New-York daily tribune., 1865-10-02
NOT MUCH OF A SHOWER.

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1t suits the purposes of "the State-Righls
Democracy to represent the Rebellion as a mere
episode In our history, and its suppression. with
reference to the future, as Of no more i'm
portance than the suppression OF a Dead
Rabbit Riot. Thus We find this faction
mouthing, with enormous .impudcnce, com.
mon-piaces about the unimrared rights
of the Rebel States" about "the sovereign
rights" Of sef.extinguisLed commonwealth,
about reserved rights which war was power
less to remove" and, as climax of audacity,
about "thc recent misunderstanding. Ian.
guage like this is used with prepense purpose.
These political gamblers and adventures ere
famishing for the s,a,u quo. They pine for the
flesh pots Of compromise. They are eager for
the resurrection Of Democracy" as they un-
derstand it, and they understand it to be a
damnable and remorseless denial Of simple hu.
manity to about four millions Of human beings.
Manhood suffrage goes against their stcmachs,
because manhood will never vote for them.
They long for the good, snug, old-iashioned
times, when they were sure Of every slave
State for their Presidential candidate, and when
power in Washington meant proyender in New
York. 1t suits the purposes of these persons to
speak contemptuously Of the War, TO ignore
its origin, to quarrel with its results, aud to
characterize the least defcnsible treason in his
tory as a misunderstanding. They have
won no laurels, aud therefore they denouncc
the laurcls of all other men As paltry weeds!
They NAV well take to their bosons the parri-
cidcs against whom they have never lifted a
finger!
The country we suspect has q somewhat
juster conception Of this " misunderstanding,
and Of is necessary results. We are rot ready
yet TO reduce it to the level Of vulgar " scrn-
mage" or to admit that both sides were wrong,
and both equally amenablo to just censure.
Not quite yet We will wait till our
slaughtered soldiers are more nearly reduced to
dust. We cannot make light OF "misunder-
standing" which has cost us so many lives.
We cannot admit that the past Is so insignii-
future. misunderstanding which ha.
, been fraught with so many serious conso.
quences, certainly rises at least to the dignity
!, of "a serious difference. But Brdsall doesn't
think so. That youthful hishman, Mr.. John
Keegan, doesn't think so. The Day Book Car
oasian doesn't think so We have had "mis-
understanding that's all Wherefore they
are in favor "of immediate recognition mot re-
construction) with unimparcd rights, and in
full fellowship" OF all the States which bolted,
ships, stole our property-and all upon the
strength of a misunderstanding
We beg leave to present this gentle, consid-
crate and eminently amicablc view MS dulcct
solace to a sorely-taxed yet foolishly patriotic
people. If Thread is high, and meat is high, and
coal is hgh and cloth is high, and rents are
high. all this irritating alttudinosity will be
phiosophically encountered and endured when
it is fully comprehcnded that the elevation Of
prices is altogether occasioned by q " misunder-
standing" The consequences are tremendous,
but the cause was mere bagatel!e. Families
a little pinched will find this view cxqusitely
soothing, although we cannot hope very warmly
that il will induce traders to mark down their
goods. When we hear Of its having that lower
ing effect upon markets generally, We engage
to publish the exhilarating intelligence without
the loss of single moment
To be sure, We ourselves have not yet
been able to take tho Democratic view. Due
reflection rather than else leads Us to look in
the opposite direction. We are skcptical about
that same misunderstanding" On the con.
trary, We believe that there never was a war in
the world the combatants In which had a
clearer conception of the points at issue, the
ends proposed, the means necessary, the results
inevitable. The Rebels fought for Slavery,
the Loyalsts for the Union. The former fancied
that the institution which they loved was in
Jeopardy, for they were continually told so by
ambitious and designing men. That may OF
may not have been O mistake, but t,co are
necessary for Observation-Disclosures IL the
North responsible for Southern blunders. But
beyond all thought Of immediate danger
TO "the institution was a subtle scheme Of
making it the foundation of an independent
nationality, in which Mr.. Davis and bis com
panions might grow great, famous and power
full. We assign these causes; we are not un-
mindful that blind, mrcasoning and reckless
hatred Of the North may have been the leading
influence. But putting all these causes to-
getbor. we get at nothing which can pallatC