The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-19
A PARTY WITH A RECORD.

xAA41 VIII "a AnOOhOs
The Sentinel, in an editorial deprecat-
ing the recent publication in the Jour
nal of an article recalling some of the
local incidents connected with the firing
on Fort Sumter and the first call for VOL
unteers in this State. says:
There is n class of men who want to con-
time fighting as long as they live and dele
gate the work to their sons when they can
DO 1t no longer. They seek every opp0r-
tunity 10 stir up the old sectional feeling
which once existed. They seem tn want to
have the strife continued without cessa-
tl0n until the old men have passed away.
Then they are fixing matters 30 that the
same agitation shall be continued indef-
inirely. All this is wrong. The young
ths who who have sfSwn 1D since since
discussions. They know nothing of it but
history. They understand and appreciate
the principles fought for and settled. but
they do not care To have the old iealousies
and hatrecs constantly thrust in their faces
AMI have the Invitation TO roll them under
their tongues as sweet m0rsels extended to
them on every occasion. There Is too much
to think OF in the present. This generation
IL making history. and has little time for
the discussion of by zones. excepting AS the
times long passed may have o bearing upon
the life of the present.
In SO far as this means that each gen.
Grafton has its own duty to perform and
should live In the present and not in the
past. Se fully agree with it, but we DO
not concur in the idea, more suggested
than distinctly stated, that there is no
profit or useful lesson in recalling men,
cries of the war period. Neither do we
admit that this implies a desire to con-
tinne the fight or to stir up old sectional
feelings. "The young men who
have grown up since the war;"
says the Sentinel, "care nothing
for such discussions" More's the
pity. They would be better citizens
and truer patriots if they did and if
they understood more about the true
character of the wal and the relation of
political parties to the issues which pre-
coded and grew out of it. The history
Of a nation is like the flow of a river.
1t is continuous and inseparable. The
present is the logical sequence of the
past, and whatever superficial differ
ence there la be, the underlying
philosophy of both is the same.
The wal period was, beyond compare
son. the most heroic period in our his
tory. The uprising in the North, when
Fort Sumter was fired on, was the grand
est spectacle hat had been witnessed in
the world up to that time. and, as an ex.
hibition of popular fervOr and patriot
ism. is never likely to be surpassed. 1t
was the sudden realization of a national
conscience, the instantaneous bursting
out of patriotic forces that had been
generations in gathering. 1t marked a
new departure and the beginning of a
new era in our national history. In
that moment, indeed, the Nation itself
underwent a new baptism and expert
enced a new birth. Those who are old
enough to remember that period can
never cease to be thrilled by it's memo
ries or come to feel that it is Improbable
to recall them, unless they belonged to
the class whose hearts were with the
movement for the dissolution of the
Union and who did not sympathize with
the great uprising in the loyal North.
AS the political parties of to-day are
essentially the same as those of thirty
years ago, we see nothing improper or
illogical in occasionally reminding pe0-
pie that the Democratic party as IN or
ganization was opposed to the war for
the preservation of the Union and had
no part in the great patriotic movement
of that period. The Democratic party
has never r~etracted any of the utter
ances nor ~apolOgized for any of the acts
which, during those years. made it the
haven of every phase of disloyalty and
caused traitors in arms to follow it
with their hopes and prayers. From
that time to this it has never changed
front nor direction. 1t has continued to
move in the same old lines. The Dem
Ocratic party of to-day is not merely
the lineal and logical successor of the
Democratic party of 1860. but it is the
same party. 1t is no longer the party
of slavery, because slavery is gone.
1t is no longer in favor of a dissolution
of the Union, because that question is
settled. But it represents whatever is
left of these issues in our politics. 1t
still hugs the traditions of slavery in
the South and justities every sort of in
justice to the negro; it still battles for
the doctrine of State sovereignty, which
was the cornerstone of secession, and
1t still stands for every vicious prin-
ciple. for every unsound doctrine and
for every dangerous tendency in Amer
lean politics. We may add. that with
~unchaneing consistency it still depre-
Gates all reference to the war period as
unpatriotic and hurtful.
This is q material age. The mercan-
tile spirit is predominant. There is
little or no sentiment in our politics.
The average American of to-day has no
imagination. The material side of his
nature is cultivated at the expense of
the spiritual. He thinks much of dol
lars and cents, but little of patriotism.
He has no time to read history and does
not care to bother with the past. There
is No money in it. But it cannot hurt
him to be reminded occasionally that
there was a time when loyalty was
counted q virtue and patriotism an cx-
cellent thing. and that in that great and
trying time the party which now con-