The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-04-21
BRIDGING THE CHASM or 81

Union soldiers who started for the
front in April, 1861, are booked for
almost every day between now and
the end of the month. On Wednes-
day the handful of men who are left
out of the 500 who constituted the
Sixth Massachusetts, the first armed
, and uniformed troops who reached
Washington in response TO Lincoln's
call, will hold their rally in Boston.
They left Massachusetts on April
II, reached Baltimore two days
later, were attacked by the mob in
that secession sympathizing center,
were compelled to fight their way
through, and reached Washington
Immediately afterward. They hold
their reunion on the I9tn instead Of
on the 18TH, because in the fight IN
Baltimore, in which several of their
members were killed, and in which
they killed many Of the mob, the
first blood was shed in the war of
the rebellion. The 10Th has an in
terest for them also from the fact
that it was the anniversary Of the
battle of Lexington, the first fight 10
the warof Independence. And some
o. the men who were in the Bati-
more outbreak were descendents of
the Gem battled farmers" who fought
Maj. Pitcairn elghty-slx years ear.
lier, and "hred the shot heard
round the world" On Wednesday
the Seventh New York also holds its
reunion, that being the semiceten
nial of its departure for Washington,
it being the first detachment of the
New York troops who started for
the defense of the national capital,
A day or two later, Corcoran's Gel,
ebrated Irish regiment, the Sixty
ninth New York, will have its obser-
vance. For the next two weeks
these 'fiftieth anniversary rallies will
be frequent in different parts of the
country.
A unique observance will be thet
which is to take place In Baltimore
on Wednesday. An invitation Yves
sent from that city to the survivors
of the Sixth Massachusetts to 60 to
an entertainment which would be
provided for them, in which many
Baltim dreams who saw that regi-
meht go through their city will par
ticipate. This is bridging the
bloody chasm of half century ago
in an effective way. A vital point
In Lincoln's border-state policy was
the keeping of Maryland in the
Union and the preservation of the;
open door through its chief city for.
the volunteers who came to the de-
fense of the government. The
physical link which connected Balti =
more to Washington was far closes
fifty years ago than it is today.
Washington can be reached by rail
in many ways in 1911 without touch
ing Baltimore. The mayor of 1861
was unfriendly to the Union, al
though he endeavored TO hold OFT
the mob, but he will be forgotten
in the festivities three days hence.
Mayor Mahool will make the Massa-
chusetts boys overlook the aversion
which Mayor Brown held for them
half century ago.
The promptness and the com
pleteness with which the passions of
1861 disappeared after 1865 brought
a reunited country has no parallel
In any other great conflict which the
world has seen. Civil wars are the
fercest of all conflicts, and their
traces last longest but for many
years past the scars which our big
struggle left have been obliteTated
With few exceptions they accepted
the new order. which was the restor-
alton of the old order, divested of
its anachronisms and impossibili-
ties. South Carolina is as loyal as
Massachusetts,, and has been for de-
cades past. And there is ample
reason for this. The first president
chosen after the civil war held out