Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-09-04

The reunion of Shelly's brigade
was well attended at HigginsvilIe on
Tuesday of last week. There were
many other Confederate and Union
soldiers invited who henored the oc-
casion with their presence. among
the speakers was Senator Cockrell
who spoke in substance as follows:
am glad to meet with you, my
old friends, and shake you by the
hand. Twenty years have rolled by
since the last hostile gun was fired
in the greatest civil war the world
has ever seen. Thank God, We have
at last come to a period born of graf
itude and love. AS in affairs OF bus
mess, to be tolerant and forbearing
Is to be wise and prudent; we can
now talk about the war about the war
without malice. The soldiers, Union
and confederate sit side by side and
talk about that war, q war on the
part of the men Of the north for per-
petuity of the Union, and a war on
the part Of the south for the estab-
lishment and perpetulty Of separ-
ate government, yet one which had
almost identlcally the same eonstitu-
ton. 1t vas a war between 7,0OO,-
900 white people Of the south and
20, 900 900 white population OF the
north. Exclude from the south the
states Of Kentucky, Maryland and
Missouri, and the figures would have
read 2, 800, 900 in the south and 21,-I
600, 900 in the north.
Human wisdom never devised any
mode for the amlcable adjustment of
the affairs which precipltated the war.
To-day no rational man, no sane man
north or south, can with his hand
upon his heart, and in the presence
of his God say that The men Of the
Uuion who followed the star SPAN
gled banner were not honest. No
man can say that the men who es-
poused the south and followed the
stars and bars amid suffering, dam
bers and privations which the human
language can never portray, were not
honest and conscientious. Hence
forth from the union Of the states
there can be no secession. The coli
ored people are free and none of you
would restore them to slavery, ifyou
could do so without shedding drop
of blood or the expenditure Of apen-
ny. When every issue involved in
the war was settled, when peace ex-
tended her gentle wings, then it was
that the soundest craftsmanship and
the purest christianity demanded re-
conciliation.
Thank God I have lived to see the
confederate soldier of SheIby's brig
ade meet in reunion, extending to
the Union men whom they have met
upon many an ensanguined field, an
invitation which has been accepted
and both comingling and celebrating
together. Did any of you think in
the widest fight of your Imagination
in 1865 you would witness such
scene as this in 1885? We are all
now citizens of the grandest country
the world has ever seen. We are all
interested in the indissolubility of
the union and indestructbllIty of the
states composing it. When the
trumpet of the archangel shall sound
the revilIe of the resurrection morn
all will come before the throne and
be judged for the deeds done in the
body. Some man says look up
north and see how the south is Wifi
ed. Another says look down south
and see how the north is reviled.
Even birds have various natures.
Take the lark, the dove, the mocking
bird. They are delighted with the
green pastures. the grazing aocks,
the lowing herds. If they had the
gift Of speech they would sing Of the
beautiful objects seen above the
landscape.
But take the buzzard. 1t sees no
beauty and takes no delight in the
grand objects presented to his view.
But should there be in his broad ex-
panse dead mule, or a pNtEid rat.
the buzzard would disoern 1t. We
can't kill the huzzards. We can't de-
stroy the human scavengers. You
cannot keep men from thirstIng for
blood when they refuse to taste it
when it was offered TO them. These
doughty men remind nae of dogs
and beg the pardon Of the dogs FOR
making the eofesslon. When q lion
or panther invades the farm pre-
cincts, the faithful watch dog rushes
to the rescue OF the fiocks, and when
the intruder is driven away returns to
the house to peaceful alumber. But
just about the tilAe all the danger Is
over You see emerging from under
the harms the cowardIy ours snarling
and barking as though anxious to eat
up half dozen lions and pantkers.
When the war ragged these doughty
warriors could not fave been seen.
They were invisible in war and in-
vlncibIe in peace. II one Of these
braggarts were to hear the Whistling
of bullet or the bursting Of q shell,