The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-10-13
The Popular Current.


There are some men and some influential
journals which are thorough believers in the
voice of the people, taking that voice to be
the voice of the majority. Had they lived in
the days of the cruciixion their voices would
have been heard among those which cried
out "csucify him." While we are believers
neither in the exclusive dogma Of predestina-
ton, nor that of freedom Of the will, holding,
though they be perhaps logically irreconcila-
Bile, vet that truth is contained in both, aid
that therefore both are to be held together ;
nevertheless, we regard the admission that
the popular current is to be aequesced in as
right because popular, as immoral and base
abandonment of reason.
The popular voice in the cruci6xion was
right, inasmuch as it accorded with the divine
DEGREES, but, humanity speaking wrong as an
act of injustice towards an innocent Being.
Yet its instruments could not avoid their des-
tiny Leaving this mystery, tor the present, as
unsoluble by the finite mind, we recur to the
course of those who counsel the acceptance
of the popular voice at the North as indca-
tive of the true course to be pursued by the
South. That course is to accept the consti-
tutional amendment which would be vol
untary disfranehisement on her part of the
men who forsook all for her in her day of exs
tremity, and cast their lot with her fer good
or for evil. To adopt the amendment would
be in our estim alton base abandonment of
| them and an act of the most criminal ingrati-
tude. 1t would be to desert friends who had
stood by lis in the dirsst day of our misfor-
| tune-to do which Cannot be viewed by us
except as an act of everlasting shame and
dishonor.
1t is requirement at our hands which
would stain us with guilt, and to which we
cannot, therefore, consent without dishonor
and crime. We have already been required
to legalize reputation and consent to the re-
linquishment of our property.
These We're sufficiently humiliating, the
former perhaps morally questionable but
they do not approach, in degradation, the re-
quirment of the crime of ingratitude, which
! is urged upon us by those who regard the
voice of the people as the voice of God No
voice can Justly demand at our hands an act of
manifest wrong and that which is now
required and urged as essential to our polit-
| cal restoration should never have been made a
sine qua non by high minded, generous and
honorable men. The results of the war. the
fact of our being conquered people, do not
sanction injustice on the part o our conquer
els. Though defeated we yet have certain
rights as men and political societies. Among
these rights is that of the preservation of our
honor. which We conceive we are required to
sacrifice by the desertion of our most promi-
nent and seltsacrifcing men. If the Govern
ment can do without us in the councils of the
"Nation;" if it can survive the want of conf :
dence in its stability-which exists among
the capitalists abroad and at home, by reason
OF our posture we can perhaps likewise do
without political restoration, so long as that
restoration is based upon sacrifice of our
honor.
This may be sentimental but it is like
wise just and honorable