As the pistols have come peacefully together, so have north and south united in fraternity and in devotion to one flag and a common country. The war taught mutual respect, and never again can there come between these sections the hatred, based upon mutual misunderstandings, that led to the attempt at dismemberment. The men who did the fighting during those four years of bloody war can have no sympathy with the incendiaries who would array section against section upon any subject. Their motto is bear and forbear. The disposition to fraternize was strong among them even during the strife, and with them now is the brotherhood that is the inevitable incident of unity of national purpose and a patriotic desire for one destiny. Long ago, while condemning the false teaching that led to the belief that allegiance was to the State, we appreciated how deep abiding was the honest conviction of those who, taught in a different school from us, made untold sacrifice for the cause they espoused. Forgetting nothing of the past--the cruel blow at nationality, the unhallowed attack upon the flag, with all the sad results of weeping and wounds, of desolation and death--we have forgiven everything. Full citizenship, with all of honor, of governing power, and controlling rights that the term imports, has been accorded to all who participated or lent aid and comfort to the enemies of the Union. As the victors and the vanquished have recognized equal courage and even powers of endurance, there has come mutual respect. Through the throes and labor of reconstruction, with the contact of peoples, the interchange of commerce, the common interests of the different parts of the national whole, the dovetailing of States through the construction of the iron highways of trade, and mutual contribution of the capital needed for the development of the new South has come peaceful, contented reconciliation. The years that gather wisdom and experience to all long ago taught the lesson even to those who fought for it, that the cause for which they struggled and suffered was better lost than won. Hail the epoch of concord! All hail, the era of fraternity! Let us close the lid of the mahogany box, believing that the pair snugly ensconced within it shall never serve save as polished reminders of other days. TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES Extraneous quotation mark on page 11 removed. Corrected typo in illustration caption “battlelield” to “battlefield”. Normalized punctuation in illustration caption “CHARGE OF GENERAL....” Positions of illustrations re-arranged to support the main text.