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Show SUCCESSFUL RECONSTRUCTION. Oneuf the most -wonderful circumstances circum-stances in the history of tbia nation is . the entire success of reconstruction after the war. " We had forty-five millions mil-lions of people at war with each other. All the fiercer passions of our nature were fully aroused and every energy on both sides was in full play to win the victory. Four long years of bloody - war, an amount of destruction rarely Been, many hundreds of millions of property destroyed, costlv blood poured out like water on a thousand battle fields there was every incentive to hate an J to keep the passions at white heat for an hundred years. But the fact is within two decades after the last gun boom hurtling its leaden messenger of death every memory of Btrife apparently has been wiped from the hearts of the people of both sections. sec-tions. Such a thing is anomolous, unheard un-heard of and truly wonderful, but when we reflect on the leading characteristics charac-teristics ot the people we can understand under-stand bow such things can occur. Our paople are manly, placable and fair-minded. fair-minded. There was right and wrong on both sides, both had wrongs to forgive, for-give, and both were equal to the occasion. occa-sion. Then, too, there never was a govern-mentiike govern-mentiike ours. Never one -so gener- oub so strong or bo forbearing, nor rebels who ever returned to .heir - al- , legiauce eo ooi, eo completely or-so entirely, as .did ours. They - were worthy of being' beaten by a foe eo magnauimous. There is not a rebel soldier of all the hosts who laid down their arms at the close of the war, but I would be ret to spring to arms in defense' de-fense' of-- their reconstructed nationality, nation-ality, nor are there soldiers of the union forces who would lisht longer or lim.rtl&r for ita i?o. - It was a severe test which was ap pnea vj tuts ibwj war to me spirit ot our institutions. However, it was applied ap-plied and forth from the test came the nationality even without the smell - of fire on its t garments,: the-people on ' "-both sides have-not only met- expectations expecta-tions in this way, but have surpassed t-them. The north -has yielded a generous acquiescence in the just and patriotic causes which" led -H the confederate to take up arms, t The confederates have with equah frankne33-'and-genero5ity " conceeded the right of the north to stamp out armed resistance to. the government. gov-ernment. This Jjas-entirely . smoothed the wrinkles of war and bitterness from the brow of the nation. The fact has -been i fully e established that, this nation? isi strong! enough to deal with any force .seeking td-diaropt; or divide the government. It is far stronger, ; tar nobler and .far more flexible. than . . any, even its most ardent admirer , ever! believed, before the war. We have, as a nation, gone through ' ft fiery trial, gone through it flafelyvand - the test is worth i in finitely more 'to-us than the enormous sums it cost us to win it - either in treasure or in blood, ' Ali that is now needed is that we steer i closely by -the ; chart furnished by the constitution and all causes for future bad feeling will be lost to us foreyer. |