Year: 1877

olLF En- VII AS'''


EDITOR TIMES Over twelve years


have elapsed since General Lee sur


rendered to General Grant. Though


more than decade has passed and


gone it is surprising to note at times


with what vehemence, ill-feeling and


vituperation some of our citizens dis
cuss the issues Of the past and seem
20 desire q recurrence Of them, or


talk of them as though they had been
a mere play or farce 1t appears to


your correspondent that at this late


stage of the drama such scenes and


language ere this should have be-
come obsolete. But, no; with some
they must ever fan the fame that


lights their government to its ruin.


We yield that it is natural for US to
sympathise with one sid" or the other


in unison with or according to the
principles under which We were


brought,up. But in doing so, in our
i. enthusiasm may We hot lose cas- e, or
. in vulgar parlance, our glipl With
. some, notwithstanding their intelli-
"a gence, reflection seems to hold no
part in their composition. They
seem to ignore the dark and bloody


horrors Of the past and cannot half
appreciate the blessing Of being ex-
empted from them. Certainly the
past has lessons we cannot well for
get, which we should never fail io
read and remember. "A patriotic at
tachment to the locality of our birth,
d. our Identification with the Commuui-


ty in which we live, should. ever he


get ties of love and friendship only


TO be erased by time, and not severed


in u day on every riiling OCCASION.


We are happy H. beiieve that tAis is
. a prominent characteristic Of most of
. our citizens; whist there are others,
. to take their WORD for it, don't care


whether the ship sinks or ssims.
For them, be 1t said, they have no
mighty influence, nor are they very


heavy exponents of public opinion.
The friendly classes of every com
munity are prone TO quietude and are
MT naturally demonstrative. To the


professional politician this may be


distasteful. To the peaceful ana
humble citizen II is his solace. All


must agree, no matter from what


part Of the country we came, that
prosperity and happiness depends
rupon the quiet, sober good sense and


instructive honesty Of the people.
Who can deny that we have not been


taught and paid dearly for admins
, trative inefiiciency, ignorance and GU


pidity. Yet we hear meu, in their
{ frenzy and attrabiliousness of TEN.


per, say they don't care if we have
another war among ourselves. Let
it he asked what sane man who turns


his face to the eastern horizon and


looks toward the home of his child


hood, where first he breathed the air
. OF heaven and gazed upon the morn
ing SUI, with moments reflection,
does not deprecste the issues Of the


past2 What has been, and it is to be
h ped may never occur again, in


which father, mother, sister, brother,
friend and all that attaches itself to
memory dear, formed conComitant.
fLet it be asked, had they father OF
brother left ON the CORY field 2liad they
/. a mother or sister forced to fee from


the burning flames, with nothing to
cover them but the broad and cold
canopy of the heaveus3 If this be
.their case, and If sincere in what they
they say, their hearts must be obdu-
srate and made of adamant. When
we contemplate the mighty wreck
and devastation which but few years
ago brooded like IN incubus over our
beloved country and witness such
manifestations or expressions of our
.citizsus, We are irresistibly forced to