The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-11-21
Burying the Past.

tiOnal differences and swelling the
chorus of restored harmony and fra
territy recently received an i'm
petus at Raleigh, N. c., which
is fairly entitled to recogni-
sion .on account of its uniqueness, as
we'll as because of its earnest and spon-
taneous quality. 1t was proud day
for Raleigh. and yet the affair had a
solemn aspect, for the center of interest
and significance was funeral car. The
remains of four North Carolina rebel
soldiers, buried at Arlington twenty
years ago, had been eXhumed and
brought home to be duly mingled with
their native clay; and the State seized
the occasion to show how her bitterness
has been assuaged, and to satisfy the in
credulous how anxious she is to oblit-
crate prejudice and let bygones be by
cones.
When the remains in question arrived
they were first placed for few hours ir
the State Capitol, which had been hung
with emblems of mourning. including
the Confederate flag and three regi-
mental guidons. The citizens thronged
the building to show their reverence for
the dead lying in state, and '.many per-
sons wept at the sight" the newspaper
report specifies. Early in the afternoon
a procession was formed, consisting of
several militia compan es, large dele
cation of ex-rebel soldiers with the Con-
federate battle-hag in front of them,
and long line of carriages bearing the
Governor and his staff, the Judges OF
the Supreme Court, the Mayors of seY-
eral adjoining cities, and other persons
of official prominence. This procession
marched to the Capitol, received the
H-.,I a To-
nies, and thence wended its way
through the principal streets to the
cemetery There salute was fired
and dirge played, and then Governor
Jarvis was introduced as the orator of
the day.
The Governor having so recently re-
turned from his visit to Boston with the
widow of Stonewall Jackson could not
help remembering, of course, how
Hospitality and literally he had been
treated by the Massachusetts, people,
and so the promptings of courtesy
were added to the obligations of honor
on his part in favor of such a speech
as should emphasize Southern forget
fulness of the past and create pleasant
Impression at the North. He began,
therefore, by saying some p city things
about 1.-the sons called to battle by
North Carolina away back in 1776.
when step taken by the colony
had involved her in war with the
mother country. Tnen, skipping the
affairs of the intermediate e ghuy-five
| years, he brought himself TO bear upon
another "step taken y and another Dot
of " sons called to battle in 1861. In
the one case, he pointed out, the world
said North Carolina was right, and
lrI H..
! other case the world said she was
wrong, and designated her soldiers by
an epithet of fewer syllaoles and far
less complimentary purport "But
whHtcvcr the world may saw he went
on to declare, North Carolina, not
withstanding, writes over the graves of
| those who fell in her defense in the last
war as well as in the former, the words
.patriot soldiers" And hence, he
argued in a modifying and de IL cssu-
istic way, Gas these comrades whose
remains we are here to bury went forth
in 1861 at the command of eir State
and of the Governor of North Carolina,
so it is meet that the Governor Of tie
State should to-day receive them back,
and speak for the State in so dong"
1t was a happy thought on the part
of Governor Jarvis that led him TO ex-
plain how he came to be the orator or
such an occasion. instead of "some one
more competent" as he put it, . tO
speak in fitting terms of the deeds OF
Nalor and patriotism" of the four sacred
dead about to be finally and permanent
" inferred. We can not too cordially
commend his specious manner o. logic,
as well as his shrinking and beaut.ful
modesty. But all this was as n 18th ng
TO the fine sense of loyalty and the deep
desire to let the dead past bury its dead
which pervaded she rest of his orat iOn.
"TheSe comrades" he proceeded. "art
uneXcelled in the pages of romance ol
history, of song or story, for rare devo
tions to duty, fine courage and splendid
carriage, illustrated IN battle q nd on tn,
march, in camp and in the hospital
And they were patriots, They went
forth at the command of their lawful
regular Government, and strictly obeyeC
the mandates of constituted, legal
recognized authority, through years o
pain and suffering, even u0.o death. :
Then turning towards the caSketS, th(
4 report informs us, and dropping hi
4 voice TO a low and tea--fre; ghted tone
/ while the 5000 spectators stood bowel
and breGthless, he exclaimed: 90
patriot soldiers, after twenty years o
burial in foreign soil, We receive yol
back to your native State, and may you
dust remain forever in the bosom o
Carolina, and may your immortal spirit
rest in peace aud happiness in tn,
realms above And SO the preciou
remains were laid away with prayer
and flowers, and full military honors.
{. The effect of such pageant and sucl
q speech in the direction of allaying ami
mostly and making things quiet ant
agreeable is not easy to measure. Gov
ernor Jarvis was specially fortunate il
meeting such an early opportunity to re
ciprocate the good will and gencrosit,
shown him in Boston by proving how
loath the true Southerners are to pro
long the unhappy recollections of tn,
war. and how unanimou their heart
ache and throb with longing to have al
sectional ideas 9uenched and dispelled
When whole community turns out
under otficiaf auspices, 10 re-bury fou
obscure victims of the rebellion, will
the Confederate flag to signalize tn,
procession and the Governor of tn
State to pronounce the eulogy, ther
can not be any doubt. of course, abou
the condition of public sentiment il
that quarter. 1t is queer method
to be sure, of manifesting repent
ance and a controlling wish to ioil
hands with the North on a basis of com
mon fidelity to the Union and common
dismissal of ugly thoughts and emo
tions; but it is characteristic methol
down there where the traditions O
chivalry combine with sinistral in
flueaces of climate to produce an orde
of logic unknown elsewhere in th
world. We must take them at thei
word, therefore, or be accused of malic
and unfairness. They do want to bur
the past and put all sectional difference
forever out of sight, we are bound t
believe, or they would not take tn