National Republican., 1880-07-21
WHO nnoueur on rur wAHf

This is the nineteenth anniversary or tho
battle of Bull Run, when the Seventeenth
regiment of Virginia infantry, raised in this
city and vicinity, received lie baptism OF fire,
The country is to DO congratulated upon the
favorable prospect Of the defeat of the political
organization that brought on the war, with
all its terrible consequences and that mas
kept the union divided into two hostile
sections ever since.-Aierdnlria Gazette.
There is much to engage the attention,
call up unpleasant reminiscence and lead
to surprise and even astonishment in the
above paragraph. 1t calls to mind most
vividly the early incidents and calamities
TO the union side Of bloody war that was
pushed upon the nation by most cruel,
wicked and uuprovoked rebellion against
its authority. This is history and truth.
The states which wheeled temporarily out
of the union to be whipped back by the
superior power of the government can find
no justification or even provocation for that
suicidal act. The firing upon the national
flag that hoated over Sumter was an act of
the democratic south which civilization
has never and will never apologize for,
justify or condone. 1t was reasonable and
rebellious 1t led TO a sanguinary war,
which traced its bloody course through four
long years. 1t was war of the democratic
party against the national integrity. We
defy history TO point TO single instance
in which republican was found wearing
the gray and bearing arms against the old
flag. II cannot be done. The war against
the union was melted, innugurated en-
couraged and sustained to It's bloody con-
summationby the democrats of the country.
Is that the political organization to which
our cotemporary alludcs when it says,
" the country is to be congratulated upon
" the favorable prospect of the defeat of
the organization that brought on the war,
with all its terrible consequences, and
" that has kept the union divided into two
hostile sections ever since ~? If it means
the democratic organization, we cannot
take issue with it on that point, for it was
that party which brought on and prose.
cuted the war until it surrendered at Apo.
mattox. That the democratic party is
now under a favorable prospect of defeat
we have no difficulty in discovering. That
it brought on the war is matter of re-
corded and well.substantiated history, and
that it has kept the union divided into
two hostile sections ever since" by its
lawless atrocities and bloody-handed mur-
ders Of republicans for opinion sake is also
true. With such chapters engrafted upon
the history of this country it is not possible
to preserve unity and harmony between
the two sections that were split asunder by
democratic rebellion and brought to-
gether again under the national power
which demonstrated an ability to protect
its own integrity. Southern democratic
policy must be changed or there never can
be fraternity and peace between tho two
sections. A citizen in Mississippi must be
as secure in all his rights of citizenship as
he is in Minnesota, or peace and good.
| fellowship cannot be restored. State SOY.
ereignty must subordinate itself in all
things Of q national character to the
national power, or peace cannot live within
the nation. All the constitutional right.
of the citizen must be respected and pro
tected in every state of this union, or it
people cannot be friends.