Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-03-28
From the New York Ncws.
Major General Thomas and the "CeD-
froI Diracforv

From the New York Nows.
Major General Thomas and the "CeD.
tral Directory.''
The phantom of an impending outbreak il
the South appears to haunt the imagination
of Major General Thomas. He is persuaded
the Southern people do not love the Fedora
Government or the Northern nation; and be
has information that the recent rebels medi.
tate another revolt against the Union. Cen
eral Thomas may not be mistaken in the for
mer impression. We think it not altogether
improbable that when q citizen of Virginia
contelnplates the desolation Of his fields and
the ruins of his homestead, he may not be
disposed to invoke the blessing o! heaven On
those who have done This wrong; and that
he may not lean very lovingly toward the
Government which has been the instrument
OF his impoveris hment ard suLjectioh. After
all, the people of the South are inaamed with
the usual passions of humanity; and, possi-
bly, the spirit of true Christian philanthropy
is not sufficiently prevalent amorg them to
make them pray for those who rersecute and
dcspitcfuly use them.
lndi>putably, 1t is not in their nature 10
fawn upon al oppccssor. aud TO propiiia.e Eia
regard by protcStations Of their affection.
With us this is mere speculation, for we Go
no: pretend to any confidential revelation O..
the Southern feeling. But, why should gen.
tIemeu OF the Radical faction arow surprise
it the people, Of the South betray sofhe re
pugnance to their rule? l. not that the OBJ
ject OF their endeavors2 Is rot every act of
their administration most exactly calculated
to realiz. this result !? What have they done
to soothe the wounded seusbilities of the
Southern people2 What affront, what atroc-
ity, have they forbCrne, that might inhsme th,,
Resentment OF this high spirited community
wherein huve they evinced either mcrcy or
magnanilnity il their conduct toward the
victims OF their vengeance? Even the wo,ln
turns upon the heel that expresses it: and If
the gallant g,.nll men ard proud born women
Of the South refuse their affection to Gov
ernment which wrongs them in every right
and nsrl!s them in every feeling, what won.
der that at least in the passive resistance OF
naughty Indignation, they virdicate the out.
ragged instincts Of nature?
If the dominant party in Congress reall,
contemplate the development Of a different
sentiment in the South, they mnst pursue q
policy altogether different from that indica
ted in their present policy.' In effect, they
must say to The Southern people, "you Fave
been overcome by the weight Of numbers ard
resources You haze illustrated The highcsr
and rarest virtues ofteroism in yuur struggle {;
you are defeated but not discrcced aid
heuceforth you shall te treet with the r, :
spect due 10 the Inis!ortunes due to fallen
but sill glorious race" If this be the spirit
which shall determine the counsels of the
Federal Government in its relations to HE
South. Major General Thomas will not have
occasion to animaGvcrt oD the rccusant tenl-
per Of the Southern people.
The" new born zeal" proyeroiallJ imputed
to these who contract an unnatural alliance.
evidently snimaled General Thomas in bis
testimony before the IrqHisilion Cpmnlittec
lie hates the South with vindic.ive feelings
of one who has carried sorrow and desolation
into his native lAnd and would disarm Tie
suspicious of the Radicals by an excess Of
devotion to their cause. But, who believes
his story Of all inchoate rebellion in the
South2 He duplicates nobody in the con
spiracy he does not indicate the scene OF
the coming explosion he authenticatcs his
statement by no simple circumstance Of prob.
ability it is e vague, Indefinite, intangible
6gment vf Imagination; yet, il is solcmnly
paraded before the country, as furnishing
sufficient provocation for the perpetuation oi
. military dcspolism in the South.
No doubt General Thomas finds it very
ilattering to his vanity, ard, perhaps, not sn-
tirely Indifferent 10 his interests, 10 be con.
tinued iu COMMAND Of four States" but
neither the integrity of be Union nor the
welfare of the country is likely to be promo
ted by the system Of military usnrpation pre-
valent in the South. They who have some
regard for the safeguards Of republican liter
" will not be f:ighted by paanttn into ap
proval Of measure most sepugnant 10 the
principles Of the Constitution. General Tbon.-
as must be more explicit as we'll as mure con-
sis.ent in his story. he must rot say in one
breath that she Southern people are "ulterly
beaten" and in the next that they mediate
another revolt. He must disclose some cir
cumstances Of the alleged comspiracv-who
were its instigators, what it means; and lie
must not decline to avow the authors of his
information. The climera be has conjured
up ma7 avail Tor the purposes of the Recon-
struction Committee, but fiction SO prepos
terously incredible will scarcely gain credit
with the country.
We do not deny General Thomas has OBJ
served resenttuI spirit in the South He is
not the person TO evoke an exhibition Of arnia-
bic feeling on tie part of those who woud
avoid him rs an apostate. His position in
wolves everything that is Insulting to the
pride of the South, and in the discharge Of
his duties he runs alhwart all the seEsibili
ties of sipgularly susceptible people. A
few wretcbes may attempt to conciliate his
favor by Affect arts, but The bulk of the CONF
munity will stand aloof from bis presence.
How csn it be othcrTise2 WELDING the
sword of satrap, can he expect adulation
of men who have fought with the valor of
the Southern people? Should lie accept 1t
as significant Of radical and irreconcilab!e
repnsnance to the Union, that Southern Ia
die, refuse him tho homage Of their edmira-
ticn? Is not his hand red with the blood OF
their brothers7 Are not the liberties Of their
country dearer to them than ell earthly inter.
ests, crushed though they be under the weight
of bis irou-heeled despotism? Forbearance
from personal affront is the highest indul-
gence General Thomas should expect of the
Southern people; but, he is equally egotisti.
Cal and illogical TO confound their hatred Of
an individual with anlmosty to the Union.
The latter, time and masnanimous policy
will appeasc the former is rooted in causes
which will scarcely cease to operate while the
memory of his unnatural detection survives.
-~e->-- "ce
We never heard Fled Douglass speak but
once. He is pretty sharp day.aie, we'll
formed, rather graceful, and entirely ready.
On the occasion to which We allude, be spoke
in Independence Square, in Philadelphia. His
harangue was violent, made up chiefly os
descriptions Of the outrages practiced upon
the slaYe BIZ his master, and brought q very