The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-05
THE JOURNALS BLOODY SHIRT

LILO AtldQGd OOuSCltuLlOu - pJcdSCu W IulS-
represent the Indianapolis Journal in it's posi-
ton on the ''bloody shirt" question. 1t
would require the utmost charity to say that
the Constitution has not purposely attempted
to put the Journal in a false light. The
readers Of this paper know very we'll that it
has nothing against the South as the South,
nor can any man, North or South, place his
finger on a single line in this paper hostile to
the South as portion of the Union. On the
contrary, the indianapolis Journal has taken
occasion frequently to congratulate the coun-
try at large over the gratifying fact that the
South showed such evidences of material pros
perity. The interests of the Southern have
been Of as much concern to the Journal rs
those of any other portion of the Union. 1t
has rejoiced over the progress the South has
made in iron and cotton manufactures, and
has felt glad whenever the boast was made
that the mills of Georgia were rivaling those
Of Massachusetts,, and those Of Tennessee and
1AlNOdtud producing iioA oo OLVnpAy 90 Az SOuAN
be made in Pennsylvania. When ths Consti-
tuition says, as it does say in a recent issue,
that the Indianapolis Journal sis simply
hater of the South and of everything South
ern," it makes statement that is false, and
that it cannot help knowing is false. We
challenge the production of line from the
Journal that can be tortured into hostility to
the South or to Southern things.
The indianapolis Journal, nor any reason
able man in the North, has any prejudice
against the South. We not only invite the
closest scrutiny of the columns of the Jour
nal, but ask that the action of the people of
the North be inspected, to discover. if posi-
BILE, single sentiment hostile to the South,
or even prejudicial to it as apart of the Union.
What the North would like to see is, the
South giving evidence Of the patriotic feeling
that the North feels and expresses toward the
Union, of which all the States are equal and
integral parts. It is time that the prejudices
and the issues Of the war were not recalled
Enough time has elapsed, we think, for
the South to learn a little something
It is time, we think, that it
should feel glad that that the rebellion did
not prove success, and to admit like hon
est, brave men should, that the war for the
Confederacy was mistake. This is the only
thing asked. Admitting that an undivided
country is better than one split in twain,
there is nothing more to ask The South
can continue extolling the personal virtues of
its dead as much as it chooses. The North
has never failed to testify to the valor and
heroism Of its brothers of the South. This
was true in the midst Of the conflict While
there was the bitterness inseparable from the
feeling that the South was not justified in
making war against their fellow-citizens, the
boys in blue never failed to recognize that
their opponents were as brave as Il . bravest.
The North does not begrudge the South
single tear for personal sorrow over the
graves of the men who so bravely gave up
their lives for what they mistakenly believed
to be right But should not the bitter lesson
be learned that, with all its heroism, its
bravery, its devotedness to its belief, the
South was mistaken, and the South should
not only feel that it was mistaken, but be
periodically glad that its mistake was not
perpetuatedi The men who wore the blue
and those who are tainted with waving the
''bloody shirt" have buried animosity long
years ago. and hope never again to have oc-
casion to be at enmity with the South.
They would like to see tho sentiments that
made the war abandoned. They would like
to see the dead doctrine of secession, and
State sovereignty, which is its other name,
laid away in the grave of oblivion. The
North thinks too much of the South and of
Southern men to ever want to see another
war. It wants the closest fellowship, and
thinks that the sole condition asked, that old
mistakes be admitted or abandoned, is most
reasonable one. The doctrine Of the right of
State to sccede was so hateful from 1861 to
1865 that hundreds Of thousands Of men were
engaged in the work Of killing each other to
settle tho question. II was thought that 1t