The Cordova daily times., 1917-10-10
THE HEALING HANDS OF TIME


 us believe that so much racial hatred has been engendered by the conflict that the bitterness which will ensue will make world of peace but little more desirable than war itself. The prediction is far fetched It is true that the world will resemble a vast hospital above ground and vast cemetery beneath, and that the ra- wages of war will leave a lasting im- pression upon all the peoples of the earth. The wreckage of the conflict will not easily be repaired, especially that of the old world where the work of reconstructing the ruins must be carried on by crippled races. These people would not be human if they did not harbor hatred in their hearts for while; they will attempt to brand each other with the mark of Cain for a time; then there will come day when all their grievances will be forgotten in the glorious work of
  ties and redeeming civilization from the calamity which befell it. Thus will the healing hands of Time assu-' age the grief sooth the smarting pains and eventually efface the scars that now disfigure the finest peoples of the earth.
 Like individuals, nations are prone to forgive and forget. History tells us this. Napoleon was called the Great Butcher" of his generation but in less than quarter of century he was celebrated in romance. Grant was termed the Bloody Butcher, even by his own people; now he is universally declared by all Americans as the greatest as the greatest cap tain of the age. Sherman was the most detested of all the soldiers of the Rebellion because of his ruthless methods, yet when he died he was borne to the grave by three generals in gray uniform who, with three un- ion generals acted as pall-bearers. The splendid feeling and friendship that sprang up between the two fam Ous captains of the Blue and the Gray at the close of the Rebellion is now cherished as one of the finest trad itions of the Republic
 No civil war was more bitterly contested than that between the North and South. During the dark days of the Rebellion men felt that an enduring feud had been engendered and viewed the future with despair in their hearts. Then came that day of days at Appomattox when Grant met Lee and dictated terms of the surrender of the Confederacy. It took barely three minutes for the former to pen the memorandum of agreement. Lee was wearing the splendid sword presented to him by the loving hands of his people and ob- served the custom of war by tender ing 1t to Grant. The latter gracious ly waved it aside and wrote in the peace document: ""The side arms of the officers shall be returned" And then, as if prompted by an after thought, he wrote these magnani- nous words: "The horses shall be re- turned so that they can cultivate the fields" The terms finally agreed upon, Grant quietly inquired of Lee as to the state of his starving sol diers and issued an order to his com missary division to honor the requi- sition of the Confederate commander for all needed supplies. The Blue and the Gray mingled freely around many a campfire that night and the long feud was at an end
 Then we are reminded of Lincoln's generous words, uttered in response to the inquiry as to how he proposed co deal with the South, now that it had surrendered. "I shall treat them as though they never went away" he replied An unkind fate struck him down before he could put his policies of reconstruction into operation but not until he had convinced the South of his sincere friendship and forgive ness. So it was that the death of this man came as more severe shock to the Southland than did de- feat itself, and those who had for long years painted him as as black as mortal hands and hearts could paint another, mourned his irreparable loss and sorowed to the very depths of their souls.
 And so there will come day when the batreds of men arising out of the