Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-10-09
BIGoTRY.

The Chicago Herald of the 9th inst. has
the following article on the question of
reconciliation between the North and
South: 1t touches upon religious bigotrv
in way that is excellent:
One religious newspaper is the authority
Tor the assertion that another religious news
paper printed two editions of the issue con-
tanning its obituary of General Grant. one
Tor circulation IN the North and the other
for its readers in the South. In that edition
which was intended for the Northern States
there was nothing that could by any posi-
blilty give aid and comfort to Southerner,
but in the one that was sent South there
were references to Lee and jackson and fra
ternal sentiments which We're calculated to
please the average person who twenty wears
ago and more followed the fortunes of those
commanders.
The motive of the publisher in producing
this double-barrel issue is reasonably plain
Dut IL VIII cause great many people to
marvel why such thing should have been
necessary or even desirable in a religious
pnphcatlon. Secular papers published in
all'parts of the country did Justice to Gem
eral Grant and to his opponents in one arti
Gle, and no good reason can be given why a
religious publication should not have done
the Same. This particular relioious editor
evidently believed that the words of fairness
and truth which he wrote for Southern cir
culatlon exclusively would be resented at
the North, and in that very act he drew nm
and presented an indictment which the reli-
glous societies of the North cannot
afford TO pass unnoticed. He recognized
tne dissraceful fact that, while soldiers
who fought and all the great interests
OF business and society which were
temporarily estranged have fraternized.
the only organized hostility between
the sections which yet remains is that to he
found IN the Christian churches of the two
principal geographical divisions of the
country. few of them have united. hut
the majority of them are as far apart To-
DAY as they were before the surrender of
Appomattox.
1t will appear to most people that il ;s
about time for these pious non-combatants
on both sides to lay down their guns. They
nave creeds particularly enjoining upon
them the forgiveness of past Injuries. bnt
while politicians who fought each other in
mercer arenas than those which the CLERGY
occupied, and soldiers who faced each otbe,r
with powder and ball have long since thrown
aside thelr bitterness, and in their rejoicing
over the restoration and magnificent PROGRESS !
OF the onlon let oygones be bygones, many |
or the parsons are still on their fortified. |
tions, muskets in hand ready to take |
crack at a head wherever it may appear.
Ihe paclficatlon and unificatiou of the
sections after the settlement on the battle
held of the only question that ever seriously |
divided them was inevitable. 1t had to /
come, and though the bitterness could not |
all besallayed at once under the most favor |
able circumstances, 1t was impossible from /
the first for the enduring hate of fanatics or |
the irresponsible utterances of demagogues |
to resist the,nighty social, commercial and |
patriotic forces that were at work as soon as
the roar of the cannons died. away. Since
all this WAS inevitable and most desirable. it |
is a singular thing that the religious organ
izatlons did not lead the way instead of
blocking it, and strange that their recon-
citation was not so speedy and cordial that
1t would have furnished q splendid example,
Tor laymen- Such has not been the case.
however; many of the brethren on both sides
stu glare at each other and nurse the verbal
generation ago. II is time for them to
come up out of the trenches and hang their
guns ON the antlers