Year: 1878

Of fifteen years since the consignment to
their mother earth of the mortal remains
over which spring flowers are to be scat
tered to-day with free hands prompted by
loving or patriotic hearts. Natural affec-
ton, perhaps, bears o larger part in this
beautiful observance than patriotism, be-
cause majority of our soldiers who gave
their lives for their country had domestic
ties, and their graves. while fresh, were
wept over by deeply affected mourners


The fifteen years that have elapsed since
most of these graves were made have not
only had softening effect on the grief OF
bereaved mourners, but moderating in
fuence on the political passions which led
to, accompanied and long survived the war;
In proportion as private sorrow has been
assuaged by the lapse of time and by the
formation of new domestic ties, in that same
proportion has the hate Of sections been
allayed. The public feeling Of the North
no longer recoils against laying Natures
most beautiful gifts on the green turf which
covers the Confederate dead. There is, in
deed, no change of judgment respecting the
rightfulness of the war, but more
charitable sentiment has arisen toward the
misguided people of the South which
gives play to the natural promptings of hu-
man sympathy, The Southern matrons
who lost sons, the Southern sisters who
lost brothers, the Southern wives and
maidens who lost husbands and lovers in
that terrible strife, went through trials and
sufferings in all respects similar to those
which smote so many affectionate hearts in
the North. and sectional passions have hap
PLY so far subsided that there is common
and mutual respect for these purely human
griefs which arose out of wounds inflicted
upon the dearest sanctities of domestic
life. Between a Northern and South
ern mother whose hearts have been
torn with anguish over sons fallen in
battle, between Northern and a Southern
maiden, "waiting to be made wife, for
whom all the light Of life was extinguished
by the cruel fate of war, there is enough of
fellow feeling to enable them to per-
fectly understand each other as soon as the
animosities kindled by the war begin to
cool. So much time has elapsed that these
natural sympathies are no longer OBJ
structed, and the ever-enduring sentiments
Of the human heart are gaining the mas
terry. The more liberal tone of feeling
which tolerates and even consents to assist
in the decoration Of Confederate graves is
gratifying symptom of restored amity.


This beautiful custom of making annual
floral tributes to the memory of common
soldiers who fell in battle is a strictly Amer
ican observance. There is nothing re-
sembling it in the usages of any foreign ma
tion, and the liberal pensions which we be-
stow on MANNED soldiers or surviving
relatives are equally characteristic of the
superior regard in which we hold our SOL
diers. These singular usages are easily ex-
planned. They are natural consequence
OF the peculiar composition Of our ARMIES.
The governments Of Europe maintain large
standing armies and depend on them for
all purposes of aggression or defence In
such countries the military profess
sion is separated from the body
of the community by broad line
of demarcation, and being regarded
as q distinct class or caste it is cut off in
great measure from popular sympathies, es-
pecially in countries where the army is re-
cruited from the dregs and scum of the
populace. But in our country, where the
standing force in time Of peace consists of
a mere handful Of soldiers, our effective
armies on the outbreak of great war con-
sist of public spirited citizens who vol
unteer from the walks of civic life, and
maintain all the ties by which they were
bound to society in time of peace. Every
volunteer soldier who suddenly drops his
usual employment at the call Of his country
for a term Of service which he expects to be
short remains as closely knit to the COM
munity in which he has lived and
to the domestic relations in which he grew
up as if his absence had been occasioned
by temporary call Of business or pleas
ure excursion to distant parts No tie is
sundered, no engagement is dissolved, no
flow Of social sentiment is interrupted, when
patriotic young Americans leave the endear-
ments of home for military service The
consequence is that many fond hearts follow
the citizen soldier with the liveliest inter-
est, and there is maintained constant in
terchange of sympathy between him and
those he has left behind. He remains part
and parcel Of the civic community to which
he belongs, bound to it by tie as
close as an umbilical cord. signal
illustration of these unbroken rela-
tions with home life was afforded by the
army post Offices which were maintained
during the civil war. No other government
ever made o similar provision for constant
and easy correspondence between its
soldiers engaged in active military opera
tions and their families and friends. Pro-
vision was even made for enabling them to
vote in the elections Of their own States, so
complete was the recognition Of their rights