Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1863-12-31
From the Richmond Sentinel
Tbs TWO Republics, and their Presidents.
BY JOHN SCETH.

BY JOHN South
i great lesson 0uce taught by history, is lost
Sight or bat peated through the centuries. Every
mighty movement upheayng the surface of the political
world has t8 representative who are so Identified
With it, that the purity detects Of the system come,
il time to c0Dt0uEded with The purify corruption
Iof its supporters. The world learns to connect
men ard principles together and does not require much
pesuaton to believe that 1t would be as hard for
corrupt man tc advocate coed measures it would be
for good 10 support bad ones. And the reason of
this s evident if e theory itself be not altogether
rect. Men are more apt, as general thing, to Tx
their memories upon the names associated with
any particular the history of the world than upon
the principles which might have been INDICATED by it.
Every school boy has beard of Oliver Cromwell and
Geo. Washington. But how many men can there be
found in day 9 search who could speak lnteligently
OF the conflict hetTeen Cavalier and R0undhead Of
There is probably clever schoolgirl who has passed
boy0rd the rudnents Of history, who does not remem
ber to have read of Queen Elizabeth and Charlotte
Corday but the generality of readers what the
policy of EYiza 5eth, and in what the real glory of Char
Otte consisted and it would doubtless appear that his
tory for them is mere jingle of names, and not as
Bacon philosophcaly calls it, ian evolution Of princ
pics" When persons of this class wish to present to
their minds, the strongest light, the atrocities OF the
French Revolution, they recall Eobespierre and Mara
and they fancy that they have comprised those stormy
days in which Europe was cOnvulsed by the power of
man. and thrones 0pped and old Institutions passed
Emperor.
In This Gomentou3 period OF our career as people,
we are not unwilling, confess to what, for
of q better name will call this metonymc judgment
uncertain though it may be in many cases-passed
upon our struggle. The men at tie head of the two
governments have characters clearly drawn as any
vino have stood at the helm Of States and guided the
course CT great movements The antagoEism between
the North and SOuth-between the steadfast devotion
to principle Of the and the coward!y craft and
rGckessness OF the Otherare net strongly mark
ed than the dlssmlarity existing between their Pesi-
dents. Cromwell, with his cant of humility and his
real oTergroWn confidence in himself and bis contempt
of all other authority, was no bad representative of
the fanatics who beat back their kings battalons at
NasebY and Mar8tOn Moor reVed old Institutions
that had been good enough for their fathers and thank
ed God they better than Charles Stuart and bis
men Of Beal. The Chiefs of the Mountain, with
their besotted hatred of religion and ORDER and their
utter incaPacy to grasp the necessities OF tie move
ment IN winch they were cngaged were tit to be the
leaders Of q mob, who had commenced a revolution
without adequate cause and VINO, becoming PATRIOTS
showed but little difficulty in learning be blood
hounds But Closaly these were types of the fac
tons for whom they acted it is doubtful whether there
ever lived rulers wno have combined in themselves SO
many OF the elements of the peoples whom they repre-
sent, as jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln
There are many reasons why we of the South should
be grated that sEcl is the case. All of us feel that
the separali0n betWG the two sections is eternal be-
emens which foster the union OF States. Even when
associated under the same government and when the
gi4uuc Of SUCCESS was thrown around the aiminstra
Il n Of their common sHairs and the Union, an ab-
stract idea, speaking grandIy Of Unlimited power
and the popping OF vast municipalities, had re-
duced many spirits to conservatism who felt the neces
sty Of dissolution; the seeds of decay were generated
the very character OF the two peoples aud the foun
cations OF the Government were ali ady cumbing into
runs The crash came at last, the VIII 0e Of the
g.upeud0us deception that had bacl foisted upon the
world as Union was laid bare; and men learned, for
the fret time, to separate from the that which
had constituted the conservative element in the urna-
ural coDnecti0n-had kept society within legitimate
bounds-had given validity to the DEGREES CT the Con.
sttutonhad enforced justice in the administration of
government-had Strengthened religion and fortified
public morality.
We left the compact and then, with the suddenness
Of change IL the slides OF theatre, came that system
Of social oud political ethics which has since excited
tie st0nisbment of every thinking mind and has pre-
scented to the world the dreary spectacle of people
who had OUce commanded their respect Welding TO
debasement scarcely paraeed in the history of nations
and showing themselves reckless the faith of
daf to the APPEALS OF Justice serye without patrotiem
and arrogant without courage. This apparently sud
Gen transition has not surprised Us VINO have been
familiar with the character of enemies fd- MANY
wears But it has fallen strangely upon the nations n
Europe 10 the midst OF marvellous progress with
common flag, representing common nationality, float
ing On every and IN every port, and with com
mece UncOnnectei, apparently, with any saction ties
typg to the unity OF an enterprisipg and ingenious
people; was impossible for them to appreciate upon
how otter ng oantat rested in reality, the stately
weight SO much spIendor and so much glory.
The restrictive and unjust legisation-tba gradual
encroachment of The Anti strug
giles for vested rights upon the floor of the two houses
Of Congress, and those gloomy days immediately pre-
"4dng tLe disruption of the great Republic when Our
of 39s Tor redress laughed at the last efforts
men 90 moth faction, were regarded by European states