The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-09-27
sympathywitn the South.

Sympathy with the South.
It is still a reproach in certain cir
cles to be called sympatihzer with
the South. An American may SYM
pathize with Mexico or Brazil, Russia,
India or China, without any imputa-
ton upon his patriotism or morals,
but to have friendly feeling toward
his own flesh and blood, his country
men of the South, is in these circles
still discreditable- still 'sdisloyaL :"
. To speak well ofthe Southern people
In any respect, commend their cou-
rage, advert to the sudden and won
derful development of mechanical
skill and industry among them during
the war; to their perseverance and
endurance; or to praise the good faith
and spirit in which, the war over,
they have submitted to its award and
gone to work to re-instate themselves
as faithful citizens-al this exposes
one to malevolent imputations. With
the people to which we allude, nothing
upon the subject is acceptable that is
not depreclatory,. coNdemnatory, de-
flaming, Insulting. "A fallen foe e1-
cites no pity.in their hearts; the Cos
pei of hate which has fed thenAs for so
many years has eradicated the very
germ of all gentle sentiments toward
the objects of their hostile passion.
Ard yet to an unwarped nature
nothing would. seem more deserving
of pity and sympathy than these eight
millions of our fellow citizens. It is
true their leaders led some and forced
more of them into the rebellion, but
how have they suffered for their fault?
War never more thoroughly seourged,
Impoverished, ruined any country in
fonr short years than that. All the
accumulated capitalize result of
decades of prosperous agriculture-is
swept away. This may be replaced,
it is true; but.it will never be replaced
by those who have lost it, and bnt in
a,small degree even by their descend
ants, for they are dead Over two
thirds of all the men enlisted in many
of the States have disappeared. An
other generation of another people
must replace them, and inherit the
poor remains Of what was theirs.
THOUSANDS upon thousands of fami-
liesg bnce copfortable and happy in
their homes as any that the world has
seen, are now destitute, suffering, de-
prived Of all stay and support, and
dependent upon charity and the
scanty returns of their own labor for
"a bare subsistence. It would seem
that any degree of enmity might be
satisfied with this-even that of a
philanthropist.
But the temper to which we allude,
though it exists, is not the dominant
temper OF the people, They do sym
pathize with their lately rebellious
countrymen, and none more warmly
than those whose hands have chas-
tised them for their treason. A brave
foe, bravely vanquished, and now
submissive, excites in the soldiers Of
our armies no feeling but desire to
aid him in restoring the prosperity OF
the past, and rebuilding the republic
in more than its pristine grandeur
and glory And, indeed, this is in a
degree the actual work awaiting our
disbanded' heroes. After a brief visit
to their old homes, multitudes of
them Will return to the South, and
hnd: there better opportunities for
their energies than the North can
now afford them They will go to
assist in building up a free South,
carrying. with them Northern thrift
and Northern methods of labor, and
by their assistance and example, firing
the Southern heart with friendly emu
lation in the. work Of renewing the
old, and opening new ways of pros
porous enterprises Settling in the
South, thev will feel it's interests to
be their own, and swill heartily Join
the native people in resisting tyranny,
claiming and asserting the spme
liberties for their new home that was