Smyrna times., 1866-01-03
The North and the South.

Some people are very much afraid lest the
fact of Congress declining t0 admit the South
ern members Immediately ON the opening of
the session, will have an untayorabc effect upon
the revlving loyalty of the Southern people,
aud will tend to create new enmiticS and antag
onsns i'll the Southern heart Had the Sen
atOrs and Representatives been admitted to
their seats, unquestioned, on the first day-had
the test oath been at once abolished or ignored
1T is fancled that an immense stimulus would
have been given to the growth Of this South
ern loyalty, and that aninlOslties of the past
would have been quite forgotten i'll the enjoy
ments of the present.
Now, loyalty in its true sense, is not thing
of the character of Jonah's g0urd, which
SPrang up i'll night and perished in a night
We are too much accustomed to speaking of it
as something which men may put off or put on
| at pleasure, Us If it were mere sentiment in
stead OF conviction But in a country whose
| government and institutions are Of the nature
OF ours, loyalty, IN its essential being. is much
more matter Of the intellect than of the feel
lngs. 1t arises from an intellectual perception
OF the intrinsic excellence and fitness Of the ex
| istlng political order, and is sustained bv an
appreciation of the benevolent results that arise
| thereirom 1t is thus of much more solid
aud intelligent character with US, than it is in
countries were it Is based simply on blind
popular enthusiasm for an individual But
this also implies that with us it is less change
able and more enduring Opinions that have
no more stability than the feelings cannot be
dignifed with the title of convictions. An in
dividual who was convinced five years ago that
the Union and the Constitution were wise, Just
and essential-who was convinced two years
ago that they were foolish and vain-who is
now again convinced of their wisdom and JUS
tice-and who, in two years from now, may
entertain the convictions he had two years ago
is an individual who has no convictions on
the subject at all worthy of the name. When,
therefore, we are told that the originally loyal
but lately disloyal and now again loyal people
of the South are in danger Of falling once more
into condition of disl0yalty, we can only say
that it is not worth while paying much heedto
the growth, or decay of an article of this style.
But we do not believe that blighting inhu-
ence will fall upon the loyalty of the South by
Congress making proper inquiries as to the
claims and relations Of those who have appear
| ed as its representatives. We see no sign Of
any such thing thus far, and we observe nd
symptoms of its approach. 1t would seem. ON
the contrary, that the Southern people have
had time for the Consideration of some dues-
tions that IL were as well to have considered
and settled at once. They have seen that,
though we are anxious as possible for the com.
plete restoration of the Union, politically, we
are not negligent or forgetful of those great
questions which the war was fought to settle,
and which we are determined to have brought
10 satisfactery conclusion. They have learn
ed that he will be guided by Judgment as well
as by generosity, and that no warmth of feeling
will blind us to the high demands OF justice
and constitutional loyalty, We think that thus
they have profted and will profit; and though
we earnestly desire to see their Congressional
representatives in their places at an early day,
we deirs them 70 -ume IN upon raeh footing