New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-01-17
NM, cox ON TIE PURITANs.

1t certainly strikes one as q little odd, while
we are fighting at great cost Of armies aud
ammunition, to bring the Rebel States back
to O wholesome Constitutional position, that
Ohio Cox should come to New.YOrk seriously
proposing TO drive the six New.England States
out of the Union. Cox reminds US Of the old
Greek story Of the donkey that devoured u
rope of straw at one end while foolish old
woman twisted 1t indusiriously at the other.
els Cox Ike the donkey or the old woman :"
some reader may ask. Whichever you please,
% gentle inquirer But whether he be
asiuine or snilc, he is no better than Dis
uniOnist of that worst of variety, which prattles
upon Northern platforms, instead Of fighting On
Southern fields. We confess that we do not
see how Cox differs from jeff Davis except
that Davis is the ceverer man Of the two for
we do not think that any one with tho aver.
age modicum Of brains would stultify himself
and insult bis hearers, through a whole evening,
by alternately blowing hot and cold, by talk
ing loyalty and treason in the same breath, or
by seductivey signing for dear Virginia to
come back, while he bid Massachusetts be
Of with herself instanter. He certainly cannot
have very vigorous understanding, who, in
times like these, in addressing his follow
citizens, so far tramples upon the truth Of
history as to repeat those stale SANDERS of the
Puritan character which long ago disappeared
from all respectable literature, and which have
been the principal resource of ignorant Southern
editors in their assaults upon Northern So
ciety. We are sorry to say that most of these
passionate accusations are extremely ill-fOunded.
New England is by no means 30 Puritanical as
she should be- Indeed, if you come TO that,
perhaps she might demonstrate, even to the
satisfaction Of Mr.. Cox, that she is, In some
respects, mos! virtuOusly wicked and very
creditably abandoned to Sin. Sine has theategS
in oil her principal cities She eats mince-
pies at Christmas. She prints and reads a
vas. variety of rOmsnces. Like the proprietors
of several celebrated backings. she keeps her
pOe.s--twO in Cambridge Of great metrieal skill,
with no end Of melodious men and women ia
the rural districts. Every village has u dane
ing school, and balls are not uncommon even
upon Fast Day evening. IL it should be neces.
sary, we think New England might triumph
antly prove that in the principal iniquities she
is not in the least behind her neighbors. To
be sure, Cox aud others of like kidney usu-
ally violate oil fair. rules Of Jurisprudence. and
insist upon pleading double. In the same in
dictment Massachusetts, 10 charged with being
over pous and unduly philosophical, with q
superiority Of Christianity and prepOnderancc
Of infdety, with gross Indifference to the
wants Of the working classes and an unre-
strained aud morbid philanthropy, with a reck.
less disregard Of the material interests Of the
country and an avarice Unsuitable and unscru-
pulous, with too much ignorance and too much
learning, with o devotion to pure reason
which utterly rejects all compromise with bu-
man error and al inability to discuss public
affairs with the vulgarest accuracy. Such
people as Cox and his crew pretend that they
have discovered. not only do not exist but
never did exist and never, until the whole na-
ture Of man is changed, can exist in this
world. If Cox had told bis Democratic friends
that in Ohio there il race of men whose
heads grow beneath their shoulders. he would
hardly bare found 9ac auditor u [, cepG..saI