Year: 1875

even the reckless partisans who live upon
strife were forced 20 abandon their mlschev-
ous appeals TO tho old enmitics and preJudices.
Better testimony TO the renewal OF 1laterhai
feeling and the bonds of brotherhood on the
part of the masses of the people was iufhisieo
lately in the ceremonies at Richmond AT 'le
upvaling of the statue or StoneWal
Jackson. and the comments thereon bv
the press of the North and South. On the one
hand the representative Southern men who
took mart in the memorial exercises, instead OF
making it the opportunity for revlylng the
bitter memories Of the past and renewing the
old differences and disputes, seized the 0cca-
sion to renew their allegiance 20 the Unlon'
and to record again their acqmcsence III the
results of the war. On the other hand, the
feeling of the North was expressed III the utter
anccs of all the prominent Journals, which
were characterized by an entire absence OF
a spirit of criticism, and by warm and gen.
erous sympathy with the tributes paid to the
manly qualities of eancs:ness and sincerity
with which their hero was 80 grandly en-
dowed. The sentiment of the Southern people
and their disposition toward the Government
were indicated in the Grafton of the Rev. Dr.
Hoge. There was no pretense OF recantation
of old opinions, nor any offensive assertion OF
them. He said:


The people If the South maintained, rs their fathers
maintained before them. that certain principles were
essential the perpouaton OF the Union according 10


its original Constitution. Rather than surrender their
convictions they took NJ to defend them The ai
peal was vain. Defeat came, and they accepted H. WIN
is consequences just they would have accepted VIC


tory with its fruits They have sworn TO maintain the
. 4.
ATTEMPT again TO assert their views Of State sovereignty
ny IN arpcal 10 the sword None feel this obligation 10
he more binding than the soldiers Of the late Confederate
armies soldiers parole Il sacred thing, and tie mon
who ara willing die for principle in time of war are
the men of all Others most likely TO maintain their per
sona honor in time Of peace.


He could hardly have said less and II was
not necessary that he should say more, to show
in manly and sincere way the feeling OF his
people. 1t is not perhaps 10 be wondered at
that The London Times should have misappre-
hendcd the purpose and meaning OF this
demonstration, or that it should have depre-
Gated the action of the English gentlemen who
presented the statue to Virginia as " an cX-
irene indiscrction," calculated to excite Bit
terne,s between the North and south and to
stir up TancOr again between England ana
America. There Is no danger OF either. We
have tlattered ourselves upon previous
occasions that we Were filing our En-
glSh cousins with astonishmcnt If not
with admiration at our achievements.
We may not have been 0ycr-modcst III our
estimate of them But we have in this matter
certainly an opportunity to congratulate our
selve, upon setting to all the nations of the
earth AN example worthy their imitation III
illustrating some OF the triumphs OF peace
whose ren0wn is higher fan than any victory
of war. fen years of time have done much to
soften aud subdue our passions, to mellow
prejudice. and transnute our grctS; kindly
Nature with her healing forces has assuaged
olir pains and cured our hurts, ana our scars
have almost disappeared. With large and
serene sense of rest and content, We may
sit down in the shade and comfort of real
peace, a hearty and sincere reunion. And we
shall be wise if we remember that the begin
ming OF all this was in the failure at Gin
cinnati. when for the first time since the war
the people of the South were offered the open
PALM of friendship and reconciliation. The
politicians failures are sometimes the
worlds largest successes.