The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-30
some Mcmoria, Day reflections.

Al q SoAnPaineASoiy eAht eAAlo3 @uSAAo-
rial Day" has become among Americana as
firmly fixed and generally observed an
anniversary as any in the calendar. 1t is
a day Of peculiar significance, and without
a precedent among the fttc days and cele.
brations OF the nations; its existence is due
10 the spontaneous expression Of the re.
yerence and gratitude Of the country for
those unreurning braves "who counted
not their lives dear unto them" To-day
these feelings will again find expression,
and the graves OF those who gave their
lives for ths Union will be made beautiful
with howers s.rewn by the loving hands Of
their living comrades, and their widows
and sisters and children. Year by year
this day will become brighter and dearer,
for year by year the achievements and sacri-
fees Of the dead soldiers will be more
truly appreciated.
The animosities and asperities Of war
soften slowly as general thing. Never
before did two opposing armies and peo-
Piles 80 quickly mako real and lasting
peace as have the two sides in the late war
There never WIS more magnanimous
victor than the North, and the South has &C.
cepted the award Of tho srbitrament Of arms
for the most part in good spirit. It's cir
cums,ances at the close OF the war were
different from shoae Of the North. 1t hsd
suffered in prestige and property and pride,
and the North had won. More than this,
the South had lost its peculiar property, e
property which represented a principle snd
constituted an institution; whose loss revo-
lutionizad society. Under these circum-
stances it became the duty Of the North to
heal the wounds and ameliorate the suffer-
inga OF the South, and the task
was nobly undertaken.
While none of those who bore
arms for the Union will ever
admit that their loyalty WAS wrong or
their devotion misdirected, they can afford
to forget the differences Of the past. 1t is
true that there yet remains at the North
little Of the bitteraess engendered by the
strife, and it is not lessened by the refusal
OF portion Of the vanquished to sccept
the reeult. 1t is rather kept alive by the
fact that at the South certain citizens are
forbidden 10 exercise the highest and mos.
sacrei right and duty OF their citizenship.
But time will correct this, as time has al
ready righted greater wrongs which sprung
from the war. The ministry Of the N.rth
among it's recent ioemen has been OF ma.
terial kind. The war made possible that
development Of its resources Of which the
South stood in need, and to this end " as
directed the unemployed capital Of the
North.
The South responded with unexpected
energy, aud to-day monumea ats OF the new
era arise NIL over the old slave sections in
mills and factories. These teset a com.
munity OF interest between the two busy
sections, and establish a real and material
sympathy which could never have existed
under tho old order OF things, and which
grows closer and more binding day by dsy,
Tho old sectional jealousy and rivalry Of
institutions fall bs!ore the onward march
Of material prosperity shared by each, and
it needs no prophetic eye to see in the
future Nation united as no nation Of such
vast area ever was before; people cement.
cd together by the ties Of interest no less
than by the cords OF patriotism, all proud
Of tho achievement Of the past, sharing in
the peace and prosperity Of the present,
and hopeful Of still higher advancementin
the days to come.
This is part Of what was won for US
and for posterity by, those whose graves We
decorate to-day. Well may We give expires.
sion to our love and gratitude with one &C.
cord. -. 80. ~. -. ~