The National tribune., 1886-05-06
TREAsON'S HOLIDAY.

"weH hoist on high that bonnie blue flag.'-Old
| Song, once more popular.
History does not furnish parallel to the
occurrences of the past week in Alabama
and Georgia.
a morose, bitter-tongued old man, of few
graces of person or mind, and almost none of
character, has made "a progress,"-for no
other term will describe it than that used by
the sycophantic old chroniclers in speaking
of the journey of a King through the towns
Of his "loyal and loving subjects, from
Beauvoir, Miss. to Montgomery, Ala, and
thence to Atlanta and Savannah, Ga.
Never has the country south of Mason &
| Dixon's Line seen such an ovation as this
journey has been. The old mans car was
decked with the choicest flowers, which were
constantly renewed by admiring hands At
every stopping-place the whole people flock
ed around to do him honor, bands played,
militia paraded, the civil authorities ap-
peared in body, and distinguished men and
lovely women We'd in paying him fattering
attentions.
AT Montgomery, Ala, crowd numbered
by tens of thousands gathered in from four
States to receive him. The city was put in
joyous holiday attire, with every building
blaze of bunting. Cannon doomed, bands
of music played triumphal marches, and the
tens of thousands shouted till the welkin
rang again when he entered O carriage drawn
by four white horses, and, seated by the side
of the most eminent citizens Of the Common
wealth, led brilliant pageant through the
city to the Capitol, where the Mayor of
Montgomery introduced him to the throng as
" the foremost type of Southern manhood"
At Atlanta his reception was even more
aattering. Nothing that an enthusiastic
and emotional people could do to show him
honor was omitted or stinted in lavishness.
The editor of the principal paper in Atlanta
proclaimed to the assembled multitude
"This is the most glorious morn since the
Resurrection"
He next traversed the great State of Geor-
gia to Savannah, receiving similar demon
strations at every stage of the journey.
The foreigner who happens to be unac-
quainted with American history will ask in
establishment, What was the reason for hon
oring this man as few men have been hon
ored in any country or age? Is he one of the
foremost of the worlds benefactors? Is he
great General, who won decisive victory
for humanity and freedom? Is he great
statesman, religious teacher, author, in
yentor, or what? What wonderful thing
has he done to make the world richer, freer,
happier, or holier by his life in it?
The answer must be shame faced neg
ative.
A little over quarter of century ago,
this old man, then mainly distinguished for
INSCRIPTIONS activity in selfseeking, was
plotting to destroy the Nation if its control
were wrested from them by the voice of the
majority. By Machiavellian intrigues and
speeious falsehoods they beguiled and dra-
gooned their unhappy constituency into en-
barking into the most causeless rebellion
that the history of mankind records It was
SO destitute Of any real grievance that the
only countenance it got among all the civil
lied peoples of the earth was from those
whose hatred Of this Nation was such that
they welcomed anything that promised its
destruction. The conscience of the world
says to-day, with one voice, that if that re-
bellion had succeeded it would have been a
gross offense against almost all that the
world esteems as seemly, right and just. = =,
For more than four years the rebellion
ragged, to deluge the land with blood carry
wo to every home in the North and the
South, fill the land from Maine to California
with widows, orphans, bereaved parents and
MANNED men, destroy the prosperity of
large section Of the country, pile up noun
tain of debt upon the whole Nation, sweep
our foreign commerce from the seas, and in
fict manifold other evils. Had the great
crime been successful this would have been
the price paid for the aggrandizement of the
little coterie Of politicians who were to be
the only benefciaries of its success, and of
which this old man was the official head.
OF all the prominent men in the great
struggle he was the most detestable. His
partizanship of wrong cause was not re-
lieVed by any such magnificent soldiership
as that of Lee, Jackson, Johnston, Long
street, Hood and others; he had no touch of
the wonderful oratory of Toombs, Yancey,
and Wise. He had no quality of statesman
ship such as distinguished Hunter, Benja-
min or Foote. He was wholly lacking in
those noble traits which made SO many of
the leading SeceSsionists beloved by those
who knew them, though they fought them
as enemies. He was essentially cold d-blooded,
selfish and rancorous From his fonpue