The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-05
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S0aSSN AAO RANAN nAUss a. sssAs ~ s"s~ai
49, stEE-==xz=.========--=
Yankee Ctvilisastsn.
lt has been q constant boast of the NORTH
that Il was land Of clutches, schools an,
newsrapen. New England has Oks church
-, the Middle States, ala, the Northwest,
en- States, 1o,ea6. Maiue has larger Pre-
portion Of schools than any other country
In the world. In New England only one
rason over twenty years OF age In every four
hundred natives ID unable TO read aud write
The Federal Government has granted over
foety millions Of acres of land for school
purposes, and orss fcr. ns!llions of acres for
uoivessiw purposes. Tive thousand ave
hundred and tTenty-six newspapers were
pahlShsd In the United States, by iaf the
greater proportion in the North.
II. church buildings could make a i>eopie
religious, II the means of education and >se
opportunities OF knowledge could render
fheu virtuons, the people of the United
States ought TO ee the bes. people in The
world. Or, If ciyilizl.ioa consists In mate
raaa Development, they ought &C be The most
oiviliSed Of mankind. IL civilization con-
eists In steam, machinery. shipe, electricity, /
and gas, the United States should be the
most civilized Of nations, Iastead o! AL tins,
their conduct in the present Invasion he's
proved them the most vicious and the meet
barbarous Of nations.
We do not pretend that this is the result
uf their civilization, but ii is proc: ,tAat
their ideas Of civilization are false, aud that,
in the true sense of that term, they have
Rsver been civilized. Churches, iii many Of
whieh the principal doctrines of Christianity
are denied, and pulpits in which malice, ha-
tired, md all unoharitableness are preached.
can scarcely be received as indications OF:
popular acceptance of Christianity. In point
Of fact, infdelity pervades one portion OF
the Northern population, and tana.icism
another, leaving but helpless minority who
have not bowed the knee TO Baal. The i'm
potency of education, unassisted by higher
influences, to Improve the natural character
is shown by the complete failure of newsra
rsrs, schools and colleges, 10 elevate thc
Yankee population above the animal pas
siohs of brutes. The naked savage OF the
wilderness, who has never seen the impres
elon Of type on paper, nor heard OF such
thing as school or o university could not
be more brutal in his instincts, nor more
fssocpus in his hatred, than the anagamat-
ing and honse and city burning population
Of the Northern States.
II that population is fair representation
of the eo-called civilization of the world,
fhen the limits between that condition and
barbarian are narrow indeed. The difference
between the two is al external habit Of life
aud dress, and in the acquisition of know
ledge rather than any moral di:similarity.
The Yankee Is bdt the barbarian dressed in
brosdcloths. knowing all about steam and
machinery, and conforming externally TO The
asages Of civilized society, but still at heart
savage, who will prove himself true to his
original instincts Whenever az opportunity
is afforded him like the present war to dis
close his true nature. Educate, Unitarian
In. and UnioAize this savage as you will the
leopard cannot change his spots, nor the
Ethiopian his skin, nor the Puritan hand re-
ffain, when not prevented by the sheer force
of law and bayonets, from plundering and
burning houses, destroying mills and har-
vests. outraging and numbering helpless non
combafanfs, and deliberately deyoting a
whole city to bloodshed and flames.
But lot US not do injustice to those sayagss
of North America who were tho uustrious
predecessors Of the Tanks. Il they were
fierce In battle and unforgiving In revenge,
II they destroyed private property and made
war upon helpless wo,nanhood and III
fancy, Il must be remembered that they never
set themselves up as models Of honest and
religious departments, had never heard the
name Of Christianity except As the religion
Of Their white enemies, and never knew the
advantages Of universe! education. With all
their sins they had come redeeining virtues.
Ii they were vindictive In their animosities
they were faithful in their friendships. If
they were furious in battle, they were as
brave - they were bloody, and could endure
with unshrinking fortitude in their own per
sons the tortures they inflicted upon others
There could be no greaser contrast in the
! world than the whining and ahIcct Yankee
in his hour of discontinue and disa.ter, and
the North American Indian singing bis death
chant amid the dsmes Of the stake More
over the souls Of the Abotigines were not
absorbed in the pursuit of dollars and cents
Whatsver other idols they had they did not
worship the golden calf They had nobler
passions than the pursuit of material pelf
The Yankees, whose only idea of civilization
u the application Of mechanical discovesie.
- the aegrandiaement Of individual gain, Is
inferior in everything that constitutes man
30 the North:Amerisan Indian.
Perhaps II was some lurking suspicion Of
1hds bet that made the Yankee as intolerant
and uniergiving to the red-skinned savage
- he has been maudlin and besotted In HE
sympathies for the negro barbarian. In this
Sabie ebjsst OF his tender mercies he inas
4 the consolation Of supposed inferiority to
himss,I The proud defiance OF the red
! mans eye, the l.nposs.bility of ever becon-
4uS slave, the heroic contempt of danger
and death, do not relieve the gross qualities
81 the African savage Here at last is one
4ss Of barbarians on whom the Yankee
NJ look down with assured selfcompla-
/ 1sney. But even this Is not demonstrated
/ Iset. 6ome Yankee philosophers have an
/ nouneed of late that the African Is higher
4 type Of nm than Yankees, and ought to be
nssd isr enriching their blood This, how
over, b recent discovery, and will only be