The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-12

Jh6 SCUM DFunCH IHSutyehCeT, puUIIhneu
at Romhey, Hampshire county, brings q
brief report OF the Confederate memorial
day services at that place. The Grafton was
delivered BY Rev George ". Finley, Of the
Presbyterian Church, who served in the
Confederate army. The Iaielligeneer says
the address "reaIized the very highest ex-
pectations Of the Memorial Association, by
whose invitation he spoke, and Of all the
large audience which listened with pleas.
ure and earnest attention" There Is no
report Of the address, but it is thus described
by the friendly and appreciatiye home
paper
Asa tribute oil warm and tender affection
freely ouipourAd to The sacred memories Of
tue noble ds d; and rs a strong, clear, argu.
menlatiVe, vihdIcaiion OF the cause which they
haptIzed with their very heartS.blood, shis
address deserves high and unqualified lRuda.
tiol; and IL 10 hoped will long remain SGlu.
tsry recollection implanted In the hearts Of
our people. Above all, let the youth now
growing up among Us be thoroughly indoc.
tItnatsd in tho principles for which their pa
rents, kindred, friends had suffered, bled,
and Of! how mGny even died'
1.-THE blood OF the MIhys Is tho Seed OF the
church"
This is harsh note to be struck eigh.
ten years after tho close Of the war for the
Union, when the sensible men Of the
country, North and South, are agreed that
the cause which was lost did not deserve to
be won; that with the present better under
standing no such war could take place;
and that the duty Of those who survived
the conflict and Of those who have come
uo to take the places OF the dead
is to join hands like men and
brothers aud restore what was
wasted, and to build upon an indestruc.
tible foundation Of patriotism an imper.
ishable Union.
This end ia in no way contributed to by
"argumentative vindication" or any kind
Of viudlcation OF disunion. Such efforts
deserve not unqualified laudation" but
unqualified condemnation. They serve
only the wretched purpose Of keeping alive
doctrines which brought upon this land
a deluge Of blood and misery. The blight
OF war fell with fearful violence upon the
very neighborhood in which this "arRu-
mentatiye vindication" was delivered;
and the people who listened to it can tell
out Of the iuIlness Of their own experience
asorry tale Of blood and destruction. So
heavy was the blow that to this day black
ened monuments Of the war stand in the
beautiful valley Of the South Branchto tell
the story Of her dcsolation. This is what
cane Of the principles in which the South
Branch In,clligalcer wants tho youth now
growing up" to be thoroughly indoctrin-
ated." And what separate aud distinct
political church il it that is to grow on the
blood OF these martyrs?
II the Rev. Mr.. Finley spoke as he Is
described 10 have spoken, and il his words
were received as they are said to have been
received, he is misehievous influence in
the community. Certainly he knows that
he is planting and cultivating aspirations
which never can be notwithstanding at
once pernicious and intensely cruel.
In very different spirit from all this is
the following manly and patriotic utterance
from another Democratic newspa per, the
Charleston. Kanawha, Cal.
Wa OF the South willingly accept the Stars
and Stripes as the flag Of the Union, and We
have never. since that rad day at Appomat-
tox: looked at II in any other light We
take II as ouEs-it Is ours-ourS In the mem.
oriss OF the past that cluster around II and
In the hopes aud ambitions for the future
that shine upon l.. 'We arc willtng-nay,
proud-to 1--we for 1t, TO fight for It, to die for
Il. Let impious bands but Threaten desecra'
ton to It's sacred folds, and from Virginia to
Louisiana, from Kentucky 10 Florida, the
brave sons Of the sunny Southland will rise
: as ono man, and each msniy voice will cry,
"lsad but thou on. and will set this foot OF
mine as far as as who goes farthest." What.
ever prosperity we may enjoy, whatever
OF glory we may leave TO our children, must
DO achieved by united people, undera COM
mon dag. ..
At a dinner given in New York last
week to some gentlemen from Kentucky
General Grant, in a speech OF great good
feeling, said: "The institution wiped out
by the rebellion made US one people, with
no longer any North or any South" I'm.
less We live in this spirit Of reconciled
and reunited people how can We hope to
dwell together, We and our children and
our children's children, through all the
years which we pray God that this Repuh-
lic may be suffered to- endure? There is
but one country and one flag; there can be
but one patriotism. 5,..
ppp.KEsSr PuDaRr.