i've that the time was ripe for saying thHt
,houob we bear no malice. and harbor
ro bitterness. we d. believe that the war
meant something; that it was fought lor
something; lhat something was gained ny IL
for liberty, for Justice, for equal nights, ana
for National life am that so much ~ was
gained will be maintained. The Demo
cratic Mayor. Ir. Sumner, struck the KEY
note OF this occasion when, in n graceiuI
.peech upon taklg the chair at II meeting o.
citizens 60 make preparations for the ccleha-
tion. hc said it was " most wholesome an"
" lust to remember the war as an appeal 10
the highest court known to man for the set
Element Of Il vital question rs to the character
"of our Government an appeal honestly ana
conscicntiously brought on the one side
"most honorably and sbilfuliy tried on
"both sides All appeal winch resulted
"in final and inevitable decision that
g forever stamps upon this Government
"the character of n Nation. Regarded
mot rs the triumph OF section, but rs the
triumnh of the National idea, the memory OF
- the war should be most jealously, most
"sacredly cherished" The greatness OF this
demonstration grew ont Of the cony.c-
ton which has been deepening in TIE
hearts of Union men ever since the
Democrats came into power in Con-
grcss, and the Confedcrates began to show
their hand and disclose their purpose-that
this "yita question "a to the character ol our
Government is not accepted as finally set
| ;led, hut is to he. nay, Is already, reopcncd III
! the forum of political discussion. The National
supremacy which was thought to he estah-
| lishcd, is again assaicd, and we have heard
over and over "the National idea" secuted by
| Noriheln Democrats and denounced hy Conied-
crates on the floor of the National Congress
II is this which has aroused, not the burned
out passions. OF the war. but the sl1mberng
sentiment of loyalty to the Union. Ii has not
been kindlcd by Northern demagOgues. but has
been awakend by the bold ayowals of Demo-
cratic leaders.
Il was fitting that the foremost figure upon
this occasion should be that of General Ilawley,
the first man in thc State to answer the call Tor
volunteers and enlist rs ii private soldier in 1851,
and almost the last t. be mustered out after
| the war had closed. when the first of these
nags was umfurlcd he stood nearest the staif.
No one grasped its full significance sooner
than he; none followed ii more dey0tedly or
couragc0usly none comprehended better The
tremendous issues that were wrapped up
in its folds. TO him and to az the
veterans escorting them, these flags were
something more than memory. They were
pledges for the future, as well as trophies OF
the past Yet in all this service no word es-
caped one of the actors in it which was not fully
in accord with the sentiment of Mayor Sum
ner's address, in winch he said: "To celebrate
the victory which finally crowned the arms
"of the North. in this spirit. without malice
"and without Wanting. is to honor the MEM
cory of the brave men who died under the
STARS and Stripes, without insult to the mem
~ OrN or iie blhNt men WHO ulcu uitsfl tlt Di'ti >
"and Bars General Ilawley's bIef address
was gracefully conceived and delivered with
deep feeling. There was no need Of any al
| lusion TO the circumstances which gave the
ceremony such absorbing interest; no need Of
touching upon the newly awakened sentiment
of loyalty to the Union and TO the National
idea for which the war was fought.
The earnestness and depth of this feeling
would have been vulgarized and cheapened
by paradlng it. Silence on that theme was
more potent than speech. The vast con-
course of spectators, the great demonstra-
ton, and the intense interest manifested
in al tne details of this simple cerc-
mony, testified as nothing else could
how deeply the hearts of the people We're
stirred. And the meaning of it all is not
merely that the people of Connecticut hold
their soldiers in grateful remembrance, and
treasure with pride the trophies of their tri-
umphs, but rather that they remember
what was fought for. and what the blessed
emblems mean, and are determined to hold
fast to the one while they preserve the full
significance of the other.
| |
| AS TO MINES.